James Van Der Beek

At a young age, acting was so inspiring and exciting, because to me it was play - make-believe, pretend.

I was dyslexic, so math and formulas were not necessarily my strong suit.

When you're the lead of a series, things happen around you, and you react to them.

I love New York City. Everyone is busy with their own lives - and no one is interested in some Hollywood celebrity walking past in downtown Manhattan. That's why it's my favorite city. You can do what you want without attracting a crowd of curious onlookers.

I've only dyed my hair blond once, after 'Varsity Blues.'

Being the lead of the show and working a lot of hours - all good stuff, a tremendous education, incredible opportunity, it changed my life - it was a marathon, and by the end of it I was pretty beat.

I've never really had a problem with the imagination level of an audience. They're always smarter and savvier than any studio exec will give them credit for.

I can intellectualize myself out of anything.

You start thinking the world is a certain way and forgetting that there's another world outside of the campus boundaries that has nothing to do with what is your world at the time.

I've always been a clown trapped in a leading man's body.

I've been through quite a few hurricanes. I worked in North Carolina, where there's a housing development whose name was Landfall.

I remember one day during my freshman year of high school, when as usual I was obsessively listening to a cast recording: it may have been 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' And I remember sitting there, totally absorbed, saying to myself, 'I can do this.'

I think anybody with an insecurity, which is everyone, appreciates the fact that it's much easier to be a predator than it is to be prey.

I never wear white or black socks.

I love New York City. Everyone is busy with their own lives - and no one is interested in some Hollywood celebrity walking past in downtown Manhattan.

A lot of movies you do because they're fun, they make people forget about their day.

You can't really pretend something is rosier than it is and expect people to buy it.

I'm pretty much your average, energy-saving-light-bulbs-recycling citizen.

You are incredibly fortunate whatever success falls on you, which is what happened with me.

I started out doing theater in N.Y.C.