[on why he went back to Canada after spending twelve years in Hollywood] I was homesick, typecast and bored doing the same role over and over again. Show less «

Villains, like blondes, have more fun.

[from a 1989 interview] I've always remained a 19th century, slightly hammy, overblown actor. I prefer gigantic parts with huge emotions to playing kitchen drama. All this realism is just tedious and boring. I'm too big for television now. I'm too big for my house. I belong on another planet somewhere. I wish there were a space shuttle going to Mars. I would take my Shakespeare and start a new company... somewhere up there. Show less «

[describing his acting philosophy] When all else fails, be enigmatic.

Leading men are so cliched. They're so boring, so predictable. But when you get a really kooky, offbeat villain you can explore all kinds of devious twistings and turnings in the human mind. If you're a hero, well, they're all interchangeable. I don't think they're so interesting as these basic characters, which are the mainstay of all the shows anyway. People tend to remember the villains more than the heroes. Everybody wants to hiss and boo. It gives them a sense of superiority because they can feel, "Well, at least I'm not as bad as he is.". Show less «