I have a lot of respect and admiration for President Carter. It was a delight when I got the Nobel Peace Prize to get a letter from him. It meant a lot to me, getting that letter from a man who is my idol in many ways. ... He always has the courage to express his views, his convictions. He doesn’t hesitate to run against the current. He has always had a moral certitude. He looks at the ethics and morality of his action, and that’s key. Whatever we do in life, whether privately or publicly, we need to have a compass. We need to be sure that what we do is not only good for us, but good for the people at large. That’s ethics. That’s morality. I think we need to always know that our work is not just good for us in the short term, but it’s morally correct. And when I talk about morality, I don’t talk about religion. I talk about a moral code, a moral value, which I think we all have, being honest, being fair, being correct. These are values I think we all share.

The comedian Norm Macdonald. He’s the funniest man in the world, but so committed to being funny, he’s continually screwing up his career.

Ricky Gervais. I’m saying that so he might read this and cast me in something.

President Obama: he was the first to accomplish something so great in our country as an African American.

Not always standing up for myself enough.

Loyalty, kindness, honesty, trustworthiness, reliability.

Peacefully, in good physical health, sound of mind, still active, at a great age, with my children around me.

The first 10 years of my marriage, when my children were small.

Healthy, happy children. A wonderful, loving partner with whom to share my life.

Losing another child. (I lost one of my sons to suicide when he was 19.)