I never doubted that I would work and every time I went to an audition I went into the room with the knowledge that I was going to get the part. Ninety-nine times out of 100 I didn't.

After hundreds of auditions and nothing you're sitting home and wondering 'What am I doing?'

I don't think actors should ever expect to get a role because the disappointment is too great. You've got to think of things as an opportunity. An audition's an opportunity to have an audience.

And as I grew older I then auditioned for the Royal Academy of Music in London and they said well no we won't accept you because we haven't a clue - you know - of the future of a so-called 'deaf' musician. And I just couldn't quite accept that.

I auditioned for a solo in church and got it. I was about seven and I sang a song called 'Jesus I Heard You Had a Big House' and I remember people standing up at the end and me thinking 'Oh I think I'm going to like this.' That's how it all began. Sounds funny to say you got your start in church but I did.

I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a genius. If you can you know take a Tide commercial and you can just say one funny line that's not in the commercial they think you're a genius.

It was a mixed blessing to have famous parents. It was tough to go to auditions and be bad since I couldn't be anonymous.

For every successful actor or actress there are countless numbers who don't make it. The name of the game is rejection. You go to an audition and you're told you're too tall or you're too Irish or your nose is not quite right. You're rejected for your education you're rejected for this or that and it's really tough.

My dad never told me that when you audition you might not get the role. He wanted to wait until my first disappointment to tell me.

A lot of times I would go into a room and audition for whatever sitcom it was and they would expect me to do sort of what my dad was doing and I am not him so they would be disappointed and I would feel nervous and not know exactly how to do it.