After this I took private lessons in Italian from an elementary school teacher. He gave me themes to write about and some of them turned out so well that he told me to publish them in a newspaper.

My painting teacher in high school used to say 'I can't paint like I want to but through practice I'll get better.' But I don't think that's true. I think sometimes you just can't paint.

Encouragement from my high school teacher Patty Hart said 'you need to focus and theater might be your route out of here.' I created the program went to college and graduate school and now here I am.

I studied with a blind teacher from about 5 until I was 16 at two different schools. From the age of 12 until 16 I was in a boarding school-which I believe at that time was compulsory for blind children.

I got into acting my junior year of high school. We got a new hot drama teacher and I was like 'Alright I'll try drama.'

My second grade teacher told me I would never graduate high school. That I was going to be a juvenile delinquent.

My primary school teacher once poured a bottle of curdled school milk forcefully down my throat. Then I threw it up all over her suede shoes. I'd rather have drunk from the spittoon in Barney's barber shop.

I enjoyed school - although I ran away on the first day. I'd reminded the teacher that it was nearly time for 'Watch With Mother' on TV.

When a music teacher that I had at school was taken ill and we had a variety show and I had to fill in - that's when I realized I had a voice.

I had a great drama teacher and he sort of made out drama school as this incredibly difficult thing to get into: 6 000 people apply every year and some of the schools only have 12 places. It's a phenomenally difficult thing to get into. And that excited me - I wanted that challenge.