I always wanted to play music and have my music be the focus of my career. The only thing that's changed is the direction my career and life took, into the musical theater world. It's an added huge bonus into my life. I'm so lucky and honored to be able to do it. But I'm not a big fan of it.I would never want to be in a traditional revival. Rocky Horror is one thing, but I'd never want to do The Music Man or Kiss Me, Kate. That's not the kind of musical theater I enjoy. That's not my thing.

Billy Joel is one of my hugest idols.

Of course, I was like most people saying, 'Oh, that's crazy,' and to a certain extent it is crazy. But where it's true is that music effects you on a spiritual level. You're either going to convey positively or negatively when it comes to that. If your message is a dark message, no, you're not responsible for somebody killing themselves, that's ridiculous, but you should take responsibility for the spiritual connection that your music is going to make with somebody and whether it's going to make a positive or dark spiritual connection. [on whether Marilyn Manson's music has a dark influence on teenagers' lives]

Ignorance is bliss. I wish I still had some.

"When I was doing the play, it was hard for me to understand why people reacted so strongly to it. I thought it was great, but I didn't understand until I left why it had such a visceral impact. Now I know that when you watch it, whatever your individual issues are, you feel like a little bit of something has been lifted off your shoulders. And that's so rare." (About his experiences in Rent)

Rent'll allow me to get my own apartment. I've always mooched off of girlfriends.

I am definitely less green than I was back then. What I meant by that was that I wasn't an actor and really at that point had no intention of continuing to pursue acting. What I did in "Rent" was just very natural. From day one I just connected to the role and the music and I think that's why I was successful in it.