I am an honest man. I do not lie to my friends; I do not lie to my enemies; I do not lie to myself.

But every day I look into people's eyes and tell them what isn't true, and that is how I make my living.

I am an actor, an honest actor. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? But it is true, and it is by choice, for no one is honest by chance. You make that decision once; then you affirm it a thousand times, or maybe a million.

I can make you cry with stories of a childhood I did not have, inspire you with dreams I never had, and tell you secrets I do not have, and you will believe my every word. But I will only do it on a stage or for a camera. For 26 years, I've kept a promise, a promise made to my 10-year-old self, and I will not let that boy down.

"Welcome aboard Flight 213 from Los Angeles to New York, then continuing on to Rome, Italy ..."

Los Angeles, New York, Rome - they are all a long way from central Florida.

I now think of Eddie Gray as if he were someone else, for I am in awe of him. The child is the father of the man, and I owe more to that boy than to anyone I'll ever meet. I don't know how he did it, but he did not give in; he did not yield. Instead, piece by piece, he built himself, and what he invented was me.

(End of excerpt)