I was lucky. My family is wonderful. And it's funny because most of my best friends come from very large families. So it always felt as if I had lots of siblings though in the end I had to leave them and go home. I kind of got the best of both worlds as a kid.

There is a common theme though in the stories I have told which are usually associations of characters or families that are formed outside of a family circle.

My family although they're very large on both my parents' sides they don't know much about their family tree. Occasionally they try to dig but they can't get very far and it's baffling. In Dublin it seems that so many public records were wiped out it's proven to be very difficult so I know very little.

Well family is obviously the most important. There was a time when I thought football was the most important.

And having a strong family you know we've lost some members of our family and had some setbacks but I think a good family and kids all those things I thought at one time... you got to be kidding me... Those things are so important they enable you to go on.

I have other obligations now - the show my family my life... though I know that without my sobriety I wouldn't have any of those things.

Nobody in my family ever thought that I'd a be a model.

I always tried to do things by example even though I was not a very good mother regarding routines and family life.

By the time I was 30 nobody would work with me. I was friendless I was hopeless I was suicidal lost my family - I mean it was bad. Bottomed out didn't know what I was going to do. I actually thought I was going to be a chef - go to work in a kitchen someplace.

But when you lose a family member or something tragic happens that stays with you forever. You never get over it. Knowing that you have to deal with that for the rest of your life... Football is important but not as important as you once thought it was.

My family and our neighbors and friends thought of Africa and its Africans as extensions of the stereotyped characters that we saw in movies and on television in films such as 'Tarzan' and in programs such as 'Ramar of the Jungle' and 'Sheena Queen of the Jungle.'

Thinking back to those earlier days I felt I was weak when I wasn't making movies and then when I was I thought I was weak as a family member.

I sang in the choir for years even though my family belonged to another church.

But if each man could have his own house a large garden to cultivate and healthy surroundings - then I thought there will be for them a better opportunity of a happy family life.

I came from a poor family so working and going to school at the same time was natural. It taught me multi-tasking although we didn't call it that back then. I learned I could never be idle I need to be doing many things at once.

I think that in a year I may retire. I cannot take my money with me when I die and I wish to enjoy it with my family while I live. I should prefer living in Germany to any other country though I am an American and am loyal to my country.

I am blessed to have so many great things in my life - family friends and God. All will be in my thoughts daily.