You can' t help being a musician because you've grown up with music yet being one means being compared to your dad and being slated for it. But I really don't have the ambitions of most people going into the industry.

It is because my dad died suddenly that I became an actor. I thought I'm going to make money doing this thing I enjoy.

And then before going back for my sophomore year I decided to change my major to arts and sciences and my dad cut a deal with me: He said if I'd quit school he'd pay my rent for the next three years as if I were in school.

If I have a problem stuff's going through my head I feel like using I usually go and talk to my dad... I decided to get sober a lot younger than he did. He first tried to get sober when he was like 32 I believe.

My dad took me to all the best rock and punk shows when I was growing up and music has always been a part of my life. So I'm very interested in the music scene and I suppose that's why I've ended up going out with musicians. Dave Pirner is still one of my best friends.

I'm going to take care of the man I'm with. I grew up in a household where my mum takes care of my dad - she cooks she does everything - and that's the kind of girl I am.

I think I had kind of an advantage. When I was growing up my dad had just got out of jail and he had a great record collection. He had - it was all - these were the songs. So I heard a lot of these songs like my whole life so for me it was easy. I already knew what I was going to sing.

OK so my parents were married in 1955 and my mom knew my dad was gay and my dad knew he was gay and so I was like 'Why in the heck did you get married?' Like what was going on? What was that time? It's like this crazy paradox that my whole life is based on or my family's based on. So I spent a lot of time trying to understand '55.

You know my dad pushed me to believe that I was going to be the best. I just never thought of life without tennis even looking forward.

I knew I was going to be a journalist when I was eight years old and I saw the printing presses rolling at the Sydney newspaper where my dad worked as a proofreader.

The only time I think about life beyond F1 is when I contemplate becoming a dad. But there's no way that's going to happen while I'm still racing. To be successful in F1 you need to be very selfish in lots of ways and you're away from home for long periods. That's not the kind of father I want to be.

In my case I was born to parents who were very young and I don't think they were entirely ready to have a child. My dad was going to college and working two or three jobs at the same time and my mum was working and going to school.

I was into the Mets because my Dad worked at IBM where he got free Mets tickets so I was into the Mets... then I got to 'Saturday Night Live' where my boss has unbelievable N.Y. Yankees tickets so he invites us to the games. I'm going to all the games so I might as well root for the team I'm gonna go sit with.

My dad has been married to his wife for 15 years and wherever he goes there better be a seat for her. I like real couples that tell you how to get through on Wednesdays when you're just at the end of your rope - the ones who really know how to make it through. We have to stop looking at Hollywood couples because you're going to get disappointed.

Often as a child you see someone with a learning disability or Down's Syndrome and my mum and dad were always very quick to explain exactly what was going on and to be in their own way inclusive and welcoming.

I say this as a young dad seeing children going into primary school: I don't think we should underestimate the formative effect on a child of those first years in primary school.

My dad is the nicest guy you'll ever meet and the easiest going.