Tell us about the Chicago theater scene,
where you came of age. They really support their arts,
and they have wonderful museums and great theater. For a
great Saturday night, I would go to a play at the Steppenwolf
Theatre, and then I would go to a restaurant called the
Landmark, which has a great clubby feel. It has a wonderful
atmosphere. It's certainly true for actors that, irrespective
of what is going on in the country, you can always get a job
in Chicago. It is a city that works. You can go there and
just learn what to do. I remember doing these plays in these
loft spaces, where usually the cast outnumbered the audience
members, and once in a while the fire marshal would come shut
us down. He would say something like, "Come on, you kids; you
can't be doing this now." We would be like, "Yeah, sorry,
fire marshal." And the next week we would be up again.
Where would you go for dinner before or after the
theater? One great dinner place is Le Bouchon. It has been
there a long, long time, and it is this tiny, 15-table French
restaurant. It has the best soup. It has stuff like frog legs, but
they are good. It's this quiet atmosphere, romantic and old-world.
The owner and chef, Jean-Claude Poilevey, is out and about. He's
running around the tables, with his thick French accent, going, "Do
you like your meal?" I'm saying, "Excuse me, I didn't understand."
He's checking with you and checking on you. That's a great
restaurant. The Landmark has a restaurant on one side, which is
great, sort of Americana
food, but then they have a lounge with
great drinks and appetizers. You can just go hang out for a really
long time and talk with your friends.
Where do you like to unwind after work?
There is a bar called the Matchbox, and it's the tiniest bar in
Chicago. It used to be a factory bar, and it would open at three in
the morning and go until noon. It's a good old Chicago-feeling bar.
You go in and get a martini and a cigar.
Then what would you do? Then I would go
home and go to bed. I have two kids; I don't stay up late.