Kyle MacLachlan

“I originally wanted to be an opera singer. I studied classical voice at the University of Washington but soon realised I didn't have the instrument or the discipline. The road for opera singers is more difficult than for actors.”

“Working on 'Housewives' was very similar to 'Sex and the City.' Different cities, of course, but a high level of talent in the writing and acting on both!”

“I like eating, cooking and shopping. It all goes together.”

“I am a big one for subtlety and empathy. My dad was softly spoken and didn't carry his honours and accomplishments for everyone to see.”

“I have an avocado tree at my place in Los Angeles - it's the smoother-skinned one, which tends to be a little stringy. Often the birds or raccoons get the avocados before I can harvest them. I have figs, too, which are great with prosciutto, of course. I have limes and lemons, which I use to make lemonade.”

“I'd love to visit South America, especially Argentina, as I'm a winemaker myself. They do a fantastic malbec, so it would be a dream to sample their grapes. New Zealand would be great, too. I'm a golfer, so it would combine both my loves.”

“My breakfast consists of two cappuccinos and maybe a toasted English muffin, and that's pretty much it for me unless I decide to go a little more upscale, and then I'll have scrambled eggs.”

“I think most actors feel an obligation to do right by the people they're playing.”

“I have olive trees and have tried my hand at curing small batches of olives, with varying degrees of success. So sometimes there are leftover olives I use in pasta sauce because they didn't quite make the grade.”

“Hollywood is not good when it comes to age.”

“When I think of 'Mad Dog Time,' I think of the fact that I got to drive fast cars all day long up in Canada. That was really fun. We were on these back roads with these great cars.”

“The film world is a crazy place to be. You sit around all day waiting for the phone to ring. Are people talking about you or aren't they?”

“Hamlet is a little daunting.”

“When I'm in a foreign city, I like to get to know it like a local.”

“Walla Walla is where I make wine, with Eric Dunham. He and I partnered up on a small project for me. We make pretty good cabernet and syrah.”

“Most actors are pretty adaptable because we work with so many directors.”

“'Dune' was like a giant machine, and it was hard to keep track of all the pieces, but 'Blue Velvet' was a very sleek, compact little experience.”

“I've always enjoyed drinking wine, ever since I was in college. My appreciation really took off when I began to visit Napa. I was toying with an idea of making wine in Napa, but it's prohibitively expensive, and the competition is fierce.”

“Even after doing that TV thing, 'Roswell,' I'm still waiting to see my first UFO.”

“If I'm going to make something in the kitchen, even if it's something as simple as a sandwich, I will take the extra time to make it a great sandwich instead of just an average sandwich. I don't mind investing a little extra work to make something special.”