Doing time for past crimes.

At the time I stood in the dock, the whole celebrity justice thing was in its infancy. Today, the court appearances of high-profile figures get treated like they're instalments of American Idol. It's like, "Who's your favourite? Who do you want to come out on top?" And along the way, the public has gotten a little more sophisticated in its response to what's unfolding, to the point that you might well get a reaction of, "Hey, shouldn't we feel a little concern for the person who's suffering up there?" But back then, the novelty factor made it more like, "Hey, this is cool! Who cares if his life is in pieces? Just show us more of the famous guy crying." With help, you move on though, and here I am at 40, feeling great and in good shape. I've got people in my life now who rely on me to deliver 100 per cent, and I'm trying my very best not to let them down.

Heeding Charlie Chaplin's advice.

Back when I played him on screen, I was persuaded to record a version of his song Smile. But there was a whole maelstrom of distractions in my life back then, and I didn't know enough to do it justice. Now that I've learnt a few more lessons, I decided to have another go. In its purest form, the lyric's message is that attitude is everything. Well, there were times when I felt misled by that... "My heart really is breaking, so why should I smile? Are you saying I'm never to show my true feelings?" Now though, I find something incredibly hopeful, even triumphant, within the words and it's been a point of pride to go back and do them some justice.

Becoming a dad.

Exactly what is parenthood? Depending on the day, it's either indentured servitude ("OK, I'll drive him here, then there, then wherever else he needs to go") or just glorious, transcendent narcissism ("Isn't he looking great, and didn't he just say the cutest thing? That's my boy!"). More than anything, though, it's evidence that there's providence in the world: the fact that even one single Western kid makes it to adulthood without being a big, ugly lump of dysfunction has to be evidence of God's grace in action. I just want him to remain teachable. By ten, I was done with listening to anyone who thought they had authority over me, and was deaf to whatever anyone had to teach me. If he can be different, then it'll prove conclusively that the world's a better place than it was 30 years ago.

Pushing my boundaries.

I've made this record, and I think it's pretty good. Of course, I know there's a lot of people out there who've long since made up their minds about who I am and what I represent, and they won't allow anything to change that. Well, hey, I'm not J-Lo and I'm not expecting to have a Number One album and movie out at the same time... Thanks to my parents, I do have music in my DNA, though. It's not like I'm reinventing myself. Believe me, I've got high standards in everything. What other people expect of me is nothing compared to what I expect of myself.