It is important that we realize that words have meanings far beyond the dictionary definition.

In an age where overindulgence seems to be the norm, I can't help but look back and feel thankful that my parents chose to hold out on giving me everything that I wanted growing up.

Anxiety is my kryptonite.

My dad made a conscious choice to keep my family in Canada. I think he wanted us to have a pretty normal life and one that wasn't necessarily affected by the industry or all that comes with growing up in Hollywood.

Following a trend too closely is a risky thing. If not properly executed, you could easily end up looking uncomfortable, over-styled, and downright foolish.

I have the utmost respect for red carpet interviewers; it is such a hard job.

What I loved about 'The Beverly Hillbillies' was that it was about family love and growth and understanding. The riches-to-rags premise is just the wallpaper.

Lauryn Hill quietly released 'Lose Myself' as part of the 'Surf's Up' motion picture soundtrack - shocking, I know. It's not only one of the best summer tracks you'll add to your catalogue: it's also one of the most honest and heartfelt songs she's has ever written.

I've never really learned anything when I feel like it's being forced down my throat.

There was a time in my life when people called me 'Denim Dan.' I didn't like it. And fortunately for my self-esteem, it didn't stick for very long. I was 12, and I was given the name by my classmates after I showed up to the first day of school in - wait for it - triple denim.

So often, I think shows get into these grooves where they know the characters hit, and they just write for it over and over and over again.

Thinking back, the majority of the conflicts I've had in my life have been a result of offering up my two unwelcome cents, crossing that line between constructive truth-telling and preaching.

I remember quite clearly a time when I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I was six, I was worry-free, and I aspired to be an actor-slash-pizza maker. To me, the decision was simple; that is what would make me happy.

Our phones have created what I like to call SADD - Social Attention Deficit Disorder.

I had always been scared of the unknown, and I think it had a lot to do with a lack of self-confidence (and wearing thick, dark-rimmed glasses before they were considered cool).

'Real talk' refers to the act of speaking the honest truth about something or someone without fear of consequence.

There was a commonality in a lot of the private school experiences that I had of children whose lives were not their own. They thought they were their own, but they were essentially gifted this life by their parents. So they were spending money; they were going on trips - I guess, in a way, it is their life, but they didn't earn it.

After getting the job at MTV, the challenge was, 'How do I start my career as a television host without people holding my dad's career over my head?' It's a very easy thing for people to look to my dad and say, 'Well, he got his job because of this.'

I went to private school and then chose to go to public school because I didn't like the private school experience; I didn't like that vibe.

When I feel like treating myself, I'll either turn to food or clothes. Bad food. Expensive clothes. Ironically, I'm usually rewarding myself for a solid week of healthy eating or a nice paycheque.

In my head, I'm a purist that doesn't require anything but a group of good friends and a bottle of wine. In reality, I'm co-dependent on my iPhone and fully conscious of the fact that my attention span is corroding.

When I was working at MTV, people would e-mail me asking where I bought my frames, and I always felt a little uneasy telling a teenager to go out and pick up a $400 pair of glasses.

'Simply the Best' has always been one of my favourite songs and a song that I've always thought was far deeper than what you imagine it to be at first listen. I found the lyrics to be really, oddly beautiful, considering you rarely stop and think about them.

To edit someone from your life must be a properly evaluated decision. After all, the act of distancing yourself is difficult and, if executed improperly, could prove even more troublesome than if you were to have done nothing at all. The key is to create the distance gradually - a 'fade out' as I like to call it.

Shopping for guys in Toronto is a really tough thing because there's not a huge market for it.

I remember, before I started high school, I was really intrigued by the Buddy Holly/James Dean style of glasses. This was a long, long time before they were sold at every Urban Outfitters.

My parents have - my dad has managed to succeed at his craft. So, you know, it's not like I was struggling in my life.

I know that in writer's rooms across North America, there are still conversations about how much is too much when it comes to intimacy between, in my case, two men. That's an insane conversation to be having.

Ironically, fashion trends, be it denim or polka dots, have a tendency to perpetuate the contrary.

What skills I lacked in, say, math or science, I like to think I made up for in my ability to read people and situations with great clarity. I therefore considered myself as a sort of valued soothsayer when it came to dispensing opinions to my friends about their life choices or relationships.

Don't get me wrong: I'm a sucker for weddings. I'll get misty-eyed watching the union of two perfect strangers. But in some cases - and I need to stress some cases - I feel like we're getting blindsided by the spectacle of it all.

I've always considered myself a master in the art of real talk.

I love food, and I'm a foodie; I try to hit as many restaurants as I can.

It's pretty incredible to think that someone who once dreamed of a life in fashion could go from reading 'Vogue' during recess in elementary school to eventually seeing his designs grace those very pages.

There is a lot men don't know about women. And I'm not just talking about how you manage to leave the bathroom smelling like a tropical rainforest after you shower or how you're able to walk in shoes that rely on nothing more than the support of two five-inch toothpicks.

I was raised before the advent of DVD players in cars and iPads at the dinner table.

Quite simply, my friends inspire me to strive.

I think because there is the constant looming threat of nepotism and judgment, I really tried to separate what I was doing at MTV, my auditions, anything I was doing creatively, from my family.

The Canadian audience is very critical, particularly of their own content.

I'm clueless when it comes to flowers.

Very few ideas are better than Catherine O'Hara's ideas when it comes to acting.

My mother was in labour for two full days before having me on a sunny August afternoon. She went into labour on the 7th, and I chose to make my big entrance on the 9th.

I'm good with furniture, very bad with plants.

The sole forms of social interaction I was aware of as a kid involved a jungle gym and a sticker book. It was only in high school that ICQ - a prehistoric form of instant messaging - was first incorporated into my cultural vocabulary.

Sometimes circumstance blinds us at first from seeing people for who they really are.

My mom asked me one day at lunch in a very lovely and respectful way. I was finally comfortable enough to say yes, I was gay, and it really was never talked about again.

I'd rather create something that gives people a very strong reaction than create a show that someone looks at and says, 'Hmm. Fine.'

The fact that I like to buy inessential things to make myself feel better is neither a secret nor something I'm particularly proud of. And I know I'm not alone.

Comedy is not easy to begin with, but comedy that also dances with drama - it's so hard.

It's quite common for a television show to start off as one thing and end up as something completely different. There are so many cooks in the kitchen - the network, the studio.