How did your relationship with TAG Heuer come about?
Very early on, I approached TAG Heuer about incorporating my environmental work into our relationship. Jean Christophe Babin was enthusiastic about the idea from the beginning. He understood then the importance of doing good – by helping to raise money for environmental organizations that focus on impacting the world in positive ways.

What drives your environmental activism?
I have been interested in environmental issues for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always enthralled by nature documentaries, specifically IMAX films on the rainforests. Even though I was very young, I remember being profoundly affected by issues like the depletion of the world’s resources and species on the brink of extinction.
In my adult life, my environmental work and activism remain a priority. I created a foundation that focuses on raising public awareness of the very important issues concerning our planet, our environment, and the impact we as people have on the world we live in.
When I’m not working, I‘m focused on a variety of environmental projects. Through that work, I’ve developed a much deeper awareness and understanding about our relationship with the world. It is not only an extremely fulfilling and gratifying learning experience, but has also taken me to some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.

What are your tips for people leading a more sustainable life? What’s something they can do every day?
The most important thing you can do to live more sustainably is to be conscious of the world we live in, and to integrate that consciousness into your everyday life. The reason that this is important is simple: If you are knowledgeable about the issues affecting our environment, you will have a greater appreciation for the world and be more conscious about how you use it. On a daily basis, I believe that one of the most important acts someone can do to directly impact the environmental community is to buy local. We live in a very complex world where we want everything immediately, even if this this means transporting food across the world on shipping crates and airplanes. Eating local, buying local, or planting in your own backyard has the ability to directly impact and benefit our planet each and every day.

Your relationship with TAG Heuer means you’ve visited their manufacturing facility in Switzerland…
There’s something very fascinating about old-fashioned watchmaking, and getting the opportunity to travel to Switzerland to see it firsthand was a great experience. It’s an incredibly modern facility, and yet it feels timeless – like a giant science lab with minute little parts and men behind microscopes. I loved my time there.

Have you always been interested in watchmaking?
I’m no expert, but I’ve always been a fan of watchmaking, and even more so after my visit to Switzerland and the TAG Heuer factory. Watching a Swiss watch being made with so many intricate and delicate parts is like watching a giant jigsaw puzzle being pieced together. I’ve always collected watches and appreciated the craftsmanship, but I’ve never seen up close the expertise it takes to put them together. Experiencing the craftsmanship firsthand made me even more interested in the art of watchmaking.

You’re nearly 40 – do you still have burning ambition or are you satisfied with what you’ve achieved?
40? Already? I guess the big four-o hasn’t entered my consciousness yet. I believe it’s very important to look back on the choices you’ve made and re-analyze where you want your life to go and the things you want to do as an individual.
I came from a lower middle-class background where, for me, being an actor never seemed like an achievable dream. Once I got my first opportunity to work on a movie, it’s really been a mad rush to fulfill that dream. As an actor, I do everything possible to tell a great story in a truly artistic way, but at the end of the day you never know how critics and audiences are going to respond. It’s always an eternal sort of mystery in making movies, and that’s the great fun, challenge, and excitement about doing what I do. My goal is to keep doing great work…I haven’t stopped yet and hopefully the work will never stop. While I’m here, I will always have that drive to not only produce great work, but to make a difference in the world.