When he was interviewed on the NPR show Fresh Air, the host, Terry Gross, asked him if he ever could have imagined the acclaim and fame that he current has (with the clear goal of making him sound like he is surprised and amazed by it all). He answered that no, actually, he'd always known he was a great actor and part of that comes down to self-confidence. When he began acting, he knew from the start he would be great. It didn't sound the least bit arrogant, just honest, and well, awesome.
Accepting the lead role in Shame, a completely serious and very intimate look at sex addiction took a lot of guts.