Ted Danson, Don Cheadle, Henry Winkler and Timothy Simons also open up about why comedy should be dangerous ("I get absolutely terrified — but it becomes addictive"), Hollywood's former drug culture and moving on from indelible roles ("I had no idea how or what to do next").

Bad Robot, the production company Abrams runs with his wife and co-CEO, Katie McGrath, had been fielding offers from pretty much every major media company at one point or another.