“Arrested Development” star Jeffery Tambor’s acting career began with $48. That’s how much tuition was when he attended San Francisco State University.

“I am an actor because of that $48,” Tambor said.

Though Tambor has made appearances in various Hollywood hits, such as The Hangover trilogy, Tangled, Hellboy, and even The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, he started off as a teacher, which, he said, is something many people may not know about him.

Tambor gives lectures at college campuses around the United States, and he hopes to inspire people, exactly what he hoped to do as the first lecturer of the year on Thursday.

“My parents were so scared for me to be an actor, but I knew it since I was 8,” Tambor said.

Despite his successful acting career, Tambor also enjoys teaching acting workshops around the world.

He was even at Pepperdine University in California, where he learned that you don’t drop F-bombs at a Christian university.

“I don’t know why it’s here in my life,” he said, referring to the acting workshops. “I don’t know why I’m so dedicated to it. I hope I can inspire someone.”

The changes in students he has observed in all his years of being a teacher have led him to believe there is a revolution coming, and there is a change happening in the academic world right now.

“They’re calling you guys the millennials,” he said. “The greatest thing about your generation is that you are more empathetic than [my generation was]. We were more cynical. You’re more about the quality of life rather than the numbers. We were about the numbers.”

Throughout his teaching experience, Tambor has also realized lots of actors stop their acting careers before they even begin. He’s noticed the dreams start to get deferred around junior and senior years of college, where students realize “it’s not a dress rehearsal anymore.”

However, Tambor said he doesn’t understand what stops people from reaching their dreams.

“That thing that scares the poop out of you? That’s the dream,” Tambor said. “I like risk. I like a higher diving board.”

UI senior Spenser Carlson was excited to see what Tambor would talk about at his lecture.

“I bet he has some wisdom from his many years in the acting business,” Carlson said. “He seems to be one of those guys who has just been appearing in random TV shows and movies throughout the decade. He’d have a lot of great stories.”

Tambor has used his many years of experience to spread wisdom and encouragement for all those who want to hear it.

UI junior Alex Restrepo said she believes the current generation will react well to his advice.

The only thing Tambor would like college students to know is that they should “adore everything. Be happy now.”