'Luck's' Nick Nolte: 3D causes 'psychotic states'

Nick Nolte's character in the upcoming HBO series "Luck" is epic -- he's a man of few words. Few croaked words that are at once profound and pretty much unintelligible.

After Friday's (Jan. 13) Television Critics Association Press Tour session -- which Nolte attended along with lead Dustin Hoffman and executive producers Michael Mann and David Milch -- we're thinking the guy is just channeling himself. And we should add that his voice sounds like Tom Waits' gravelly growl slowed down and run through a coffee grinder.

After shuffling on to stage in a red shirt and olive Fedora, Nolte continually stymied reporters with his creative  answers to seemingly innocuous questions.

We've compiled some of his best -- and we're sure totally improved -- lines here:

"They're gonna find out that six hours of 3D TV will cause a psychotic break ... they're doing research in Australia." -- Nolte's surprising response to what it was like working on a TV show.

"I took the spaghetti and smashed it in my face. And David didn't know what to do with that." -- on how he dealt with "Cannery Row" director David S. Ward.

"I always pray that the film's going to work and then I finally graduated to a pinball machine." -- on religion. We think.

"You guys understand everything that's going on in your life?" -- when asked about concerns that viewers will understand "Luck's" horse-racing references.