I may have a feather duster down my pants.
You gotta be careful: don’t say a word to nobody about nothing anytime ever.
I always felt like I was meant to have been born in another era, another time.
I wasn’t into the lunchbox and thermos ski slope, and that’s where I was going.
Growing old is unavoidable, but never growing up is possible. I believe you can retain certain things from your childhood if you protect them – certain traits, certain places where you don’t let the world go.
They stick you with those names, those labels – ‘rebel’ or whatever; whatever they like to use. Because they need a label; they need a name. They need something to put the price tag on the back of.
When I see someone who just follows their dream and succeeds, and just does basically what they want to do and doesn’t have to answer to anyone, obviously not harming anyone, that’s great.
A dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest.
There are necessary evils. Money is an important thing in terms of representing freedom in our world. And now I have a daughter to think about. It’s really the first time I’ve thought about the future and what it could be.
I don’t think of myself as being a celebrity, it’s too mortifying. I have a hard time watching myself on screen and it’s getting worse. I can’t tell whether my work is good or not.
My daughter was asked by a little old lady in a London hotel restaurant what her daddy did. She answered, “He’s a pirate” – I was very proud of that answer.
I love the idea of changing my look. I think one owes it to the audience, to go out there and give them something different each time, so as not to bore them to death.
I was never disappointed by the people I’ve admired. And the choices I made when I was in a position where it was do-or-die were made with my heroes in mind.
How many chances to you get to make a musical about a serial killer? The minute Tim Burton approached me, I was in.
France, and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they’ve forgotten all about it. I’m afraid that the American culture is a disaster.
The only responsibility I feel is to deliver something that’s new or at least to attempt that. The real responsibility is to entertain and to try and make people laugh.
As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition too.
People will say a movie bombed at the box office but I couldn’t care less.
It’s all kinds of these profound things crashing on you when your child arrives into the world. It’s like you’ve met your reason to live.
I’d never even sung in the shower, I’m too mortified. But once I got over the initial fear it was kind of enjoyable. Sondheim’s melodies and lyrics are a real pleasure to tromp around in, it’s really beautiful stuff.