You have to be willing to expose yourself, at least to yourself, to get to some kind of truth about a character.
I made career decisions that came from the part of me who wanted to shun the limelight.
I hope to direct a few more films before I leave the planet, so I hope I can find the material.
I listen to National Public Radio, which, to me at least, presents the most rounded view of things.
I have a tight family group that’s really important to me. I don’t want to work all the time.
I had some really dear friends who died from AIDS-one in particular. His family wasn’t around and he didn’t have many friends. I spent a lot of time with him in his later days.
I’ve always wanted to work with Paul Newman. I had a couple opportunities in the past, and I didn’t take advantage of it, so it was really fun to be working with him.
Seeing what happens when you rip yourself open is what your job is all about.
When Bush first got elected, the very first time there was talk of going to war with Iraq, the mainstream media gave his position total credibility. I didn’t get it then, and I don’t get it now.
Hippy, you think everything is a conspiracy. Everything is!
If I started worrying about how my constituents are going to react to every move I make, I wouldn’t be able to do my job here. I’ll do what I think is right and explain it later.
I like to act with people that know what they’re doing.
You can’t betray yourself too often, or you become somebody else.
A lot of films come out before they’re finished.
When I decided to direct, never having done that before, is something I’m very proud of.
You look at a guy like Lance Armstrong, and you have to be inspired. I sat next to Kirk Douglas the other day, and he’s inspiring for fighting through his stroke.
There’s always a reaction based on fear. People assume if you’re criticizing a decision to go to war, then you’re saying something against the soldiers-which is not the case.
I am not one of these guys who works job after job after job.
For The Truman Show, I worked for a few weeks, do my gig, then I was done.
I feel like my place in this industry is still progressing.
I chose films made by people I wanted to work with, about subject matter I thought was intriguing.