If I’d made it right away as an actor, I would’ve stopped at a certain level and stayed there, probably as a character actor.
I learned the real meaning of love. Love is absolute loyalty. People fade, looks fade, but loyalty never fades. You can depend so much on certain people, you can set your watch by them. And that's love, even if it doesn't seem very exciting.
I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going.
I guess the best thing I do of all is ride. Horsemanship, I have a natural flair for it.
Often people going into directing want to learn as much as they possibly can about “technique.” And I say the hell with that.
Theater is like boxing – having the audience ringside. It’s instant gratification. Or horrification.
I think there’s something about being a neophyte that’s refreshing and hard to duplicate; it brings about real innovation. Innovation usually comes about through blind ignorance.
When I was cognizant of the war, I was very angry at the street-corner liberals who were trying to defame the footsoldier. Because there was a man who had no choice. He was a cog in the wheel, just trying to survive. I was always aware of that.
If you come into my house, I’m going to fight much more viciously to get you out than if we were on a neutral piece of land.
I’ve always boxed a certain way. But with Rocky, the character himself had to be kind of awkward. So I had to learn to fight that way.
I’m usually taken for a non-intellectual, a person of limited intelligence. I don’t know why, but I figure it’s because physically I don’t look intelligent.
Boxing is a great way to vent. I don’t know if there is a better way, I think for women too. There is something so primal about it and it’s the best exercise in the world, even if you don’t ever get in the ring.
Everybody has anger or regret in them one way or another. They all try different things to get it out. Some people go to psychiatrists. Some paint pictures. Some people talk it out.
I think everyone has questions in their mind. Did they do their very best?
Movies are a whole different ball-game, now. It’s much more of a business – very scientific.
Through failure, I found different ways to reverse my problems and get into the mainstream of Hollywood.
Eventually writing became more interesting to me than acting.
Movies are a collective art. Art by proxy.
I don’t fall into the physical manifestation of a man of letters. So I guess people assume the scripts are delivered to me under the door.
Rocky would definitely run for councilman. Maybe mayor. But these people are actually most effective in the family unit. That’s where they shine.
If I’d succeeded right away at acting I wouldn’t have sought out writing.