I do admire [Willie] Wonka. He's a true capitalist. His factory has zero government regulations, slave labor and an indoor boat. Wonderful.

When you're with someone, you want everything to be great. And that's the pressure that you put on, and what you just can't do.

When I told my parents, 'I'm going to be an actor,' they screamed and wept and freaked out.

All those animals live a pretty dreary life, then they get chopped up and put on a griddle.

I probably have to move out of New York. I just can’t live in New York anymore.

I wanted to work with Cate Blanchett. She is one of the five greatest movie actresses of her generation.

Well, actors get very frustrated with giving control to other people. They have their own ideas and wants for their characters. Warren Beatty once told me that he thought actors ended up directing out of frustration. If you have a strong sense of how to communicate a film, you should direct. The problem is that it is a huge commitment. I'd rather direct a play than a film due to the time. A movie can tie you up for a year or more.