I think much of my inspiration comes from nature. I feel alive when I take a long hike with my dog or when I just spend time outdoors, appreciating the beauty of this world. I even feel alive and inspired when I walk through farmers markets appreciating and learning about local fruits and vegetables.

You don't want to burn any bridges, but you also want to make sure you leave your character bridges wide open and you're never seen as one particular thing, or that's who you'll be, unfortunately, for the rest of your career.

When I first came USA, I didn't feel this was my home. This was where I was studying, and then my home was now rejecting me.

I wouldn't necessarily consider myself the typical sci-fi genre fan. I do have a lot of sci-fi shows that I enjoy, but I wouldn't call it my favorite genre of all.

You never want to be pigeonholed into something and have people think, "Oh, that's the guy we call for this particular thing."

The second time I was banned was when I directed a film called Xiu Xiu. I was banned for three years from China.

Usually you read a script and you know somebody who knows somebody who maybe knew that person or met them once.