Movies, as evidenced by a chorus of protesting and celebrating Americans, influence broader trends.

I think as a kid I always liked to listen to people. I loved hearing stories.

The individuals inside are frequently fighting that their individual voices be heard, while the walls of the place, which are the mask, and the perception, are reluctant to give over to the voices of the individuals. Those in the margins are always trying to get to the center, and those at the center, frequently in the name of tradition, are trying to keep the margins at a distance. Part of the identity of a place is the tension between those in the margins, and those in the center, and they all live behind the walls which wear the tradition.

Discipline — both mental and physical — is crucial.

What you are will show, ultimately. Start now, every day, becoming, in your actions, your regular actions, what you would like to become in the bigger scheme of things.

Some people study a text very deeply. The people are my text. I study their words and what their words sound like, over and over again.

I love studying how people are. Not just what they're saying, but how they are, what they're doing.