I try to cast really good actors and give them a chance to do their very best work, give them as much time and space as they need.

You have to be kind to people. Treat them decently. There's no excuse for not.

Persia is very different from the Arab Middle East in terms of architecture and language. Even though we think of them as one big Middle Eastern area, in truth, Persia's quite distinct.

There is currency to celebrity, or celebrity is a currency... You can spend it in a lot of ways, or you can squander it. You can be taxed, as well. I really started thinking long and hard about how to use that currency as long as I had it.

I like acting for myself as a director. I act and I know that I'll have a chance to have some say in what gets used and that I'll be able to give myself enough takes and be on the same page as myself about how the scene should play.

I feel like fame is wasted on me.

I have a promptness problem. I am a promptness-free zone.