I have great respect for the FBI, and I know that there have been some rumors lately that the FBI was disenchanted because of what we were doing in story, or doing a certain take: that's not true. Actually the FBI was tremendously enthusiastic about us doing [ J. Edgar Hoover ] film.

You definitely do not do films for that particular reason. You do them for yourself, for your satisfaction of creating this thing with characters and watching these characters take on real life - that's all you care about.

Always keep your ego in check and not be afraid to listen. Listening is a great art form.

You take the work seriously, you don't take yourself seriously. You keep that straight and you'll do well the rest of your life.

With people in high office, the old - you go into the extreme, which is absolute power and absolute power corrupts.

Kids piercing themselves, piercing their tongues, what kind of masochism is that? Is it to show you can just take it?

Dyin' ain't much of a living, boy.