In terms of the stars, the only ones I cast were Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins. I was in Los Angeles working and a lot of this took place on the telephone. I'd met Maggie [Smith] once and I'd come back-stage, which I'm usually loathe to do because as an actor you don't want people coming back because you want to get home [laughs].

In my room as a kid... I'd play a fighter and get knocked to the floor and come back to win.

A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.

I wanted to be a jazz pianist, but I wasn't good enough. I got into city college because I didn't have the grades to get into university. I took acting because it was a way to get three credits. I just needed three credits and my friend told me to take acting because it was like gym - nobody fails you. I took it and that's literally how I got involved in acting.

To have a successful marriage, a man must, on a fundamental level be scared shitless of his wife.

I decided a long time ago but sometimes it takes you 40 years to get around to doing something - and that's the truthful answer.

I stopped working a few years ago because I just lost a spark that I'd had before. I thought I'd just try writing, and maybe start directing, but I did it very quietly.