I landed a job with Roger Corman. The job was to write the English dialogue for a Russian science fiction picture. I didn't speak any Russian. He didn't care whether I could understand what they were saying; he wanted me to make up dialogue.

By working in the morning, I find a sense of peace; it's isolated peace, but I can definitely be in touch with my feelings, and then I just start.

I associate my motion picture career more with being unhappy and scared, or being under the gun, than with anything pleasant.

I think it's better to be overly ambitious and fail than to be underambitious and succeed in a mundane way. I have been very fortunate. I failed upward in my life!

Anyone who's made film and knows about the cinema has a lifelong love affair with the experience. You never stop learning about film.

They needed someone to write a script of The Great Gatsby very quickly for the movie they were making. I took this job so I'd be sure to have some dough to support my family.

I always think upon Lee Strasberg with warmth, and reviewing his wisdom is a pleasure.