Well, you sort of get out of the pool room, you get out of the Marine Corps, you get out and read some literature, you become involved with people who also want to know and are ready to share some ideas about literature and thoughts, and it becomes nourished that way.

But then again, you know, the pimp in TAXI DRIVER has this reason, given the environment he was living in.

That's sort of like what real life is like in Hollywood. You need stars to gain financing.

She had said one time, make a choice and do it like Hercules. So if that is all of what is being offered, the idea is to always do it like Hercules and I always followed her advise and now I'm here talking to you.

What fascinated me mostly about Mickey Cohen was that he, in his later years, hired someone to help him to comprehend literature, to help him to read better, to understand words better.

He brought imagination to the story of the Creation.

I don't think about those things, really. I work hard on everything I do. Everything is a struggle, everything is hard, everything is difficult.