Before I moved into the mainstream of American movies, I wrote a script as an experiment. I wanted to get very far away from the clichés about the three-act play - structure, development.

I don't have any fear of intimacy, but rather thrive on it, which is rare in a public person.

Well, a girlfriend once told me never to fight with anybody you don't love.

Once you've started a film you don't become a wet noodle. You must have that conflictual interface because you don't know, and they don't know. It's through conflict that you come out with something that might be different, better than either of you thought to begin with.

My motto is: more good times.

The way I reacted to 9/11 was I decided I didn't want to do any movies that are sad or critical. I decided I didn't want to make my living depressing people or making them go home sick, so I just decided I wanted to do comedy for a while and study it for a while. It doesn't mean everybody should do that, but that was my reaction.

I just like art. I get pure pleasure from it. I have a lot of wonderful paintings, and every time I look at them I see something different.