When I was thinking about The Lion King, I said, we have to do what theater does best. What theater does best is to be abstract and not to do literal reality.

When I'm working as a director, I might have an idea of my own but I'm also trying to get great ideas out of my actors. Directing is much more psychological - it's a lot like being a general. And you have to be organized. While you're making a film, you have between 2 and 500 people asking you a billion questions.

I've had male executives say that my lead character was unlikable because she slept with a lot of guys.

There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence.

I really do believe that if you don't challenge yourself and risk failing, that it's not interesting.

One of the reasons I love to jump back and forth between mediums is that film does allow me to be more literal. I can go to the real place. I can go to the Coliseum, and I don't have to fake it.

Limitations force you to find the essence of what you want to say, which is one of the most important things to know for an artist.