Ego problems are endemic in every walk of life, but in the movie business egomaniacs are megalomaniacs.

nerve, not talent, is the one necessary and sufficient trait for success. (Wouldn't it be ideal if it were talent? But talent with no nerve is like the sound of one hand clapping.

I think there are always actor parts, and then there are movie-star parts, and an actors always an actor until he does a movie-star part.

My sense of Los Angeles was very New York provincial, as in 'all those people are crazy out there' (which they are), and stupid (which they're not), and immoral (it's more interesting than that).

My goal has been to learn how to get movies made without losing sight of the reasons I began. I have had to learn to recognize the insidious nature of the beast without becoming one.

What turns a work crisis into a life crisis is the infusion of dread.

The lack of women directors is a sad fact of life. Kathryn Bigelows thrilling Best Director win may help turn things around.