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.

In most fields of endeavor there are no easy jobs; there are only graceful ways of performing difficult ones.

Information is currency. ... Power is a place as well as a verb; it is inside the information tent.

The first thing you notice about women in Hollywood, besides their low percentage of body fat, is how few are married. And the number of great-looking, successful single women without a social life is staggering. ... The most glaring misconception about Hollywood is that it is the romance capital of the world.

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

It is just as important to move on in the wake of stunning success as in the wake of disaster.

[On filmmaking:] Cardinal rule: It's a youth business.