I have learned that a bitter experience can make you stronger. I now boastfully say that I have a hide like a rhinoceros... and I'm smiling. It's an interesting thing.

My hope is that this movie will affect people on a very profound level and reach them with a message of faith, hope, love and forgiveness.

A guy said to me one time, something really profound, and it's so simple. It's that depression lies. It's a liar and you have to shut it down. There is nothing that alleviates it more than going out and doing something for someone else. It's almost like instant healing. Get away from yourself. People can't even get out of bed and it gets really severe. I've never been at that stage. Everyone goes through low and high and low and high and some people are blessed to be created on an even keel all the way through - but not me.

I'm too rich to care what the critics say.

There are messages about civilisations and we are trying to be true to history as much as possible. We wanted all this to gel with some good theory about why these civilisations went down, why they weakened and crumbled. Because they did, they vanished.

I was spiritually bankrupt, and when that happens, it's like a spiritual cancer afflicts you.

The only way to maintain a moderate sum of happiness in this life, is not to worry about the future or regret the past too much