If you put someone on screen long enough, they become the hero.

I spent my entire time reading books and going to the cinema, just to escape.

I am often asked which of my films has come closest to my own ideal of performance, and I always answer, 'Educating Rita.'

You must always steal, but only from the best people. Steal any trick that looks worthwhile. If you see Vivien Leigh or Robert DeNiro or Meryl Streep do something stunningly effective, and you can analyze how he or she did it, then pinch it. Because you can be sure that they stole it in the first place.

If I see any injustice done, I have a big enough mouth and the position to open up about it.

...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

I'm the audience's representative on earth.