I don't agree with the idea that my characters are unlikeable.

I feel a real connection to Brooklyn, certainly, because I spent 20 years of my life there, but I don't think of myself as a Brooklyn artist any more than I think of myself as a male artist.

I'm interested in music as an extension of character.

Other people have worked with big studios and maintained control over their movies. I see no reason why it wouldn't work for me.

As a kid, I thought of myself as a funny person who secretly wanted to be serious, but now I think maybe I'm a serious person who secretly wants to be funny.

I really like my first movie a lot, "Kicking and Screaming." I think it's a - I'm very pleased and proud of that movie, but it wasn't the - it wasn't "Citizen Kane" right out of the box, you know? It wasn't "Sex, Lies and Videotape."

I wouldn't say 'Frances Ha' is autobiographical, but it's definitely very personal.