You try to make characters you care about, and I think realism helps. Even though this is a high concept, the characters have got to be real.

My greatest hero is Nelson Mandela. What a man. Incarcerated for 25 years, he was released in 1990 and he hasn't reoffended. I think he's going straight, which shows you prison does work.

Try something. And never be afraid to fail. That failure is useful too. It's just another building block.

I never had a plan. I just sort of ambled along, doing exactly what I wanted every day of my life.

I'm quite squeamish, really. I'm philistine and unsophisticated - not because of my great discerning palate but other reasons. Some are moral grounds, some texture.

You should bring something into the world that wasn't in the world before. It doesn't matter what that is. It doesn't matter if it's a table or a film or gardening-everyone should create. You should do something, then sit back and say 'I did that.'

Saying atheism is a belief system is like saying not going skiing is a hobby.