What is an ending? There's no such thing. Death is the only ending.

I don't think screenplay writing is the same as writing - I mean, I think it's blueprinting.

I make no apologies for Popeye. Behind M*A*S*H, it's my biggest hit. It got maligned by the critics because it wasn't Superman. It wasn't about special effects and it wasn't made for 14-year-old boys. The majority of films are made for 14-year-old boys; I don't know where they get the eight bucks to get in. It's hush money from the parents.

Jazz has endured because it doesn't have a beginning or an ending. It's a moment.

I was scared that no one would hire me. At that time, there was still a stigma attached to it. A big stigma. Actually, I think I was healthier after the operation than some people who have bypass surgery because I was completely cured. But when you mentioned "heart transplant," you got a very negative reaction. It triggered people's imaginations, and not in a good way.

Your own ego is the only trap that I think you can fall into.

Retirement? You're talking about death, right?