If De Niro wants to spend the twilight of his career as the McDonald's of master thespians, we can't stop him.

A lot of young actors have the idea that, "I've got to do this right. There's a right way to do this." But there's no right or wrong. There's only good and bad. And "bad" usually happens when you're trying too hard to do it right. There's a very broad spectrum of things that can inhibit you. The most important thing for actors - and not just actors, but everybody - is to feel loose enough to create what you want to create, and be free to try anything. To have choices.

The director respects what they've hired you for and chosen you for: to do the part and respect what you're doing.

Reputation, you know – a lifetime to build, seconds to destroy.

Passion should always trump common sense.

When you feel that you can't fight it, you just go for it. When it comes to the arts, passion should always trump common sense.

The hardest thing about being famous is that ... in a conversation everybody's agreeing with what you're saying. ... You need people who can tell you what you don't want to hear.