I've always found it to be a privilege to make movies. It's a really expensive, creative medium. And people allow me to do it, and there are things that I can do as an actor that I couldn't do in any other walk of life.

My children have never watched any of my films. Charlie knows that daddy makes movies, but he says they are not good enough for him to watch.

I always say I've given 24 insufficient performances and I'm looking forward to the time in my life when I'll do something that I think is good. There's always stuff you can do better, stuff that maybe you didn't uncover enough. But if you do something that you truly believe is perfect, then that's got to be the last movie you do.

I want to make movies that pierce people's hearts and touch them in some way, even if it's just for the night while they're in the cinema; in that moment, I want to bring actual tears to their eyes and goosebumps to their skin.

I don't make demands. I don't tell you how it should be. I'll give you options, and it's up to you to select or throw 'em away. That should be the headline: If you're insecure, don't call.

When I was a young fellow, I used to learn the dialogue backwards. The point is that in a conversation between two people, you can't have already made the decisions about what you're gonna do. You gotta be very light on your feet. That leads you into areas where conversations can have a much bigger, grander meaning.

If I'm creating the composition, it's easier for me as an actor because I've just cut out the middle man. Because I've created the composition and now I'm in it, I already know exactly what I want to get out of it. So, bang!