I wanted to keep exploring... I'm not about to choose a series of movies in which I can use the same bag of tricks and style that I used in the first film.

There have been screenwriters who I'm sure would gladly kill me, because I've been very fast and loose with their work, because I felt like it wasn't up to my high standards. I would push and pull it on set, and make changes all the time. But then when you're working with an original screenplay, my theater instincts kick in, and I suddenly become very keeper-of-the-words.

Truly great actors carry their characters in silence with them. They communicate without words the relationships that predate the movie.

Learn to say, “I don’t know the answer.” It could be the beginning of a very good day’s rehearsal.

For me, certain shots or scenes are keys in the movie.

Kevin and Annette... I wanted them to do it together. They clearly wanted to work with each other.

Listen, you make a big movie, you're going into the Coliseum, and people are going to give you the thumbs up or the thumbs down. And that's part of the game. It's part of the fun as well.