My thoughts were to become a dentist when I first went to Albany State. I didn't know where I would end up, but I knew I'd be happy, and I knew I would have a nice life. That was always my goal, to have a nice, happy life. That's, to me, being rich.

I've made a lot of people a lot of money, and I've made a lot of people really happy. I've entertained millions and millions of people.

I don't believe in having to show anybody anything. I just do my work. You know, making a living as an actor is such a rarity on earth. It's like making a living as a painter. So I look at different opportunities in the same way as Jack Nicholson, who said once, "Keep popping up in different holes. That's what you want to do: Just keep popping up in different holes." That made a lot of sense to me.

Everyone keeps asking me, What are you doing? I say, Why do I need to do anything? I'm rich.

Someone's just told me the English are still trying to take over the United States - is that true?

For 15 years I did two to three movies a year, sometimes four. I didn't get to spend time building my personal life.

From 1980 to 1990, I shot more films than any other actor in the Screen Actors Guild, apart from Gene Hackman.