I am filled with awe that filmmakers have the capacity to stir us and give us back a sense of wonder.

I refuse to do shows that are narrowly constructed, that appeal to only one sentiment. I do a lot of Jewish material in front of non-Jews and a lot of non-Jewish material in front of Jews on the simple theory that the non-Jews are entitled to a glimpse of a Jewish world and the Jews are entitled to a glimpse of the world.

You always draw on your experiences with live audiences to know how to do comedy on films. You're working for a laugh that may or may not come six months later, but you're working in a vacuum at the time you are doing it.

Right up to the middle of this century all perceptions of the world around us were delivered via the bookshelf or the paper route.

John Huston was the kind of director that totally left you alone. Not every actor always does it right, every time, but most of the time he was re-directing someone. He was making tight adjustments, and not even in terms of interpretation because he knew that by the time that the character had been filmed... well, he got it right when he cast you.

I am determined to give the Yiddish language a fighting chance to survive.

Although I am deeply grateful to a great many people, I forgo the temptation of naming them for fear that I might slight any by omission.