Ultimately, a more experienced director realizes that you've got to stop sometime and just move on. They're braver about that.

I think theater is powerful. The best experiences I had in the theater are more powerful than the best experiences I had in movies.

It started with the Godfather, this operatic violence. I don't know.

All that back-story stuff doesn't help. What you get paid for is to stand toe-to-toe with the other actor and get him to do your will.

I've written a lot of scripts that someone else directed, and it's absolutely vital that, if I'm gonna act in it, then I have to take off the writer hat and let the director direct.

I introduced myself to Scorsese and I said, "If you need someone to do craft services, I'm there."

I'm not much of a preparer. I think sometimes as an actor you need to go out and learn some skills, but in terms of preparation for understanding the character, it's all on the page, and if it's not on the page, you're in trouble.