When I first started, there were writers that I looked up to that I felt very influenced by and very respectful toward their work and their opinion of my work.

Raised by two mothers...wow, most of us barely survive one

You use sex to express every emotion except love.

I feel that humor, just like Fred Astaire dance numbers or these lightweight musicals, gives you a little oasis. You are in this horrible world and for an hour and a half you duck into a dark room and it's air-conditioned and the sun is not blinding you and you leave the terror of the universe behind and you are completely transported into an escapist situation. The women are beautiful, the men are witty and heroic, nobody has terrible problems and this is a delightful escapist thing, and you leave the theater refreshed.

I've always had an easy time directing actors because I always hire ones that are great before I get my hands on them.

There are drawbacks in being famous too, but you can live with those. They're not life-threatening. If the paparazzi are outside your restaurant or your house - and actors make such a big thing of it and scurry into cars and drape things - you think they're going to be crucified or something. It's not a big deal. You can get used to that. It's not so terrible.

If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.