As a person, I'm anti-violence.
I'm not a masochistic reader. If something is just too dense or not enjoyable, even though I'm told it should be good for me, I'll put it down. That said, most of what I read would be considered high-end or good for you, I suppose. But, I also think that reading should be enjoyable.
There's so much nonsense tossed around about L.A. and how horrible it is and 'don't go out there' and all that stuff. So I went out to L.A. and I was pleasantly surprised.
It's really hard to be poor in New York - I was really poor when I lived in New York.
My whole thing is that I want to explore why you read books, what's the purpose of reading, and maybe that it's not that cool to hate something just because it's popular.
Film allows me to ask some really big questions with the time to explore them deeply. I love the form.
I think that the mark of a great book is that it will meet you wherever you're at and you'll feel and experience something new and different each time you read it.
I actually have a thing about proper nouns. They clang on my ear in a weird way when I hear them dropped into movies.
It never made sense to me that someone would achieve any kind of success in show business, only to become a jerk.
A movie can and should have some real dissonance throughout - rage, heartache, tears, conflict, catharsis and all the other elements Aristotle demanded of a good story - but the chord has to be resolved.
Time off from the news is always something I welcome.
I like movies that are about real people in real time with real problems.
The reflexive allergy to L.A. that a lot of New Yorkers have, I feel like it's kind of nonsense.
My trick is the trick that everyone knows: Work really hard and prepare.
Acting on stage is still my favorite thing to do. And everyone who's been in musicals knows that there is nothing more fun.
What I write is very personal, but not autobiographical. It's more 'thematically personal' - what's up in my life in terms of themes at the moment.
I learned a lesson which I didn't heed: Don't put yourself in your movies. It's too much.
I distinguish sentiment from sentimentality. Sentimentality makes your skin crawl. It's like too much sugar. But, sentiment is a great feeling.
A lot of times, we're just sold these movies that are really cynically conceived and marketed, and they just want you there opening weekend, before everybody finds out it's not so good.
I have really good female friends. I've never bought the whole men-and-women-can't-be-friends thing. I think that's sort of nonsense.
