As much as I moved to New York and tried to work in theater as much as I could - I developed a relationship with Circle Rep - make no mistake about it, I really, really wanted to be in a film. It seemed like almost everyone I knew at least did something in a movie, except me.
The greatest joy in getting ready for the film is that there aren't many reference points for the journey and you've got to define it for yourself.
I did a small, small thing in Quiz Show, where I was really just a glorified extra. But, you know, New York actor, few days on a film set: Great! I was probably making subway fare on the play that I was doing at the time. I always think of The Underneath as the first film that I ever did.
The Underneath was my first film. Steven Soderbergh. I remember that I thought, "Wow, this is such a highlight. Am I ever going to get back to this?" Loved working with Steven and in Austin, Texas, one of the rockin'-est towns in America. I'll always remember it, because I was really grateful that someone finally hired me for a movie.
I'll never be able to really see a film that I'm in.
I think everybody works from a defensive position, for the most part, in the film industry.
James Caan told me at the end of filming 'Elf' that he had been waiting through the whole film for me to be funny - and I never was.
I never really planned on making action films. It just kind of happened.
I have nothing against 3D films but I do not need to see them.
I know what I'm talking about and I've never been over budget, in 70 films.
It doesn't matter whether you shoot on celluloid or on digital, you better make a good film.
In my films, I hope there are a few moments where you feel almost illuminated, like in a state of ecstasy, stepping out of yourself, beyond yourself and perceiving something which is only, in the case of cinema, possible in collective dreams.
It's all movies for me. And besides, when you say documentaries, in my case, in most of these cases, means "feature film" in disguise.
I work very fast and steadily, and I don't hardly ever notice that I'm working. It feels like just breathing or walking when I do films.
There is never an excuse not to finish a film.
For me, the distinction between documentaries and feature films is not so clear - my "documentaries" were largely scripted, rehearsed, and repeated, and have a lot of fantasy and concoction in them.
I think I'm a prudent filmmaker.
I try to be after something that is deeply reverberating inside of our souls, some deep echo from - even from prehistory. What makes us humans? How do we communicate? Where are we going at this moment? Something for an audience where they can step outside of themselves, where they can be almost like in ecstasy of truth, some sort of deep illumination. And that's what I'm trying in documentaries and in feature films.
When I was asked to make the film, I decided that it was like taking on a new career at the age of sixty-eight. I've never acted before. And taking direction is not something I'm very good at. I've always known who I am and what I was going to do, and I've always just done it.
Nothing's better than coming away from a film when people don't even recognize you, because you've undergone a total transformation.
When you do films that have multiple sequels, you develop a character for a film.
As a film actor, you don't often get that opportunity to meet with your audience and take your applause on stage.
I can't really say that film music inspired me; it is more the films themselves, in connection with the music.
In a way, I pick out the films that have a same attitude as music that I like.
I am inspired by the films of Pedro Almodóvar, as they are funny, sad, and extremely weird.
