Quotes by Paul Thomas Anderson

About Paul Thomas Anderson:

Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. Interested in film-making at a young age, Anderson was encouraged by his father Ernie Anderson (a disc jockey, and television and radio announcer/voiceover artist) to become a filmmaker. Anderson is a distinctive filmmaker of his generation, initially being praised as a wunderkind after the release of the dramas Boogie Nights and Magnolia.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

It felt like the first thing, but when I first started out, I got a job adapting a book by Russell Banks called 'Rule Of The Bone.' I didn't do a very good job. I didn't really know what I was doing in general, let alone how to adapt a book.

Paul Thomas Anderson

No, really. Just do it. You have some kind of weird reasons that are okay.

Paul Thomas Anderson

No matter how many times you do it, you don't get used to the sadness - for me at least - of coming to the end of a film.

Paul Thomas Anderson

Screenwriting is like ironing. You move forward a little bit and go back and smooth things out.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I don't miss scenes at all the way that I used to miss them when I was younger making a film. It's actually quite fun to get rid of them now.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I actually enjoyed the struggles that we had trying to shape 'Blood', to get the pacing right, the rhythm of it.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I had never read Upton Sinclair. I didn't read 'The Jungle' in high school or anything like that. But it's pretty terrific writing.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I've never been a fan of whimsical or confusing storytelling.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I didn't have any desire I might have had 10 years ago to shoot every single word that I wrote.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I don't want to be the angry guy.

Paul Thomas Anderson

How do I respond to criticism? Critically. I listen to all criticism critically.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I'm completely aware of the fact that I'm a control freak.

Paul Thomas Anderson

Acting is the hardest job in the entire world. By far. Harder than ditch digging.

Paul Thomas Anderson

Film school is a complete con, because the information is there if you want it.

Paul Thomas Anderson

I remember being taught in school that you would underline things that you liked. I remember just underlining everything as a kid, thinking, 'This has all gotta be important!' I would just underline the whole thing!

Paul Thomas Anderson

I don't think it's a director's job to peek behind the curtain too much.

Paul Thomas Anderson

It's a gamble you take, the risk of alienating an audience. But there's a theory - sometimes it's better to confuse them for five minutes than let them get ahead of you for 10 seconds.

Paul Thomas Anderson

So with 'There Will Be Blood,' I didn't even really feel like I was adapting a book. I was just desperate to find stuff to write.

Paul Thomas Anderson

Of course, I'm no dummy.

Paul Thomas Anderson

There's a lot for screenwriters to steal from songwriters, in terms of getting to the point.

Paul Thomas Anderson

Author Bio

  • NamePaul Thomas Anderson
  • DescriptionAmerican film director, screenwriter, and producer
  • BornJune 26, 1970
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionFilm Director; Screenwriter; Film Producer