I'm so touched that complete strangers will send me a script asking me to be in their film. That still amazes me - and sometimes for a lot of money too.
When you're making an independent film what you don't have in time and money you have to make up with creativity and diligence.
Young film makers should learn how to deal with the money and learn how to deal with the power structure. Because it is like a battle.
I don't think people understand when you say you are making a micro-budget film that you are getting paid no money.
Even on a $100 million film, people will complain that they haven't got enough money and enough time, so that's always going to be an element in filmmaking.
A lot of times, you do independent films for passion because you may even lose money doing one, but it doesn't matter.
Cannes or any other major festival is basically an animal in its own nature, creating very specific perceptions of films in a moment.
New York is a character, all on its own, and whenever you film there, it becomes part of the show. That's just the nature of being there.
I did literature at university, so I had a real relationship with poetry, but they don't make many films about the world of a poet.
Hopefully each film can be given a musical voice of its own, which is not to say that the instrumentation is always unique, but that the relationship between the sound and the image is unique.
Film's hard when you don't have any relationship with the director at all and you just show up. Then you really are just a gun for hire.
In a big Bollywood romantic film, taking my shirt off and spreading the hand towards the mountain with dancers behind me are not my cup of tea.
I probably never would have been hired on Broadway had I not moved out to L.A. and pursued acting and film, which is sad, really.
It has nothing to do with commercial success. You cannot calculate in your head how to put the mosaic together to make a commercial film: that's out of the question.
Whether you think a film will affect society or it's plain entertainment, it's all excellent, it's all noble.
A lot of my films have dealt with the dark side of technology and stress that you have to examine the ramifications of progress.
I love festivals because I feel like I'm more of a movie fan than a person who's in the film industry.
I love film, but it's bringing me away from music. Singing is what I'm probably most passionate about.
I'd love to work with Sir Anthony Hopkins, but if that doesn't happen, I'd sneak on to a film set and watch him at work. He is a compelling actor.
My love for the theater has always been a priority. That hasn't changed. I got into acting that way. The film work that came up was really a surprise.
I love doing comedy and I love watching comedy... I'm more inclined to go watch a Seth Rogen film than a serious Oscar drama.
