You've got to keep fighting; you've got to risk your life every six months to stay alive.

Acting... was the biggest charge I ever had. What other artist has it so good? Approval so quick?

I've come to believe that everything worth achieving is beyond one's capacity - or seems so at first. The thing is to persist, not back off, fight your fight, pay your dues, and carry on. Effort is all; continue and you may get there despite everything.

A good director's not sure when he gets on the set what he's going to do.

To be a member of the Communist Party is to have a taste of the police state. It is a diluted taste but it is bitter and unforgettable.

I've lost many of my best friends... I'm going to satisfy myself now, not the critics, not even my friends.