The Ides of March was a fairly cynical film.

I acted for so many years and sat on a million sets and worked with a million different directors so that is to me some of the best training you can get.

I didnt want to be 50 or 60 and auditioning for a three-line role.

There are times when you work with directors on set, and things are a bit rudderless, and those can be good directors.

A lot of the art that was destroyed was painted and created by Jews. A lot of that is gone because that was degenerative art. That's what Hitler was trying to get rid of.

Writing a screenplay is like writing a big puzzle, and so the hardest part, I think, is getting the story.

You really have to get out of an actor's head to write because actors only care about their part and it revolves around their part so "This is the important part because this is the part where..." .

Never laugh at live dragons.

Be What You Want To Be, Not Who Others Wants To See

Stress is being responsible for things that you have no control over.

Personal relationships are always the key to good business. You can buy networking you can't buy friendships.

I enjoy writing but I much prefer the experience of having written.

You had to take risks, follow some paths and abandon others.

Different parents have different standards for their children.

If you want to get unpaid media coverage, you had better be quotable. It's an interesting problem, because very few candidates are quotable.

My father was strict, but he recognised my ability and got a lot of flak from the church for supporting me.

Hemingway said: 'It don't come anymore.' So where did it go?