“You get to use everything you learned in movie business. You talk to actors, if you do it right – and I haven’t always done it right – you should be shaping the material all the time.”

The Senate being tied is a start. Now, if only it could be gagged.

Being comedic is a skill, because there is a fine line where the context is important. And being dramatic is just being honest and real in that moment.

I’m always an entrepreneur, but I’d probably be a teacher. I like teaching kids, whether that’s tennis on the courts or history in the classroom.

Emotions weren’t created to just lie around. You should experience things to the full. I’ve got a sense of the clock ticking.

When you’re 20 you can put a ton of old-age prosthetics on and be an old guy, but when you’re 70 you can’t play a 20-year-old.

I was at the vice president’s Christmas party. I thought that his speech was spectacular, and I knew that it was a very emotional and difficult thing for him to do, but I admonished him for not waiting just one more stinking day.

When they’re doing a stupid role in a bad production, it’s kind of a dumb thing to do when you’re an adult. When you’re doing a great role that’s well-written, it’s an enviable job.

I’m about to go to Sundance for my 3rd year, and Sundance has never felt like a real independent festival at all. On the other hand, it might to start feel that way.

If you surround me with darkness, suddenly, I am “somewhat fun.”

I think independent movies are actually very challenging right now, because it was this huge scene and it was great for a few years. Then, it was totally co-opted by the studios. Now, it’s become very corporate, the independent scene.

Comedy is tragedy plus timing.

We don’t feel constrained by what we did in the past.

When you envy actors, only envy them for their good roles. Keep in mind they have to do a lot of roles to make a living, and not all of them are good.

In the end, the thing that really stays with you is not that you were clever enough to connect a sketch to another sketch, but what really sticks with you is when you just have an incredible moment happen, or execute a really funny idea.

I pretty much read reviews and comments only looking for the negative. Literally, when I read positive comments, it’s like a zero. I think the issue is if you agree with it or not.

Comedy can be destructive, and still very, very funny. But if I can do something that is fun to watch and critical of the world but not wantonly destructive.

I think if actors don’t think of themselves as funny in real life they think they can’t do comedy.

It is better for me to serve a charity as an actor or a voice, rather than at a luncheon being just a celebrity.

There are no small parts. Only small actors.

Kevin Feige said to me: “I don’t think we’ve ever put an actor through quite as much as this, physically and mentally.” I’ll wear that as a badge of honour. It was endless.

I feel that TV and film feed off each other well. It’s more in the perception of the viewer than it is of the actor.

Actors tend to be quite good at getting on with people. If you’re an arsehole, people don’t want to work with you. You won’t get hired Well, there are a few arseholes.

There’s no shame in stealing – any actor who says he doesn’t is lying. You steal from everything.

Jerry Weintraub, the producer, might be a pain in the ass, but he really knows how to treat his actors.