“There are a lot of roles in Shakespeare, basically. If I feel that the script is a movie, I would be interested in doing any role of Shakespeare’s.”

The thing is doing it, that’s what it’s all about. Not in the results of it. After all what is a risk? It’s a risk not to take risks. Otherwise, you can go stale and repeat yourself.

What kind of failure was it? A failure because it’s misunderstood by others? A failure because you misunderstood it yourself?

The whole thing is, they never asked for it, that kingdom.

Man is a little bit better than his reputation, and a little bit worse

An actor basically likes to be asked to do something, no matter what position he’s in. It feels more natural. Sitting and waiting is more gratifying.

Lee Strasberg is like that, my grandfather was like that. These are the kinds of men I’ve had close relationships with.

I didn’t go for the needle at all. I never cared for drugs, because I saw what they did to most people. I thought that was the end of the road.

Either we heal now, as a team, or we will die as individuals.

There’s something to learn from it. I’ve had movies that have failed colossally, so you kind of analyze your failures.

I turned down a lot of films before I made my first one. I knew that it was time for me to get into movies.

You’ll never be alone if you’ve got a book.

One of the things that made me want to be an actor more than ever was seeing a Chekhov play, “The Sea Gull,” when was 14 in the Bronx.

We live in a world where the more you’re working, the more things you do. It’s a workaday world.

Drinking and smoking grass were a part of my life as far back as I can remember.

Actually, the person I related to was James Dean. I grew up with the Dean thing. Rebel Without A Cause had a very powerful effect on me.

There is only one way of surviving all the early heartbreaks in this business. You must have a sense of humor. And I think it also helps if you are a dreamer. I had my dreams all right. And that is something no one can ever take away.

I do not read a book; I hold a conversation with the author.

All art is unstable. Its meaning is not necessarily that implied by the author. There is no authoritative voice. There are only multiple readings.

Reading the Bible will help you get to know the word, but it’s when you put it down and live your life that you get to know the author.

I am so in favor of the actual infinite that instead of admitting that Nature abhors it, as is commonly said, I hold that Nature makes frequent use of it everywhere, in order to show more effectively the perfections of its Author.

There is no less invention in aptly applying a thought found in a book, than in being the first author of the thought.

God is the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.

The world is crawling with authors touring now. They’re like performance artists.

I don’t think it’s any fun, even if you are one of the most respected authors in the world like Margaret Atwood, to keep being nominated and not win.