“Marriage is such hard work. And it’s full of rage and real human drama.”

hen you’re in your third adulthood, the one that leads to the grave, and you ask yourself, “What will I do between now and then?” Instead of thinking in terms of glamour, you start thinking in terms of reform – your contribution to the world.

I’m not interested in perfection. The universe is perfect, and there are some works of art that we see as perfect, but human beings aren’t perfect.

Image is everything, and the voice or the idea or the song is hardly anything at all. Half the time the person isn’t even doing the singing. I’m a bit cynical about this [music] business.

I never know how much of what I say is true.

We’re all divine, but I was the only one who had the nerve to call myself that.

Sold my soul. Bought these devil chains.

I want it all – and I would like it delivered.

It’s important that you all agree on what the parameters are and what you can accomplish – and not get pissed off or beat yourself up for what you can’t accomplish.

Me, I’m just a hack. I’m just a schlep-per. I just do what I can do.

You can’t just have a clean public space – you also have to have people willing to use it, and something that will draw them in.

I think the essence of humor has not changed. It’s all about surprise, facilitating follows. But the context of humor has changed.

The Internet has changed everything. People will be discovered online. People buy music online. It’s a completely different way to get entertainment.

Self-esteem is something you have to earn! The only way to achieve self-esteem is to work hard. People have an obligation to live up to their potential.

I’d make a wonderful Lady Macbeth. I’ll wear a pair of platform shoes or something.

I think most of us are torn. We have at least two people at war in our body. One person wants to retire and grow fabulous tomatoes, and the other wants to stand up on a pedestal and be worshipped and get bigger and bigger and bigger until she explodes.

Do you want to live and work in a garbage dump? I don’t. That’s partly because I grew up in the most pristine environment possible – Hawaii, where it is sacrilege to leave your garbage on the ground.

When searching for harmony in life one must never forget that in the drama of existence we are ourselves both actors and spectators.

I’ve never had a scandal, but I don’t know if that’s so much because I’m perfect, or because people aren’t caring enough yet. Give it some time. I’ll probably be very upset, but it’s a part of the gig.

Human beings suffer agonies, and their sad fates become legends; poets write verses about them and playwrights compose dramas, and the remembrance of past grief becomes a source of present pleasure – such is the strange alchemy of the spirit.

Drama is real life with all the boring parts cut out.

Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.

My old drama coach used to say, ‘Don’t just do something, stand there.’ Gary Cooper wasn’t afraid to do nothing.

My life is full of drama, and I don’t have time to worry about something as petty as what I look like.

He didn’t like drama and I was fucking Shakespeare.