Quotes

[on his character Harry Roat Jr. terrorizing Suzy Hendrix (Audrey Hepburn) in Seule dans la nuit (1967)] I hated it. I just thought she was terrific. I had an enormous amount of regard for her. I didn't like being cruel to her. It made me very uncomfortable.

It's not enough for me to just be a personality and go up there and say lines nicely. I want to tell a story with a character.

Well, I've always been a character actor. I've never been a leading man. It gave me an opportunity not to have to take my clothes off all the time.

I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?

[on why he thinks he won the Oscar in 2007] I haven't got a clue. I think it's my age. Everybody thinks I'm going to keel over in a year or two.

[about Abigail Breslin and her Oscar nomination] I hope she loses, frankly. No, I'm serious. I am not joking. What, next year she is going to get the Nobel Prize? It's enough. She has had enough attention. I love her and I love her family, and I feel enough is enough. She is a kid, she needs to have a childhood.

[on making Seule dans la nuit (1967)] It was the only heavy I'd ever played up until then, and I had a miserable time; I was crazy about Audrey Hepburn. I was just in awe of her. She was an extraordinary person in every way, and I just hated terrorizing her. It just wasn't fun for me.

Everybody's career has ups and downs. I like to take chances, I don't like to stand still. And I don't give a damn what the market is interested in; I want to try things. Success has nothing to do with box office as far as I'm concerned. Success has to do with achieving your goals, your internal goals, and growing as a person. It would have been nice to have been connected with a couple more box office hits, but in the long run I don't think it makes you happier.

I like to jump categories--I don't like to stay in one place if I can help it.

I like pushing myself around in as many different styles as I can find.

I know that if I can't move people, then I have no business being an actor.

David Mamet is harder than Shakespeare, by far.

I have no Twitter. Life is too short.