For some reason and I don't know why but I don't think that I'm funny in California. So I always want to do my movies east somewhere.

I had seen movies before that that had made me laugh but I had never seen anything even remotely close to as funny as Richard Pryor was just standing there talking.

Movies these days have made killers into funny people. What's that all about? I've got kids and family and friends and I don't like bad things. I don't think they're funny and it's irresponsible to make movies that don't show you how that's not good.

People used to be funny about approaching me but now they seem to think I'm as sane as anyone who's done what I've done in movies can be.

It's a funny thing: You want so badly for people to see what you do - you're proud of it - and I like the effect that movies have on people. But the attention can also make me uncomfortable.

I had to act in a school play when I was about ten years old. I really didn't want to do it. But everyone had to do it so I didn't have a choice. A talent agent came and watched it and later gave me some work. It's funny because I'd always known that I wanted a movie career. I just didn't think that I would be in the movies.

I don't like comedy. I like funny things. I don't like comedy. Like comedy movies are just 'Oh Jesus.'

Funny things happen to you in movies for silly reasons.

I like movies that pop that have a little bit of candy on that freedom to have a little bit of extra fun but are rooted in real behaviour. Rooted in cause and effect never violating reality.

American movies and music deliver themes of freedom innocence and power that appeal to others - partly because America itself was put together out of a multiplicity of national traditions.