It seemed to me you could do anything in comics. So I started doing my thing, which is mainly influenced by novelists, stand-up comedians, that sort of thing.

I think that the 'laws of nature' are also prone to evolve; I think they are more like habits than laws.

Illness strikes men when they are exposed to change.

But I was going to be a teacher my entire life, so I wasn't counting on money to much.

Different directors have different things, so when I left Mike Leigh, as it were, and I went into other projects after 'All or Nothing,' it took some getting used to - what do you mean there's a script?!?' That kind of thing.

Auschwitz speaks against even a right to self-determination that is enjoyed by all other peoples because one of the preconditions for the horror, besides other, older urges, was a strong and united Germany.

To a large degree, those early lean days were self-imposed.

'Government gets things right' does not encourage sales. 'Government makes another blunder' does encourage sales, so there's a commercial imperative that pushes sensationalism.

My family believe you should never be flashy about anything. Maybe that handicapped me a little bit, that extreme humility.

So, is Hollywood anti-religion? Not in my opinion. But unlike, say, politicians and preachers who talk faith before going off to speak in tongues to their mistresses, Hollywood just doesn't wear its faith on its sleeve.

If you bleed Black Label and you're going to be a man, you gotta get up there and do what you gotta do every day, relentless and as tired as you can be.

I always knew that it was going to be an uphill climb to replace Letterman from complete obscurity with no experience, but I think I had to go through it to know exactly what a titanic effort that was going to be.

I like someone who doesn't take life too seriously. I hate people who are a bit uptight.

Never walk away from failure. On the contrary, study it carefully and imaginatively for its hidden assets.

I received my draft notice right after graduation from college and had three months before going into the Army in September to think about it.