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Quotes
As a kid when I was
growing up, I remember vividly being on the roof of my family's station
wagon, and across the street was the Sahara Desert. I always wanted to
see other places and learn about how other people lived. I began to
travel and saw different cultures even within America.
Even
the scenes where you don't have the action, I've got to pace myself. At
the end of the day, you know, you might be doing a close-up and working
on this scene and you got to be prepared, you got to have it available.
So I think of that when I'm preparing for a film, so I prepare very
hard.
I
always look for a challenge and something that's different.
I
didn't become an actor to have power, but it just happens that I have it
and so I have a lot of opportunities.
I
disagree
with people who think you learn more from getting beat up than you do
from winning.
I
do it because it's fun. I'm not a great mountain climber but things like
that excite me. I think a lot of people are going to think that stuff is
special effects, but it's not. I'm on the mountain. Throughout the fight
scenes, when things come dangerously close, that's all real.
I
find that, especially with children, they want to contribute. Even my
kids, when they come in and they mess up the work and I'm busy, but they
are just trying to help out, so I always say, 'Thank you.' That's how I
am with them and I find that they're happier and I'm happier as a
result.
I
look at the Samurai because they were the artists of their time. What I
think struck me when I read Bushido is compassion. 'If there's no one
there to help, go out and find someone to help.' That hit me, because I
try to lead my life like that.
I
love kids. I was a kid myself, once.
I
love what I do. I take great pride in what I do. And I can't do
something halfway, three-quarters, nine-tenths. If I'm going to do
something, I go all the way.
I
want a world without war, a world without insanity. I want to see people
do well. I don't even think it's as much as what I want for myself. It's
more what I want for the people around me. That's what I want.
I've
gotten very good at scheduling my life, scheduling the scene and
preparing myself for knowing, saving the energy, consuming the energy,
knowing when to go for it and having the available reserves to be able
to do that. You have to think about that, because it's endurance.
I've
learned to relax more. Everybody feels pressure in what they do, maybe
mine is just a little different because there doesn't seem to be enough
hours in the day to accomplish what I want to.
I've
never done work for money ever. If your choices are based on grosses and
the film doesn't do well, what does that mean? It leaves you with
nothing.
I've
never made a film that I didn't believe in, you know? However the
picture turns out, I've always given everything to it. That's kind of
how I approach life. I can't help it. There's no part-way with me on
anything in any area of my life.
It's
well known I'm a Scientologist, and that has helped me to find that
inner peace in my life and it's something that has given me great
stability and tools that I use.
Saddam
has committed many crimes against humanity and against his own people.
The
exciting part of acting, I don't know how else to explain it, are those
moments when you surprise yourself.
The
thing about film-making is I give it everything, that's why I work so
hard. I always tell young actors to take charge. It's not that hard.
Sign your own cheques, be responsible.
What
I find sometimes that is tricky is if actors are using too much of their
own life in a picture, in a scene, they get locked into a particular way
to play the scene, and it lacks an immediacy.
When
I first started out all the attention could be a bit unnerving,
especially when people stared. Now I find the best thing is to just
relax. Being recognized is just something you have to get used to.
When
I work, I work very hard. So I look to work with people who have that
level of dedication. And I depend on that from everyone. From the
director to my crews that I work with.
The thing about film-making is I give it
everything, that's why I work so hard. I always tell young actors to
take charge. It's not that hard. Sign your own checks, be responsible.
I don't drink but I had a beer that night
and they only did one set up like that. I'm a cheap date. What can I
say?
We knew from the beginning the level of
commitment needed. We felt honored to work with Stanley Kubrick. We were
going to do what it took to do this picture, whatever time, because I
felt - and Nic [Nicole Kidman] did, too - that this was going to be a
really special time for us. We knew it would be difficult. But I would
have absolutely kicked myself if I hadn't done this." - Talking
about "Eyes Wide Shut.
I have cooked turkeys in my day but when
Mom's around I let her do it.
I was 18 when I saw Kurosawa's Seven
Samurai. After about 30 seconds I realized that this was not just a
cultural thing, it was universal. Years later I read Bushido. It talked
about many things that I strive for in my own life: loyality,
compassion, responsibility, the idea of looking back on your life and
taking responsibility for everything you've ever done. I'm fascinated by
the samurai and the samurai code - it's one of the main reasons I wanted
to make The Last Samurai.
Awards are wonderful. I've been nominated
many times and I've won many awards. But my journey is not towards that.
If it happens it will be a blast. If it doesn't, it's still been a
blast.
I believe in life. I know that life comes in
at your heart and it doesn't matter if you're an actor, a filmmaker or a
gentleman on the street, it comes at you. What Scientology gives me is
the tools to deal with that, to better enjoy my life and to be able to
contribute more.
[On his role as the hitman in 'Collateral']
I've never played a character like this before. Vincent interested me
because he is such an anti-social personality, bringing destruction and
chaos with him wherever he goes. He's a force of nature.
I remember getting through high school and
thinking, 'Boy, I'm glad I got that behind me!' Then when I was 19, I
got 'Risky Business,' and I realized, 'Ah, so this is life - it's a
little bigger than I thought!
As a young actor, people were trying to
define who I was before I really knew that for myself. But I still
remember thinking, 'This is what I love doing, and I hope I'm going to
be able to do it forever.
I've had a very interesting life. There are
ways of handling the complexities. I'm willing to take on
responsibilities as a father, as a producer, as an actor - and I enjoy
that. I've always been changing and evolving and growing. There's no
pinnacle of power where you can sit back and rest.
Because I grew up in so many different
places, I was used to rumors [about me]. You know, I didn't have the
right shoes, I didn't have the right clothes. I even had the wrong
accent.
Nic and I don't talk publicly about custody
but, definitely, both of us share the kids back and forth. They're
amazing kids.
I would live with all of my sisters if I
could. We've always been very close, my sisters and me.
The important thing with a child is that you
love them, you protect them and you help them to grow and find out who
they are. And as a parent, it's my responsibility to help them to become
independent and get all the knowledge and a broad view of the world and
life. I know that Nic absolutely agrees with that. And that's what's
important: being there.
I'd like to be with a woman who goes [he
switches into a woman's voice], I've reviewed your schedule, and I'm
going to set up this motorcycle trip for you, because you've been
working really hard. And I'm going to go with you. We're going to go
riding together. And I've already been working on it for a couple days
so it can be special.
I don't really keep counsel with others. I'm
the kind of person who will think about something, and if I know it's
right I'm not going to ask anybody. I don't go, "Boy, what do you
think about this?" I've made every decision for myself - in my
career, in my life.
SAT (exam) scores have gone right down the
toilet. The parents are blaming the teachers, the teachers are blaming
the parents and the psychs are putting everyone on drugs.
It's amusing at first. It's funny. But then
you sit back and realize how sad it is that there are people who can't
even imagine feeling like this. But my friends are happy for me. The
people who know me are happy. My mom is happy. My family is happy.
I've never agreed with psychiatry, ever.
Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry. Here's the
problem. You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do.
I'm passionate about learning. I'm
passionate about life.
Personally, I don't have all the information
President Bush has. But I believe Saddam has committed many crimes
against humanity and his own people.
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