If there is one thing I fear less than everything else, it is, I believe, persecution for my opinions. There are a good many points about which I may be diffident, but when it comes to questions of Truth and intellectual independence, there is no holding me - I can envisage no finer end than to sacrifice oneself for a conviction.
Allah's the Arabic term for God. Stand up for God, fight for God, work for God and do the right thing, and go the right way, things will end up in your corner.
The only thing I can do is tell the truth as I see it and let the chips fall where they may.
The best thing that winning those Academy Awards things are - the best thing of it is that when I say some of my ideas, somebody's going to listen to it, and they'll preface what I say, 'Academy Award winner da-da-da-da-da.'
Yet habit - strange thing! what cannot habit accomplish?
Food and love are all intertwined at our core level. It can be a very nurturing, wonderful, loving thing.
So, I see technology as a Trojan Horse: It looks like a wonderful thing, but they are going to regret introducing it into the schools because it simply can't be controlled.
I'm not one of those people who hates Amazon because they're big. Why pay a third more for the same thing?
With life and grandkids and the whole thing, every day is busy, but I'm so thankful to God that I'm still here.
If you look dull, the easiest thing to do is wash your face with water, and immediately you look refreshed.
The work that I feel is most authentically mine is the one that is my first reaction, the first thing that feels like the truth. In aggregate, those choices, those series of decisions, create your point of view, your visual language.
As actors, we don't shy away from saying, 'I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to meet girls.' Directors cannot say the same thing.
Always focus on the music first. That's the big thing. Staying true to making good music and not sacrificing that for anything.
We're all kind of basically involved in the same thing, putting up a blank of some kind and filling it in.
I took one thing to heart that I heard from Sidney Poitier in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.' And it resonated so much with me. He says: 'Dad, you always looked at yourself as a black man. I look at myself as a man.'
The initial spark, your affection for the characters, all those things can disappear. It's a perilous thing.
As an actor, you're trained to do the right thing, be politically correct, say your lines, say the right thing about the people you're working with.
Well, optimism's a good thing. It - makes people go out and - you know, start businesses and spend and do whatever is necessary to get the economy going.
We have to play 'Livin' on a Prayer,' 'Bad Medicine.' We have to play them, and we want to play them, and that's what we're supposed to do. It's like going to see The Beatles and them not playing your favorite song. It's not the right thing to do.
My favorite thing to do is just stay home with the dogs and read or watch movies and be together.
Too many people dwell on the past: the thing is to get on with life.
The best thing you can do to an audience is to make them work.
For research, I like to go to the location of the places in the novels. The first thing that I do is involve my senses: I notice the smells; I open the trash cans and look at what people have thrown away.
It is certainly good to have fans but I am always focusing on the next thing and continuing to do good work. Onward and upward.
I'm waiting for them to come up with a 'Star Trek' thing so they can beam me from my house to the gigs and back.
A few people have tried to make me see that my writing isn't quite their thing by saying to me: 'What about realism?' To which my general response is, 'What about it?' However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of my favorite writers, Marilynne Robinson, was to say something similar if asked 'What about the fantastic?'
When we have the ball, the other team has to run. The most important thing is for the players to be prepared to be a little bit wild.
I think a lot of people who are child actors - it's a weird thing.
The thing about inspiration is that it takes your mind off everything else.
Suits change a lot - the wide lapel thing, the fashion trends, the trousers change.
I'm happy about working; I'm happy about gracing the stage and coming out and making people laugh. I never treat it like a job or feel that way. It's the best thing ever to me, and I feel like a kid in a candy store.
We all know in our hearts that forgiveness is the right thing; it's just a matter of being inspired to reach that place.
It's important to have a sound idea, but the really important thing is the implementation.
I believe the more important thing is your mind and your heart. Those two things are the most ignored parts of our beings.
If an ordinary person parks outside another ordinary person's house for a week, it's considered stalking. If, however, that person is considered newsworthy, it's perfectly legal for paparazzi to do the same thing.
As a child, I was an active Christian. I used to love the school choir and remember the carol service as always such an emotional thing.
