When I first started acting in movies - as probably a lot of naive young actors do - I made a list of directors that I wanted to work with and sent it to my agent at the time.
When I was in high school, I wasn't really popular. I was picked on a lot. And then I did a talent show, and kids started to tell me that I did a good job. It was the first time that my peers told me that they liked what I was doing. Something clicked, and I knew that this is what I wanted to do.
I took my time to learn the craft and procedure. I wanted to do some substantial work first in cinema.
I always found when I was reading an interview with an actor that I wasn't interested in their political opinions - I just wanted to know what they'd had for breakfast.
I pretty much always knew I wanted to be a writer. I was writing goofy stories when I was 7 or 8. That was what I call 'wishful-thinking writing.' I grew up in the city and always wanted a horse, but there was no way I was getting a horse. So I wrote all these stories about kids who had horses. It's still fun entering these other worlds.
I had no confusion about making a superhero film. From the very day one, I knew I will make a movie of this genre which will have an Indian superhero. I never wanted to copy my superhero from any of the Hollywood ones.
Rapping was something I always wanted to do, so after school, my friends and I would catch the bus to my house and just sit there writing songs, every day.
I really don't retain information - by the time I arrive wherever I'm going, I already forget what it is that I wanted to say.
I always wanted to be an actress. It's been very high up on my list of passions, and I did a couple of short courses, and I've studied at school.
I loved the movies and I wanted to be like Marilyn Monroe. I thought she was so glamorous and everyone seemed to love her. I wanted to be like that and I told everyone I would be the next Marilyn Monroe.
I'm an inveterate note taker - I scribble all these things down on pieces of paper. I wanted to create some way of organizing all of them.
As soon as I heard skiffle, I loved it and I knew that I wanted to play it.
I never wanted to do film. I don't have the right face, and I don't like stardom. I like the fact that I have this wonderful thing that gives you status, but I'm most interested in doing decent work.
I always wanted to start a public company and make a lot of money.
I've always wanted to learn how to hook rugs. A wonderful artist named Leslie Giuliani taught me how. The nice thing is you can change it as you go along.
I think anyone who suffers from chronic pain can agree with this - you feel this great significance. What I wanted to capture was that significance, and as a matter of fact I think that's one of the lyrics on 'Conflict,' on the split. I touch on the significance, and really it's a selfish thing, in an offbeat way.
Ninety percent of the time, you're going to hear no. It took me seven years to make 'Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored.' Nobody wanted to see the movie made. I got the movie made.
I've always wanted to treat people the way I want to be treated.
I like dialogue in novels. I wanted to avoid laying history on with a trowel - appearing to be lecturing, as opposed to the characters lecturing their children or students. Dialogue can humanise the story and make it go down somewhat more smoothly.
I really wanted to die at certain periods in my life.
I wanted to have more songs with religious backgrounds. The Christmas record has strong, traditional hymns, but it also has a song called 'Christmas in Heaven' about missing someone that you love that's passed on, and wondering what's going on up there on Christmas.
I wanted to do something inspirational for my children.
I wanted to stay on a career path of the likes of Natalie Portman. I didn't want to be pigeonholed into a certain genre. I sort of believe that slow and steady wins the race.
I wanted to be an Ailey dancer. I would watch Alvin Ailey videos over and over, and I'd picture myself doing that. I was obsessed with it.
I knew I wanted to be an engineer, but I didn't know what type of engineer. I chose electrical engineering primarily because it was the hardest one to get into. It's ridiculous when I think about it now, but it worked out OK.
What I always wanted to do when I was a kid was to speak out and help people which I continue to do afterwards.
When I wanted to become a serious actor, this girl told me, 'You should go to Juilliard.' And I said, 'Okay.'
I've always wanted to throw a party where everyone comes with their mother's meatloaf. Everybody could evoke their mother's memory through her meatloaf.
I always wanted to work with Spencer Tracy, which never happened, although I knew him well. And I never worked with Cary Grant.
One of the first things that I did was, I got myself a publicist as soon as 'Maria Full of Grace' premiered in July, so that I could go and meet people that I wanted to meet: the writers and the directors and the people that are doing things.
I remember the moment when it hit me. I was walking down Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side, and it felt like I was literally walking out of a jail cell that I had been in. At that moment, I realized I could shave if I wanted. It was up to me and no one else.
I knew when I went to a very hippie high school that focused on music that I wanted to do something in the industry.
It's been said that I formed The Wallflowers to hide my name but, really, I've always wanted to be in a band - right from the day my friends and I soundproofed a garage with bed-covers for our first rehearsal.
I never wanted to just press play on some DJ set and let the lights do all the work. I value old-fashioned performance a little more than that.
One of the reasons I wanted to leave my position at Common Cause and return to politics was to regain the freedom to speak out politically - to not be constrained by a non-partisan organization.
I was surrounded by women and all I would hear is of them complaining about their shoes. Back then, 'comfort' was a dirty word in fashion footwear. This was before fur loafers or sneakers. So, I wanted to create a shoe that was like slipping your foot into a glove - something beautiful, feminine, and sexy at the same time.
