When I play a gig and look out at the audience, you're literally looking at a sea of Joy Division T-shirts.
To tell you the truth, I never wanted to become a moviemaker. It was like I was a cinepihile, and I go, like, three or four times per week to the cinema, and I like to watch films.
If my son came to me years from now and told me, 'I'm gay,' I'd say, 'That's wonderful. I'm so glad you know who you are.' But if he said, 'I want to be a woman,' I would say, 'Ahhh. This is gonna be hard. Let's get started.' Because it doesn't matter that that's where happiness lies - it's on the other side of a lot of struggle.
It's just such a pleasure to bring a talent you respect to the world.
I have so much respect for directors. It's a tremendous amount of pressure; you have to keep steadfast and keep what you know is right.
When I read 'Maus,' I realized you could tell a story of tremendous import using the graphic novel.
I love you is the inscription on Pandora's box.
This is what happens when you are on the wrong side of 40. Young adults, who could be your children, are now working with you. I was playing their parents or mentor. I started to think: Oh, I am not part of that group any more.
You can't go around chasing your own plays and showing up every time somebody does one somewhere. You just cross your fingers and hope that they're OK.
I launched Chefs for Humanity, a national nonprofit, with my voice, heart and money from my own pocket. Money gives you the ability to make a difference in the world and, when used in a positive way, is a lot of fun.
I'm not much of a crier but it is mildly soul-destroying and exposing to do something physical that you are terrible at in front of other people.
I found out how great the E Street Band is. The reality of a band that you can't scoop aside, can't put in a corner.
I must tell you that the supply of words on the world market is plentiful, but the demand is falling.
Quickly you learn it's way better to have fans talking and caring about you than not.
The Capitol was an occasion where you arrive at a sign in the road that says you have arrived at a place you may not have expected to be, but you know how you got here: Next!
You have students in America, in Britain, who do not want to be engineers. Perhaps it is the workload, I studied engineering, and I know what a grind it is.
I'm not very interested in myself. I do have a deep moral belief that you should always look out at other things and not be self-centred.
To say directing was a long-stewing ambition doesn't cover it. If you cut me open, you'd see it.
The best part about being with a group is that you don't have to do everything alone. You're with your friends.
Lots are written about how 'she shows up at board meetings in the saree.' My God, I have never worn a saree to board meetings; people play it out in different ways. I think I have never shied away from the fact that I am an Indian, and I don't intend to, but you can be at home with both cultures.
The truth is, I've never thought of myself as the Michael Jordan of comedy. And that's a good thing. You know why? Because I'm not. Wasn't that Richard Pryor? Yes, it was. I know what I am: I'm funny!
You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.
You can spend your whole life planning. But once you're ready, get out there and start doing it.
We must have a theme, a goal, a purpose in our lives. If you don't know where you're aiming, you don't have a goal. My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I die, someone can say, she cared.
It's the same each time with progress. First they ignore you, then they say you're mad, then dangerous, then there's a pause and then you can't find anyone who disagrees with you.
One of the things that I realize is that if you look at big business, I mean, they - and what they fund and what they do, they don't really - they don't fund the small non-profit community-based organizations that really are out there on the front lines helping people. They fund the big philanthropies. They're safe.
I'll tell you what colonial experience is.
You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread.
I see similarities in the sports I played growing up in the sense of how I tackle a role when I get a job. A lot of effort goes in on an individual basis. There is a lot of time spent by yourself working on your craft and what you have to do. But, at the end of the day, you're there to serve the movie just like you would the rugby team.
The fact is that in a way, journalists become a kind of default in the system when you don't have substantive two-party back-and-forth inside of the government.
To be anywhere near an enormous ocean liner when you are just like a fish in the water is frightening.
There's nothing wrong with anger provided you use it constructively.
Find a type of exercise that you love - whether it's dance, soccer, softball, anything - just as long as it keeps you active. If you love it, you'll dedicate yourself to it and stay involved.
There aren't too many things that make you feel better than a little kid seeing you, yelling your name, and running to you.
Let the pitcher move first, then, as he draws his arm back, you draw the bat back and you are ready.
When you say something, and a thousand people are hearing it, you hope you leave an impression.
