There is perhaps no psychological skill more fundamental than resisting impulse.
I had this strange belief, perhaps naively, that somehow, if I kept working hard, and I kept doing it with integrity, that I would get my chance.
Jazz is like a great blues band that fell down the stairs
The fact that there's a more open discussion about everything from feminism to racism. . . I look at my two boys. . . this is their future I'm talking about. When I'll be long gone, it'll be them and their kids. I know that sometimes the darkest times are followed by the lightest. Sometimes bad things have to happen for good things to happen. At the very worst, we're having very open discussions, discussions about things we didn't even know f-king existed. I talk to my friends about it and they are absolutely shocked. They didn't even know.
I honestly think that it was when the actual voices started to stand up for me. It was the iconic artists like Tony Bennett or Barbara Streisand or Liza Minnelli. When people like that take you under their wing and say in quotations, "He's the next one. He's got my stamp of approval," people trust them.
A lot of artists talk about getting out of their comfort zones and being the most proud of their newest album. But it is true for me. I rethought a lot of what I do.
Christopher Hitchens is perhaps the greatest orator ever. He's such a famous atheist.
This film cost $31 million. With that kind of money I could have invaded some country.
Be intense, passionate, and fired up, but about things that matter, things that change your life and your legacy.
I was a TV junkie as a kid. I am the Sesame Street generation.
It's very difficult to speak to a large group of people these days and not offend someone. I know people walk around with their feelings on their shoulders waiting for you to say something - ahh - did you hear that? And they can't hear anything else you say. The PC police are out in force at all times.