In the book, I tell the story of seeing old movies when I was young and acting out scenes at home. Now I get scripts, and I act them out.

I'd come out of the army after five years as a medic. I was a medical administrator and we ran hospitals, and I was a Captain in the army at the end, in 1945.

The big secret in acting is listening to people.

When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?

Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you've got a pretty neck.

Well, I've maybe gotten 200 requests for interviews about Marilyn, and I just decided I'm gonna do my own.

I don't act to live. I live to act.

I've learned that life is very tricky business: Each person needs to find what they want to do in life and not be dissuaded when people question them.

Recipe? Recipe? We don' need no stinkin' recipe.

But Clint I love, because Clint was my mentor. I knew nothing about making an Italian movie.

To become a better you, never let the attitude of pride linger around your ambitions.

In a totally dysfunctional society, the profession of a writer would not exist.

To my editors, I graciously thank you. I now know “is” and “was” aren't the same thing. It's the periods and commas that got me. Can't see the darn things.

There is nothing serious in mortality! Solomon in all his glory was Solomon with the elements of the contemptible lurking in every fold of his robes and in every corner of his palace.

Anything looked at closely becomes wonderful.

I shall ever repeat it, that mankind are governed not by extremes, but by principals of moderation.

Delaying and withholding tactics, red herrings, partial and doubtful outcomes are stock in trade for fiction writers, especially crime writers.

If you love what you do, then you always find the time.

The Chili Peppers have a real strict two-week on/two-week off policy - aside from me, everybody has families.

I'm in a privileged position and I'm going to do my utmost to use that privileged position on behalf of the U.K., its citizens, its businesses and people.