When I give over to somebody's vision rather than have an idea of what I need to do, it takes me to places I wouldn't have got to by myself. I'm always attracted to a strong director.

I was born William. My father was William. I came from a big family, I hated being called Billy. Willem's a nickname; it's a Dutch name, very common in the Netherlands.

The worst thing is to get involved with people who aren't passionate about what they're doing.

The English Patient' is about the coming together of a French-Canadian nurse, an English patient, a Sikh in a turban and me, Caravaggio, and each of us is seeking a resolution to our own problems.

Great theatre is about challenging how we think and encouraging us to fantasize about a world we aspire to.

I never act. I simply bring out the real animal that's in me.

Sometimes I think women are lucky because they can develop in ways men can't. The old-boy network may be oppressive to women, but it actually stunts men in terms of personal growth.

The mask can be a limitation, but you just deal with it. You do get superhuman strength and pumpkin bombs and all this other stuff to express yourself with.'

You have to lose yourself to find yourself.

Action breeds inspiration more than inspiration breeds action.

I guess they often cast me as the bad guy, because I'm not, er, conventional looking. I look sort of violent. I'm the odd one out, the outsider.

Outer gavels can't crush you when your inner judge is love.

Like all other music, it breathed passion and pathos, and emotions high or tender, in a tongue native to the human heart, wherever educated.

When there is a challenge to be met, you can be sure someone will rise to it. When there is a job to be done, someone will do it and get the deserved praise for it. Will that person be you?

I couldn't think of anything that didn't sound trivial, so I just nodded.

Deeds of endurance, which seem ordinary in philosophy, are rare in conduct.

An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it.

When man has nothing but his will to assert--even his good-will--it is always bullying. Bolshevism is one sort of bullying, capitalism another: and liberty is a change of chains.

It wasn't a bit of good fighting grown-ups. They could do exactly as they liked.

Milk many cows but make your own butter.

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.