CHRIS EIGEMAN

Being an actor started me writing, and that led to directing.

I grew up in Colorado and spent my summers in Montana as a ranch hand.

Musically, swing pretty much dominated in the '30s. And into the late '30s, swing is beginning to change over to bebop in the early '40s, which is exactly when this new science of theoretical physics, particularly theoretical atomic physics, was really coming to the fore.

One day I'm lugging walls back and forth in Louisville, and the next day I'm at Cannes giving interviews next to Ben Kingsley. I'm nowhere near cynical or jaded enough not to be incredibly thrilled by that.

I never thought about movies. I never thought about Hollywood. It was just being on the stage and being in New York.

After my first movie was released, my wife and I went Bouley. A fantastic meal. The whole thing, getting dressed up, acting very adult-y, a lot of fun.

The scariest film in the world is 'Rosemary's Baby.'

It was always theater for me. But part of that came out of the fact that I was always acting out as a kid. I was the kid who didn't play well with others.

I think, basically, I am an actor. Sometimes I'm an actor who's writing and sometimes an actor who's directing, but I think if I'm forced to fill out a form for my tax return, 'actor' is the first thing I write down.

I was going to be in an acting school in London, and then I promptly got thrown out of an acting school in London. Well, it wasn't that I got thrown out as much as I was not invited back, which is the same thing, just more polite.

I like a no-drama set. I welcome visitors by and large; I like music playing on sets between set-ups - all that stuff.

Musically, swing pretty much dominated in the '30s. And into the late '30s, swing is beginning to change over to bebop in the early '40s, which is exactly when this new science of theoretical physics, particularly theoretical atomic physics, was really coming to the fore.

After my first movie was released, my wife and I went Bouley. A fantastic meal. The whole thing, getting dressed up, acting very adult-y, a lot of fun.

If you take a perfectly well-adjusted normal person of any age from anywhere in the country and stick them in L.A., within about a week I do believe that a lot of their values and morals will start to degrade.

I never dreamed I'd be a spokesman for anything. But Pac Bell just asked me. The money was OK; the scripts were fun because I had to do in 30 seconds what it takes a whole feature to do and because the dysfunctional family of agents, managers and lawyers who represent me said it was cool.

I grew up in Colorado and spent my summers in Montana as a ranch hand.

The scariest film in the world is 'Rosemary's Baby.'

I'm a Jesuit when it comes to structure, but I really think that structure is defined by character. Everything serves that master.

I'm not a big fan of having my loyalty called into question.

There's that great thing about acting - you're wearing your heart on your sleeve, and you're speaking off the cuff. You know, you're fearless about it, and - and it's great. And I love it.

I was going to be in an acting school in London, and then I promptly got thrown out of an acting school in London. Well, it wasn't that I got thrown out as much as I was not invited back, which is the same thing, just more polite.

Even though I am in my mid-40s, I live like I am in my mid-20s.

If I can feel that actual people made the thing, and that they have deeply felt opinions about it, and care about this, and don't care about that and so on and so on - then I think it falls into the 'independent' file.

My first show was 'No Exit.' You couldn't find a more pretentious beginning, but it also instilled some sense of quality.

It was always theater for me. But part of that came out of the fact that I was always acting out as a kid. I was the kid who didn't play well with others.

I really love showing up at work at 10 A.M., trying to make it funny until 3 P.M., and then going home. It's like comedy bankers' hours.

I genuinely don't like Los Angeles. L.A. is this little petri dish of lack of morality.

I never thought about movies. I never thought about Hollywood. It was just being on the stage and being in New York.

I took a cabbie to taxi court once. Years ago, this guy didn't want to take me to Brooklyn. Just refused. I explained that I would absolutely take him to Taxi Court because, see, I'm an actor and have pretty much nothing but free time.

I think, basically, I am an actor. Sometimes I'm an actor who's writing and sometimes an actor who's directing, but I think if I'm forced to fill out a form for my tax return, 'actor' is the first thing I write down.

One day I'm lugging walls back and forth in Louisville, and the next day I'm at Cannes giving interviews next to Ben Kingsley. I'm nowhere near cynical or jaded enough not to be incredibly thrilled by that.

My mom and dad got divorced, so it was one of those things where Sundays I'd go to Dad's apartment, and this was, say, 1970-whatever, and it had a pool table on the top floor in a very traditional kind of divorced-dad apartment building.

I picture Generation X as young adults living in a state of perpetual adolescence.

I had a very misguided notion of what 'network notes' were. I thought they were well-meant suggestions, perhaps urgently meant, but just suggestions nonetheless. And actually, they're demands. You have to do them, or you will not be paid.

Being an actor started me writing, and that led to directing.