Laila Rouass Quotes

'Homeland' is a thriller with a lot of cloak and dagger spy stuff, which is one of the things that makes it so much fun.

The spy genre is something which, as a fan of movies, a movie geek myself, I just love that cinematic joy that they bring.

When I think of a story, somehow it just always seems to come out involving spooks and spies and government skullduggery.

When you really study espionage movies, or spy movies, the beginnings are really set up to have, like, an amazing bit of action, but at the moment you're watching it, you have no idea why or what it's about.

I've only ever been on a long-runner with 'Spooks.'

I've always loved spy stories. Who can resist?

I think I honestly invented my own genre, the historical spy novel.

Charles McCarry is the best modern writer on the subject of intrigue - by the breadth of Alan Furst, by the fathom of Eric Ambler, by any measure.

I love thrillers - 'Dead Calm' is one of my favourite movies of all time.

I'd watched the first couple of series, dipped in and out of it, but I think everyone's a fan of 'Spooks' even if they don't watch it all the time.

I think, primarily, we love spy thrillers, and I think, instinctively, we love the tension that those thrillers can bring.

I didn't think that and I didn't verbalize that to myself or within meetings that we ever had, but we wanted to make a hard-nosed, gritty, realistic spy thriller. Roger talked about using lenses. He shot hi-def, but using anamorphic lenses that he'd found from this warehouse. He was so thrilled with that. Him and Romain [Lacourbas] were just like kids in a toy store with their lenses.

I wrote three mysteries and then a contemporary spy novel that was unbelievably derivative - completely based on 'The Conversation,' the movie with Gene Hackman. Amazingly, the character in the book looks exactly like... Gene Hackman.

Growing up, my favorite TV show was 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.', hands down.

I love the spy genre.

'Burn Notice' is a show that definitely has some levity to it and it's a fun show, but it's also, you fully believe, you're fully invested that Michael Westen does this stuff. You want Michael Westen on your team.

I don't like James Bond. They made him a super hero, but he is just an agent, a human being. In my movies, secret agents are more realistic, I didn't want to portray them in the most glowing colours.

That's the thing with 'Lost': you can put a spin on so many things.

With thrillers, there's such a fine line between what's good and what's cheesy and corny.

Who knows who will be on board? A couple of spies, for sure. At least one grand duke; a few beautiful woman, no doubt very rich and very troubled. Anything can happen and usually does on the Orient Express.

You come to America, and, if you do a big TV show, then you can be overexposed, or old, before you're new.

I don't like to go to the movies to see violence or some kind of spy thing with all kinds of information you have to assimilate to understand the plot.

Thrillers are an enormous amount of fun for filmmakers.

If what you know and what you love are the same thing, that's great. But if not, write what you love. I love history, secrets, conspiracies, action, adventure, international settings.

I always liked spy stories.