Paddy Chayefsky Quotes

And I'm hoping that over the next 20, 50 years, whatever, the mystique of television and film and all that will diminish somewhat, and people will leave us alone to get on with our jobs.

I think people connect better with TV. stars over film stars.

It is such a special place to be when people all over the world enjoy the TV show that you are in.

The experience of being on a show that is very much in the center of popular culture is exciting. You really feel like you're reaching people.

What Must-See T.V. was all about was one network, one night, for one decade. And a third of the country would come and watch Must-See T.V. And you didn't dare go to work the next day, because if you hadn't watched, you would be left out of the conversation, that water-cooler conversation.

Television can be a very fickle place.

It's fun to be a part of pop history. Anytime you can be referenced in that respect it can be cool.

On 'Buffy' I wasn't all that high on the totem pole as far as responsibility and screen time.

It seems the farther away we are from Hollywood, the better the ratings.

'Rescue From Gilligan's Island' was the first of the so-called reunion shows on the networks, getting a 54 share. With numbers like that, everybody else started to have reunion shows.

We'll never see national shows with 45 shares again.

To me, in retrospect, it was amazing that 'Seinfeld' was a show that had such mass appeal. At first it was a disaster in the ratings, but then it became a cultural phenomenon. I don't know if that's possible anymore, but I don't try for that.

I was just thinking of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe and how young they were when they died. I would like to be a pop icon who survives. I would like to be a living icon.

I was delighted to become a popular-culture reference point. I'm still delighted about it actually, and I still find it to be weird.

In 1970, television ate my family. The Andy Warhol prophecy of 15 minutes of fame for any and everyone blew up on our doorstep.

Both 'Oz' and 'Homicide,' they're critically admired, so it's not like they're really neglected, but I wish they'd found bigger audiences.

Obama's pop-cultural focus may seem demeaning to the office of the presidency. It may be mockable. But it is also tremendously effective.

It's pretty crazy. I was thinking about that today, how 'True Blood' has penetrated so much of the cultural zeitgeist. It's truly amazing; it's incredible! The cover of 'Rolling Stone' is major. What's next, the cover of 'Vanity Fair?' When I'm in a 'New Yorker' cartoon, then I will feel like I have made it.

Who's more important than Diana Ross?

How many actors have a shot at being a part of something that became a part of pop culture? It's been very rewarding. I'm not getting the 20 million bucks for the new movies, but at least I'm getting warmth and recognition from people wherever I go.

The Beatles in 1963 came to America and became international celebrities, but Bobby Fischer was one of the first, as Elvis was, more in terms of the message created around him.

I almost turned down '8 Mile.' I was due to start 'ER,' and I learned they really wanted me to be in '8 Mile.' I didn't know Eminem; I just knew he was a rapper and saw what everyone else saw in the media. I thought they were just trying to capitalize on his popularity.

I'm starting to believe it when someone tells me 'Suits' is popular in another country. We're just acting, but we are reaching so many different kinds of people all over the world.

In a very real sense, I represent pop culture in an iconic way. It's been very good to me, so anything I can do to help the fans to tumble along - it's good.

I think pop culture would have survived without me!