Stephen Frears Quotes

Most of my favourite moments in film have been when I've had an opportunity to say something from scratch, something original, whether I jotted down a few lines or it came out in improvisation.

Why not do something strange and different for once? Artists can do whatever they want!

The thing that's so exciting when you're making a film is that it can be anything and there are no limitations on it.

I've never had a good game plan. At a certain point, making independent films became more and more appealing to me because I like freshness and originality.

As a director, you try to find what is creative.

When that happens - when risk is taken and the filmmakers dive into the subject matter without a parachute - very often what you get it something with those qualities that make it age well with the public.

When you're an artist, all you're trying to do is self-express.

My respect for artists is very high. I think to get the most out of them, you have to liberate them. I think part of liberating them is saying, 'Come up with something brilliant, new, and fresh. Stop thinking based on what has been beat into you by executives or publishers in terms of what's going to work and what's not. Don't react, just act.'

But I think the thing I'm proud of about the film is that there aren't many films - either independent films or mainstream Hollywood films - that are like this; it's of its own times, and it's the film Mike Nichols wanted to make.

When I go into making a movie, personally, I don't try to bring other pieces of movies with me.

No age is compelled to take its beauty from preceding epochs.

Being an artist is in part an act of rupture.

The minute you succumb to outside pressure, you cease to be creative.

I think the idea of art kills creativity.

Trying to force creativity is never good.

As a creative person, you want to start with a blank canvas.

No doubt the artist is the child of his time; but woe to him if he is also its disciple, or even its favorite.

There's no room for being a visionary in the studio system. It literally cannot exist.

If you're always thinking about someone else's work, about the tradition you're working in, how can you possibly make anything good?

I think as long as you're being creative and finding your own work interesting, that's all that matters.

I think anytime you can do something you haven't seen or done in a film before, it's always a great day as an actor.

I just want to keep doing things completely different from the other. I just want to keep working with great people, great filmmakers and great actors and just building on that experience.

I could never be like Hitchcock and do only one kind of movie. Anything that's good is worthwhile.

I wanted to make my sophomore film as different as possible. I didn't want to be pigeonholed. I didn't want to be identifiable.

If you're creating anything at all, it's really dangerous to care about what people think.