Lin-Manuel Miranda Quotes

I love writing and making films. What started as a hobby ultimately turned into my profession.

My mother was a housewife. My father worked in the agriculture business, but they were very encouraging about everything. When I said I wanted to do art, they were very supportive.

As far as music, that's always going to be my first love and I've always loved doing music and I always will, but right now it's more into film, television and behind the scenes with writing and producing. I'm still going to keep releasing music for my fans.

I got the idea that to write books would be the best way to spend a life. I never thought of anything else that seemed like half as much fun, although in my next life I would like to be an architect, too, so I can have an easier time restoring houses.

I wanted to be a pilot, but I was always drawing bodies. When I realised I wanted to pursue something creative, my parents pushed me towards architecture.

I thought that making movies was drab. I'd lived through that. And I didn't want to use my parents, ever... They didn't want to push me into this business.

I respect the system out there in Hollywood, I really do, but I'm very intent on art versus commerce. I want to do it all - film, TV and theatre - if it's the right job.

I love TV and I love making films and I love doing plays. I feel very lucky to be able to do all three.

I will always be an actress. I couldn't see myself without acting. But I'd love to direct and keep writing. I don't think one has to be in place of the other.

My parents always knew that I loved music. They just didn't think I'd try to make it a career. They thought I'd be a painter or an art teacher or something like that.

Music is my heart, but I see television and more movies in the next stage of my life.

I didn't want to be a writer. First I wanted to act, and then I wanted to be a painter like my big sister.

My dad is an English teacher, and my mom is a textiles artist. My parents made my sisters and me feel that if we wanted to pursue something creative, it could be done. They've always been supportive of everything from the beginning.

Sometime in your teens you have to decide what you want to do. I knew it had to be cinema.

The path that Lonely Island took got us excited to think we could get somewhere legitimate by making little videos.

I have realized that there is no point doing a small film.

When I was a kid, I wanted to make movies. In particular, I loved animation and would love to have been an animator.

I see myself directing, writing, doing my own TV shows and movies.

In the beginning, all I wanted to do was to be a singer and a dancer. That was my real groove, my real interest. When it came to doing films, my biggest goal was to do a commercial.

I don't know what my friends do. Generally they become producers. That way they can stop writing!

A lot of people, even my parents, thought, "Art school, I don't know. We'll support you but the success rate for artists is really slim."

When I was nine, I asked my Dad, ‘Can I have your movie camera? That old, wind-up 8-millimeter movie camera that’s in your drawer?’ And he goes, ‘Sure, take it.’ And I took it, and I started making movies with it, and I started being as creative as I could, and never once in my life did my parents ever say, ’ What you’re doing is a waste of time.’ Never….. I know there are kids out there that don’t have that support system. So, if you’re out there and you’re listening, listen to me: If you wanna be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time.

I did the drawing and writing - for five years. I made a lot of short films the whole while and I made a promise to myself in front of the mirror that I would stop drawing when I signed my first contract for a feature film.

If I wasn't a trader, I would probably be in the film business in some capacity and writing in some other form. I went to NYU Film School and London Film School.

In retrospect Hank I don't know why I spent four years writing this book when I could have just made a hit sing-a-ma-jig album.