Kenneth Lonergan Quotes

One of the privileges you have of living the life of an artist and creating your own world and everything is the fact that, in-between times, you can kind of spend them however you want. Because, you know, once you open up your candy store again, you're open for business. And you have to be responsible. You have to be available.

The main thing that's important to me is getting to do whatever project it is the way that I do what I do, and that's different. To go to an entity - whether it's a traditional film studio or some newer company, or HBO, Amazon or Netflix - they would have to know that I need to work the way I work.

Acting to me is a very organic art form and you just go and do it. And I like to direct the same way that I like to be directed. Let me bring in what I want to bring in, and if something's wrong, just tell me about it and I'll make some corrections or adjustments. And that's what I do.

I wanted to work on a cable show and with a writer/director because that's a much more fulfilling and freeing experience, as an actor.

I love to work. It's the idea of having someone else tell you how to make your film or how to sell it - that's the part I can't really deal with. I would rather do 1,000 things that are work than deal with one thing that's a political problem.

I can't tell you how freeing it is to have my own label. For the first time in my career, I have total control.

There hasn't been one moment in my career where I felt I didn't have any control over the creative aspects of my records.

I believe in creative control. No matter what anyone makes, they should have control over it.

My job is to just express something that I want to express. And if I'm ahead or behind the curve, that's for others to decide.

There's a lot of creative freedom. Acting is a whole boatload of fun, but I prefer to do it on my own terms.

I don't want to be owned by a corporation and obliged to make a certain type of album. I want to be free.

I don't like directing that much to want a career as a director for hire. I like to have as much creative control as possible.

I love independent films, it's the only place as an actor you're totally allowed to breathe.

My goal was, and still is, to write first, direct my own stuff whenever possible and control my own creative destiny.

The acting is something that will always be a part of my life, but the writing gives me a lot more creative freedom. You're a pawn in somebody else's chess game, whereas as a writer and as a director, you get to call the shots. And that's very thrilling.

I think every actor wants a certain amount of control. Maybe not control, as such, but just to be part of the process. But it's not necessary, I guess.

I am in that glorious position where I can redesign and re-package my own work.

I need someone who understands an artist's mentality. I couldn't be with someone who wouldn't let me have my freedom.

'Senna' took five years, 'Amy' took three years. You try and say, 'Look, there's no deadline.' That's important. Just saying, 'We've got to make the film. And once the film's ready, it will be out there.'

Leaving Def Jam was kind of a blessing in disguise because we can make whatever record we want.

John Sayles is good. He's like a good thoroughbred owner - he leaves the trainers alone.

I've always felt like I've had the ability to choose which roles I was going to play. I don't think that the industry agreed with me, but I've always had a bit of a headstrong attitude of only doing the things that I really believe in and want to explore.

Stand up for yourself and fight for your right to be the artist that you want to be. There's plenty of pressure from outside; people tell you how to dress and how to sing or what to sing, but I always felt like if I'm going to fail or succeed, I want to do it on my own terms.

I've been wanting to produce for some time because I want to have more creative control over the things that I do and not be victim to the whims of other people's desires.

I love having the control over the end result and not having to go through some committee to get something approved. I feel sorry for people, like actors, because unless you're Woody Allen or Mel Gibson, they don't have much say in the decisions that affect their work.