John Lanchester Quotes

Probably the hardest question I get asked is, 'How do I choose between passion and practicality?' I can't answer that. I had to do both. I was passionate about pursuing a career in financial services. But I was also passionate about feeding my child.

I almost didn't turn pro at all. I was tempted to be a career amateur. I worked as an investment banker for nine months after I got out of school, and the money was fantastic and promised to get even more lucrative.

I would have hated to been locked into music for the last 20 years and not been able to have a family.

I want to live a good life and pay my taxes. 'The Killing' was a blessing. It was two wonderful years. But I had reached a point in my life, especially with a young son, that I was no longer willing to compromise my life for the sake of a paycheque. I was no longer willing to move where the tax credits are strong.

I'd tell any coach not to move for money... Stay at your job if you're really happy.

People really do think they have to choose between high stress and high reward jobs, and low stress and low reward jobs.

There's a part of me that wants to be known and make a comfortable living but still be able to go grocery shopping. My overall idea of success is having people I want to work with want to work with me.

Go work at the post office or Starbucks if you want balance in your life.

I've always had a day job and never been just acting.

You want to strike that happy medium: the balance of being able to find creative satisfaction in your profession, be able to afford a roof over your head, but still have the freedom to live a relatively normal life.

I can't imagine myself not working. And I hope my daughter will work when she's older.

I've taken a lot of risks as far as turning down money to do something I guess I thought was more meaningful. But I don't know if that's the best piece of advice, because I've also struggled with money, when I could have had a little more if I'd just taken the damn job.

'ER' was an all-consuming universe, but I don't have a single regret. It gave me some of the greatest friendships I have and afforded me one of the rarest commodities in an actor's life, which is the financial security to pick and choose jobs for factors besides the paycheck.

I've always been able to work as an actor and support my family and did great jobs, and more often than not, I got to turn down jobs that I didn't really want to do for various reasons or refuse to work with people I didn't like - and there are quite a few.

I told my mom for years that I wanted to be a manicurist, and she'd always be like, 'But what if you went to college and you got a degree?' She'd try to explain how I could actually do a thing that would make me a ton of money, or that I didn't have to just pick the business that was closest to our house.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to do a TV show or movie, but life comes first, and then there's business. If this business doesn't allow me to have my life, then I'll do something else and be a happier man.

Money wasn't the motivating factor in calling time on my international career and focusing on T20 cricket. If I was here to make as much money as I can, I would be playing 10 to 12 tournaments a year.

I've made a lot of money, I'm happy where I'm at. I've got a good family - I don't really need to play football.

I've had moments in my career when I've made more money and had more success than at other times, but I've realized being happy has very little to do with any of that.

I've never made a conscious decision to choose work over other considerations.

I've always been interested in art and making things, but I chose not to go to art school because I thought I needed to do something else. Art was a tough way to make a living.

Sometimes, the money is exciting. You want to buy a house, or a car, and then you jump into it. So, there are a lot of things that come into consideration, and that's fair enough. There may or may not solely be one reason why you do films.

My marriage and my career are my two top priorities.

I have a hard time being career-minded, but I want to be able to survive as an actor and do work that I think is important and that says something.

Now I'm at the Premier League and help my family. That's all that matters.