Actors are one family over the entire world.
When I sit down with filmmakers, I feel like we speak the same language in a lot of ways. We watch the same movies and have the same influences. If anything, it creates a dialogue that makes my work more effective.
I choose my actors well and get to know the quirks of their personalities - and, most of all, I share humor with them. Then I keep my eyes open when they rehearse and perform, because you never know where the next stimulation comes from.
The thing about working on a Ryan Murphy TV show is that he has such an extraordinary collective of artists, so everyone is really like a family.
On a film, you start to get closer and closer with the people you're working with, and it becomes like this circus act or this travelling family.
Every time me and A Boogie connect in the studio, it's just always good vibes. It's like me being with one of my brothers or me being with one of my cousins or my family members.
I feel like I write so that people can think of it as theirs. If my song is exactly about your life right now, then it is - I don't even want to say that it's mine, because it's yours.
One of my favorite things about Telluride is because it's so small, the directors are really there for each other. You look at another director, and they feel the same thing you feel.
I think it's the essence of any film and any stage production - any work where you do work with other people - of course collaboration is hugely important. One does, for awhile, become family.
When you think back in history about producers and artists or writers who've had good synergy, a lot of times they date, or they're married, or there's a friendship and a kinship.
The three of us acting was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. I really look forward to the days when all three of us shoot together, because the sparks really fly.
First time I met Kehlani was through Jahaan Sweet - a really dope producer; then we linked up in Toronto, and the vibe was just lit. She's a really warm human being.
Led Zeppelin was an affair of the heart. Each of the members was important to the sum total of what we were.
The whole cast of Sirphire' was a great fun to shoot with; singers Preet Harpal, Roshan Prince were like brothers while shooting and we formed our own trio.
Art makes us feel less alone. It makes us think: somebody else has thought this, somebody else has had these feelings.
I really have created a family. I work with the people I love, I travel with them, I make films with them, and I'm in an office with them. So in a weird way - I know I haven't birthed a child - I feel that I'm a part of creating a family. It's a tribe. I love that word.
I have many intense friendships with artists. I don't mean we have intense one-day conversations but ongoing conversations that last in some cases for years.
There's more of a family connection when you're working on a TV show. That's not to say that you don't make great connections when you're working on films, but it's different unless you're there working every day.
Working with the Kinks, there always seemed to be some kind of automatic process at work. Ray and I had this telepathy happening for a long time, where one of us always knew what the other could do with something.
I wasn't thinking of competing with any artists as such, I was more thinking of being among them, and sharing thoughts with them; like sharing views, ideas, etc.
There's a few people that I write with that we don't stop until one of us cries.
When artists find other artists that they love to work with, they more than likely will continue to work with them throughout their career.
I have always done films with friends rather than strangers.
I find that working with friends is always the goal, even if it's just one person. Because the comedy community is kind of insular, it's easy to run into people you've worked with, even if you worked with someone on something for a day, or whatever.
It's just so fun to share that experience with your best friend when you're finding your voice as an artist.
