Directing Debut Quotes

Yeah, it was always a low-budget passion project. It's my directing debut. I've always wanted to make an improv movie because I have so much experience in it, but it's not a big studio movie. It was an experiment that turned out better than I thought.

I'm just beginning to direct. For all intents and purposes, this is the first time for me.

My parents said, Oh, he's going to be a director someday. I wanted to be an actor.

When you're 16, the top of the world is directing a gangster movie.

Doing your first film, it's very important that it's a commercial success, because that gives you a couple times to experiment until you have to hit the jackpot again.

Directing is something I've sort of always felt like I'd like to do at one point, and I thought the best way to start it is to write something myself or with someone and I'd go from there. My own material.

I've never been given an opportunity to direct, but man, I would love to try my hand at that.

I did a film many years ago called The Man Without A Face.Gaby [Hoffmann] was in with Mel Gibson. That was his directing debut. He did a great job.

I want to direct one day. I want to write my own thing and really be behind the scenes because you have more creative control.

I'd done kids' TV in the U.K., but not great kids' TV. So yes, 'Submarine' was the first film and the first good thing that I have done.

Eventually, everyone said, Why don't you direct? It would save time. And that's how it started.

As an actor and a fledgling director, I'm used to making snap decisions that I'll have to live with.

I think 'Sound of My Voice' was the first film where suddenly I could point to something I had done that I was proud of and say, 'Look at this piece of work.' And that's probably what led to 'Fruitvale Station,' which was the real break.

As a first-time director in America, I feel I've been very fortunate.

I don't have any problem working with first-time directors because all directors have to start somewhere and all great directors have had a first film. So, if you take the view that you don't want to work with a first-timer, you might miss out on a fantastic opportunity.

'Cuban Fury' was a big production for a first time director to handle: I think it is very easy to become very stressful and for it to get the better of you.

I starred in a Broadway play that was Sidney Poitier's first directing job and the cast was Lou Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Diana Ladd and I played a Jewish kid who offered himself as a slave to two Columbia University students as reparations.