Professional Dilemma Quotes

Right now my career is totally schizophrenic, because when an American production like Hitchcock Presents asks to see my work I would never dream of showing them my independent films.

When I was at seminary in my early twenties, one of my teachers said to me, "You're going to have to decide. Either you're going to be an academic or you're going to be a pastor. You can't be both." I remember thinking, Rats! I want to be both! Why are you telling me I can't do these two things?And so I have kind of oscillated to and always wanted to do both.

I don't know if I have a memory of not thinking I was a writer - it goes that far back. I went to law school because I didn't know how to earn a living otherwise. I tried to ignore the pull, but it wouldn't let me.

I had spent my entire career not wanting to talk about weight, not wanting to deal with it, wanting to be an actor first.

The White House Press Secretary is supposed to serve the President and the Press. I found that I could not serve two masters.

Man hardly comes in more than two varieties, wherever he is, whatever he does: workers and pimps ... they're either one or the other! ... and inventors, the worst kind of jobholder! ... they stand condemned! ... the writer who doesn't pimp along, peacefully plagiarizing, who doesn't pump out the pop stuff, he's had it! ... everybody hates him!

It was 1996 and I was at a crossroads in my career. I had been working in Hollywood as a writer and was very unhappy. I had pitched an idea for a book some six months earlier, and the book packager, Joost Elffers, wanted me to write up a treatment for it.

It's ridiculous having the pros in an amateur sport, but at the same time, there's a lot of pros who are going to struggle over three rounds.

As the wonderful agony begins for 1964-65, I sometimes wonder why I do it. I've got an insurance business going on the side, and it is starting to grow nicely. Selling insurance fulfills me, in a way, like basketball. But basketball keeps calling me back. I suppose I'll play until I can't keep up with the kids any longer.

I had a degree in economics but also thought of myself as a musician.

It was very, very difficult to be a student in the drama department and also review my professors' school shows. I got a lot of pressure from them to quit the paper and concentrate on studying dramatic literature.

Saying no to a project is not easy. I'm always under the impression that I might end up upsetting the director or producer of a film.

As a professional, I get in a dilemma between sport and entertainment. There's these two sides.

I'm not exactly in a position where I get to be super-picky about the roles I get. But I would also never want to be a part of something that I think is poor in taste or doesn't align with what I believe in.

When I released my first record, I was really in the middle of having made the decision to follow the clinical psychology path, which is competitive, rigorous, and fairly conservative.

I'm supposed to be neutral when I do my job. But I'm a fan and I have my favorites.

As any journalist will tell you, there are few professional situations as vexing as when a friend becomes involved in a major story that you feel you must cover.

Also, if I did join another show, I'd end up burning my bridges to the show I love most.

I really didn't want to leave the show, but I got a chance to do a movie, which meant I would have had to miss two shows, and at the time Lorne had a policy where you can't miss shows, so I left.

It's ironic, really, because I've spent the bulk of my career making my living in a very commercial realm: network television. And yet, my sensibilities don't necessarily line up with how I pay my rent.

I was appalled at the amount of study necessary in order to qualify in medicine, and gradually my desire was blunted by a keener - and secret - wish to become an actor.

I mean, I don't necessarily want to leave because I have this job, but I would love to do a good play.

Some things are very low profile, but if they excite me creatively, I accept them. Sometimes there are high-profile projects, and you have to do it. We all have human limitations. It is a painful decision to turn things down. Even accepting 'Slumdog Millionaire' was a decision that I had to sacrifice another project.

But in the meantime I became accustomed to the writing life and it would be hard to change now - partly because of the salary cut if I went to my other love, teaching; and partly because I still have stories to tell, even though it isn't all that fun doing the work anymore.

I've done a nude scene and I felt it was appropriate to the storyline and I thought it was done in a respectful way and I felt comfortable doing it. But there are obviously going to be scenarios - not necessarily in this job, but in other jobs to come - where the question will be posed to me 'Will I want to do nude scenes?' and I would have to consider that as its own thing. And not just something to say yes to because I have done so before. It really is circumstantial.