To tell the truth is to become beautiful.
I'm always amazed by writers who say, "Oh you know I had a half hour so I sat down and wrote a little bit. " I just need a real big chunk of time to sit down and focus. That's my process.
Now, the big box office successes are superhero stories. It seems there's a lowest common denominator mentality, in terms of movies that are almost purely visual, that anyone can understand anywhere in the world. Good robot, bad robot: they fight. You don't need to know anything apart from that. And then we can make toys that look like that robot - and sell those toys or video games.
I guess. . . I'm going to get that ice cream sundae they give you on the airplane. I usually pass on that, but I think I'm actually going to get extra whipped cream and maybe even the chocolate syrup. I'm really winging it here. I'm going to be flying. It's really a little too early to start drinking.
I started with the book Boardwalk Empire and then immersed myself in the history of Atlantic City, World War I, the temperance movement, Prohibition, pop culture. I even read the news and magazines of the period just to soak in it. That was before I even started thinking of the story.
I have a rule: I will not alter the basic history of a real-life character to suit our fictional needs in a big way.
I was in the equity-trading department at Merrill Lynch. I was there in 1987 when the market crashed.
Have I made my peace with God? I didn't know we'd quarreled!
The establishment, both parties, think "Donald Trump may have built buildings and he may have written The Art of the Deal, but he can't do what we did. He can't even understand what we do because he's too stupid. " They may not say it that way, but I guarantee you they have that attitude. These are arrogant people. They're very exclusive. It is a very elite, unique group, in their own minds, and they do tell themselves they're special and they're different and they're better.
Put faith in one who's had experience.
There is such a thing as tempting the gods. Talking too much, too soon and with too much self-satisfaction has always seemed to me a sure way to court disaster. The forces of retribution are always listening. They never sleep.