Sam Mendes

“Every day you learn something new. That's the fun of it. That's the fun of being a director.”

“For me, the camera is a character. It's a silent character.”

“I have a theory that movies operate on the level of dreams, where you dream yourself into the protagonist's position.”

“Directing is a very lonely profession. It's a lonely, lonely, lonely profession.”

“You can't make a movie for everybody.”

“The great thing about the theatre is that it's a forum where you can create a universe in a very simple way.”

“It's a mistake to try to second-guess the audience.”

“I believe that there is a story in every one of us.”

“The best advice I've ever been given is, 'Be in the room.'”

“I think there's a certain magic to the stage. It's a place of transformation.”

“What I'm interested in is the modern world. I'm not interested in the past.”

“Ultimately, you're looking for a story that you can tell for two hours and that will engage people.”

“The Bond franchise is not a problem for the actor, it's a problem for the director.”

“I'm a great believer in the power of the theater.”

“The joy of the theater is that it is a live event.”

“I think you have to be very careful with humor. Humor is a very fragile thing.”