I love all of Albert Brooks' work from Defending Your Life back to his first film, Real Life, but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

Robert Altman's Nashville is my all-time favorite film because it covers all the bases - it's original, moving, and has something to say, but also funny and incredibly entertaining.

That said, I should also add that I learned a great deal from being allowed in these privileged circles and am grateful for the opportunity to have worked closely with some of the most powerful and successful people in the business including Steven Spielberg and Ted Turner.

Animation scripts tend to be much more descriptive and are lighter on dialogue.

Right now, writing for me is most rewarding because I'm old enough now to have something to say, which probably wasn't always the case.

While I've lived in L.A. since 1985, I'll always consider Chicago my home town and have much affection for it. My parents and sister still live there so I try to visit as often as I'm able.

I would rather read a poorly structured story that has fresh ideas than a tightly structured one with cliches.

Write the kind of movie you would want to see, in a genre you love.

I love all of Albert Brooks' work from Defending Your Life back to his first film, Real Life, but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

Working in Hollywood can be tumultuous, with incredible highs and lows and you need to be grounded.

There is nothing like the high of being on stage and reaping applause, especially for emotionally needy people like me!

I used to love Woody Allen but feel he's become a hack as a director. Bullets Over Broadway is the only film of his I've enjoyed in the last 10 years.

I know a lot of people in the business recommend the many Story Structure seminars being offered here, but I point to them as the single biggest contributor to lousy scripts.

Originality is, for me, the most important quality in a script.

I am a big fan of the TV series Taxi which combined comedy and pathos better than any other show I've seen.

The major studios don't differ very much from one another as they all operate under essentially the same principles and pressure.

Dick Van Dyke was my first idol. He's an amazing physical comedian, like a classic clown, but also very smart and not afraid to show vulnerability.

But so much of being an actor isn't so great - the auditioning, the rejection, the financial insecurity.

I was only in one play at Steppenwolf, in the early days.

I was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Evanston.

The best way for a beginner to write for animation is to closely watch animated films, then read the screenplays for them afterwards.

I became much happier when I realized I shouldn't depend solely on my career for my sense of self. So I developed other interests and surrounded myself with a small group of friends I could trust.

Unfortunately, all the cliches we see about Hollywood are true.

When I saw The Player, I came out with knots in my stomach because it was so true to my experience.

I'm more concerned with getting them to find and strengthen their original voice as writers rather than imposing my own subjective tastes, judgements or sensibility on the project.

Fear of failure has always been my best motivator.

All of the material for The Fine Line was created via improvisation with my partner, but not in front of an audience. We'd continue to refine it in front of an audience based on their responses until it was set and scripted.

All of the material for 'The Fine Line' was created via improvisation with my partner, but not in front of an audience. We'd continue to refine it in front of an audience based on their responses until it was set and scripted.

I am a big fan of the TV series 'Taxi' which combined comedy and pathos better than any other show I've seen.

I love all of Albert Brooks' work from 'Defending Your Life' back to his first film, 'Real Life', but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

I used to love Woody Allen but feel he's become a hack as a director. 'Bullets Over Broadway' is the only film of his I've enjoyed in the last 10 years.

Robert Altman's 'Nashville' is my all-time favorite film because it covers all the bases - it's original, moving, and has something to say, but also funny and incredibly entertaining.

When I saw 'The Player', I came out with knots in my stomach because it was so true to my experience.

And I love Mel Brooks. My Dad loved his movies, too, they're awesome, the kind of thing that if you're in for ten minutes, you're in for two hours.

I'm a former hippie, so clothes are important to me - your clothes defined you in that period. I guess clothes still defines people. But, I change a lot. I'm in my Brooks Brothers period now.

And I had a big opportunity with Richard Brooks, The Professionals, which is really a magnificent movie.

Brooks Robinson belongs in a higher league.

One of the perks of being an actor is to get to meet athletes that you respect. Especially who played before my time. Brooks Robinson is one of those athletes; they just don't make them any nicer.

I'm reading a book about Romaine Brooks, a wonderful painter from early in the last century.

I wrote poems in my corner of the Brooks Street station. I sent them to two editors who rejected them right off. I read those letters of rejection years later and I agreed with those editors.

My friends that are snobs think its cool I did a movie with Albert Brooks.

I love all of Albert Brooks' work from Defending Your Life back to his first film, Real Life, but am sorry that he seems to have lost his edge in his more recent work.

Ill habits gather unseen degrees, as brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas.

I love sketch comedy. My real goal is to do something with Albert Brooks. That would be my fantasy. I stay up night and day thinking up stuff he might find funny.

My wardrobe consists of antique clothes, many of my designs, plus shoes and shirts from Brooks Brothers and Paul Stuart.

We pay homage to the people who came before, doing satires, like Mel Brooks; we're just carrying the torch.

I'm a big fan of Albert Brooks, Nichols and May. I'd like to follow in their footsteps and do comedy films.

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything.

Apparently nobody really read it, it was a cheap movie, it fit their schedule in terms of things so fine, let the guy make that high school comedy. I used to work with Mel Brooks so they figured oh it's going to be one of those really silly movies and that's how it got made.