Quotes from Michael Pena

Paul Rudd has a very specific brand of humor.

Actors love the big speeches and love to be the center of attention. I mean, that's why we do it.

Sometimes it's good to be naive.

I think writing is the most underrated thing in Hollywood.

My understanding, when I think of immigration, is like... you know, this country was built on immigrants: the German, the Polish, the Italian, the Jewish, the Russians, the Eastern Europeans. So, all these people came in, and I don't know who decided like, 'No, that's it! There's a cap on it! No more people.'

There's a certain weird something. I'm always nervous when I spar. You learn it's going to hurt, but it's only going to hurt for a little bit. It brings out the animal in you to an extent. You learn what you can take.

I used to love those movies, back in the day, like 'A Nightmare on Elm Street,' 'Friday the 13th,' 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'The Shining.' I really liked those kind of movies, and I wanted to be a part of one of those kinds of movies.

I was in L.A., like, four months, and I got my first part. Then I was like, 'OK, I'm staying.'

I've always noticed that girls cry way easier than guys do.

I didn't realise I lived in the ghetto until we moved out.

I'm super grateful, and whenever somebody offers me something, and I'm doing it, I always try to give 110%.

I remember my seventh-grade chemistry teacher told me I'd never amount to anything. I thought, 'Hmm. OK.' That gave me motivation to prove her wrong.

I saw Gosling just kill it in 'Blue Valentine.' I thought he was just amazing at that, and I wouldn't mind maybe doing something like that.

It's so interesting to watch Ben Stiller work because he just knows what's funny.

You can have a kid and just be off at work all the time, and it's all mom. But, I spent a lot of time with him, so now, every time I see him, he's like, "Dada!"

I wouldn't say I have comedy chops. I guess you get lucky with good writing because I don't think I'm a comedian by any stretch of the imagination.

I've been an actor for 20 years, and I think the first 14 years, it was all struggling. At first, it was all gangsters.

One of my first real parts was 'Crash' - that won the Oscar.

A good director is like a good coach. You want to play for him. You want to really show him your good stuff. You don't want to let that person down. Ridley Scott is one of those guys.

We all want approval.

I'm envious of writers.

For me, when I do my best acting, it's mainly imagination. Then I really have a lot of fun with it.

I'm living in Hollywood, and I'm making movies, but it goes beyond me. If my family is not doing very well, or even OK, you want them to be better.