Quotes from Sam Esmail

I was a nerd, growing up, I was really into computers and technology, and most of my friends were basically in that world as well.

When I first created the world of 'Mr. Robot,' I thought it would be a niche television series with a small, cult following.

On 'Mr. Robot,' because I run the writers' room and know every decision behind every line of dialogue, I'm able to be nimble and adapt with the scripts and the moments. I never have to question what I'm doing as I'm directing the actors or going through the scenes.

I used to hold Stanley Kubrick film festivals at my house in high school. These are not cool things.

I think I was told numerous times in the industry that nobody wants to watch a guy on a keyboard.

What resonates with me whenever I watch a great movie or TV show is the balance of inevitability and unpredictability. And it's a very delicate balance.

With some actors, if I have upward of 10 notes, I don't want to give them all 10 notes and overwhelm them. I usually parse them out three or four at a time.

The story of 'Mr. Robot' is really about this guy who's lonely - who's alone and feels so disconnected from the world.

I've always said that the first season was the first act of my feature, so this is what I meant. I wanted the story of 'Mr. Robot' to be Elliot actually accomplishing his goal, setting the world into chaos. What would happen to society if something like this occurred where, basically, if the consumer-debt industry were to be erased?

This is the great thing about TV is that when you discover certain strengths in an actor, you can then begin to exploit them in really fun ways.

My parents were very strict Muslims, and they weren't shy about showing it.

I remember growing up in suburban New Jersey, and all the computer stores were like, 'Motherboard Mayhem' and all these cheesy names.

Any time I approach a scene, it's not just what's on the page - it's how the camera's going to show or not show what's on the page. It's which character are we going to align with and what music is going to be playing.

I've always been fascinated by this idea of who we are versus who we want to be.

Growing up, my parents were very much about the Egyptian culture. They never really wanted to assimilate in American culture.

You have to have that core creative team around you who's going to support your vision, and challenge and evolve it.

Typically, whenever you're envisioning how you're going to shoot something, you have a location or a set that you're going to build, and it's going to be built to specifications.