Quotes from Sam Taylor-Johnson

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of the greatest actors of our age; he's like Olivier. He's one of those people who can take you into a place where no one else can take you.

My childhood had its challenges, like everyone's. It imbued me with certain things and took away others. It made me very determined.

I was determined to have a spotless house when I grew up.

My mother reads tarot cards, actually, but I won't let her read mine.

When I was eight, a hippie guy taught me how to meditate and gave me this scarf I was supposed to wear when I meditated. I still have it; it's probably one of the items that mean most to me.

Tea is a huge part of my life.

Seeing a new play in a first-time production is so exciting - when it's good, you want to shout from the rooftops.

If you have the ideas, and you're a creative person, then you don't really differentiate in how your ideas manifest themselves.

Even today I work with Niall O'Brien, who is far more technically astute than I am, but I still have the clearest idea of every detail I want in my photograph.

Sometimes photographing people is like pulling teeth, trying to get some sort of personality.

My parents were Beatle fans, but my mom was especially a Lennon fan, so I was exposed to him more. I remember her playing 'Double Fantasy' quite often.

In 'Fifty Shades,' seemingly, Christian has all the power and control - but actually, Anastasia does.

I was always interested in film, but I never knew how to go about becoming a filmmaker.

People in love don't see gender, colour or religion. Or age. It's about the other person, the one that you love and who loves you. You don't think of them in terms of a label. You just go with your heart.

I think the whole of people's psychology and where they are in life interests me, and the decisions you make that take you on particular journeys to different places.

I want to protect my vision, and that's the hardest thing.

Finding your place as an artist is the hardest thing. You come out of college with what feels like a Mickey Mouse degree that qualifies you for nothing in the real world.

I love showing my scar on my tummy - it is shaped like a question mark.

It would be nice to be a bit autonomous again, to enjoy something a bit quiet.

I can be very self-destructive, but quietly.

In the old days, 'controversial' in a relationship meant same-sex or mixed races.

If someone looks genuinely interested and asks me a deeply personal question, I'll give the answer. I'm too open.

It was so amazing to fall crazily in love and get married and have kids.

I feel lucky to be getting older. The fact that I made it to 30 and then 40 was big enough. So I can't get too down on getting older; otherwise, it kind of undoes everything I've fought for.