Quotes from James Woods

It's a great battle, and it really is a battle, and there are people from all walks of life, you know, never judge anybody at the table: A man can be the greatest poker player and he might know all the numbers, but he might get beaten by a really savvy kid who works in a grocery store; and that's what's so great about this game.

My attitude about Hollywood is that I wouldn't walk across the street to pull one of those executives out of the snow if he was bleeding to death. Not unless I was paid for it. None of them ever did me any favors.

I am one of those guys who could do the most emotional scene and crack a joke instantly. I'm lucky. I'm just like an idiot savant. I have one enormously enjoyable, pleasurable - for me - talent, which is being able to act.

The whole world has gone back to something we are genetically engineered to do - communicating through symbols.

I think that the economy, and the political system, has literally become such a disaster I don't know if it's possible to save it.

My biggest problem in live games is that I love the game so much and I don't think I ever met a poker player I didn't fundamentally like - even if they're screaming and they're acting like real jerks.

I just love poker players.

I'm absolutely gonna win it, because I'm ruthless. I sit at the poker table and my job is to destroy people.

Look, just go sit at the card table with the rest of the kids and let the adults run the country.

Because of who I am, when I sit at a poker table, I meet people who engage me in conversation, not only about poker, but also about the movie business and about the world of celebrities.

If someone is not tech savvy, I have no time for them. I've always been a big believer in looking forward.

I was able to lean on people for favors and things to help out because their budget was so low. It was half of what John Travolta's perk package is on a film. Our whole budget was half of what his staff makes on a film.

So you can say whatever you want and quote me however you want about politics and make the next payday, and that's fine because I'm making that deal with you, but just mention the movie along the way, OK?

The silent killer of all great men and women of achievement - particularly men, I don't know why, maybe it's the testosterone - I think it's narcissism. Even more than hubris. And for women, too. Narcissism is the killer.

I've had wonderfully lucrative offers to do another network series. I could do that again and have a very luscious retirement.

My parents loved each other. I was raised in a house of total love and respect. My dad worked very hard and my mother was incredibly devoted to him. I can unequivocally, without any peradventure of doubt, tell you that I was raised with the kind of love that we only dream of.

Do you think I want to be the one lone voice against the Hollywood liberal establishment? It's not going to do me any good.

I think it's safe to say people are going to be interested in Kim Kardashian's love choices for the next 30 years. But they can take a minute to think about the new robotic arm that could replace the one they lost to cancer. Then they can keep thinking about Kim Kardashian.

The lifeblood of my career has been independent film.

Without a doubt, if I had it to do all over again, I would do whatever it takes to be a one-person studio. You need to learn how to write so you can control the material. If you own the material, you can do it all.

If I say I'm the best actor for the part, I mean it and I'm not kidding.

I always have a rule that acting is acting and truth is truth and you just go out there and you do it. But what happens in each medium is that you have other responsibilities. The acting remains the same, but each medium dictates assuming other halves to make the acting work.

I'm a pretty quiet guy, but if people want to think of me as a lady killer, I guess that's good.

My second ex-wife was really kind of like a ship passing in the night. Only she turned out to be the Exxon Valdez.