Quotes About Work

I probably would have gone the M.F.A. route except I was a dad at 19, and it made more sense to go to work for a newspaper and support a kid that way. But the funny thing is, that detour became the most important step in my developing as a novelist.

I wouldn't give up my career for somebody. The most important thing to me is my work, and reaching people through my work. It's so important to me. It's my passion.

The most important thing in my life is my work.

America's growth historically has been fueled mostly by investment, education, productivity, innovation and immigration. The one thing that doesn't seem to have anything to do with America's growth rate is a brutal work schedule.

I think the one thing that I've experienced with American films is just that the size tends to be so much bigger, the budgets have been bigger, the size of the sets have been bigger, the number of people working on them is bigger, but that's not to say that I haven't been able to get close to people or develop good relationships.

But I think the one thing that I can say about us is that we're very consistent about certain things and part of that is our desire to do the very best work that we can and not rest on our laurels, or not allow formula to come into what we do.

The one thing for an actor that is complete death is if you're bored, because that boredom will show in your work.

The one thing you can control is effort.

I've played football my entire life, all over the world, and the one thing I've learned is that the important thing is to enjoy your work.

The one thing that I've always wanted to do with my work is to create value and that's something that I've been able to do with all the projects I've had the fortune to be a part of. It's the one thing that inspires me.

When you can't see someone all day long, the only thing you have to evaluate is the work. A lot of the petty evaluation stats just melt away.

I try to combine my work with my family, that's what I aspire to. I don't say that's the only thing. It's not all work and family, because otherwise you would be saying no to the many other things in life and there are many other things.

The only thing that's a challenge for me is not working. I get depressed when I'm not in motion.

There are times as an actor when you don't work for two months, sometimes three or sometimes six, and the only thing that's going to keep you sane is if you give back and live your life. I've definitely gone through that. It's like, 'Okay, I'm out of work for two months.' That's two months I can paint.

The problem with growing up in a cafe was the cafe never closed, my parents worked every day of the year from morning to night. So it was a big menagerie of kids, business and cooking!

The problem with being a journalist is you go places and you're working. You don't get to appreciate everything. But I got enough of a sampler of South Africa; I thought, 'I want to come here when I don't have to interview people for a living so that I can really enjoy it.' Because I think it was just a magnificent place.

The problem with movies is you are over-rewarded for the work you do. It's hard to give up, and I got used to a certain lifestyle.

The problem with my peers is they don't understand television. You have to work within the confines of what executives will allow you to put on TV. Otherwise, we've not done anything, we've not really struggled to change the culture at all.

That's the problem with working and living in the same space - my studio is downstairs, so I often get distracted by domestic things.

Sometimes films might not work, but you as an actor should keep working. Because no matter how much you panic about how your film didn't work, eventually, when you step out in the real world, there are people who value you as an artist.

Being in that other world of media, TV, Hollywood, it's not a real world. For me going back to work, it was a pleasure to get back to the world I knew. That's the real world. That's normal for me.

I actually always say that I have a son and a daughter, but I work more for my son, because I want him to respect women when he gets into the real world like he respects his mom right now.

I believe in education, but I think the balance has to be right between theory and practical experience. I think from secondary school onwards it should be more about preparing you for life and work in the real world.

I've done so much drama on television that it's very hard to sit down and watch other actors work. I find my interest is more in the real world.