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We've all been influenced by American naturalism, and to ignore that entirely would be impossible for me as someone who works primarily in film.

The kind of actors I admire move through different characters and genres.

I love Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Flannery O'Connor. I read a lot of American writers.

I am really not of the school of naturalism. I like style, and you can use more style in theater than in film roles. I love to sink my teeth into a part.

Shakespeare in Love... such smart writing of an alternative view of history, and such beautiful acting. Like most Americans, I'm a sucker for the accent.

I've only had good experiences with actors. Starring next to them and directing them, for the most part they're all inspiring, special people.

One of my favourite kinds of movie is the American picaresque, in which the characters make their way across the country, learning about life against the gorgeous backdrops of that vast land.

I think there's a quality of passion to the American actor. I'm certainly attracted to it, and I like to hope that underscoring it is a characteristic of my work. That quality is certainly also present in some British actors, but I tend to feel the mechanical and intellectual process is dominant in the British.