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As I was coming up on the stage, there was one source that could make or break you, the New York Times. Inevitably there would be one actor singled out for a better review, or worse, than somebody else. The effect of that was cancerous, divisive.

If I could, I want to take a page from the George Clooney-like actors of the world. They do things that are relevant, things that don't necessarily have huge box office appeal, but they matter.

Journalists have made celebrities into an industry.

I don't think of myself as a New York actor; I think about this guy who's an actor who happens to be from New York.

I kind of want to be seen as an American writer, not just a New York writer.

I think there are a lot more writers who are actors than you know; they just don't have roles on famous TV shows that you recognize.

I don't really write with living actors in mind. I guess I write for dead actors. I'll think of like, you know, Burt Lancaster would be good in this part, and so on. With 'L.A. Confidential,' it was like, 'Wouldn't it be cool if Dean Martin played the Kevin Spacey part?'

New York is the Hollywood of the publishing industry, complete with stars, starlets, suicidal publishers/producers, intrigues, and a lot of money.

I'm largely interested in people who are just great actors, and they're not necessarily hugely famous.

I think there are probably a handful of real character actors in this business. The rest of us are recycling. So now I'm Sam Malone the editor. I'm Sam Malone the billionaire.