Thanks to a lot of people, not just myself, 'Whale Rider' had an amazing impact emotionally, and people remember it. I count myself very lucky that all those doors were unlocked, I just had to open them.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
The cast and the crew made me feel really welcome. Towards the end it just got better and better.
It was just crazy opportunity to see that whole world and the competitions that we had in the film, like Long Beach, it was just crazy and so much fun. I felt like I lived all those moments in the movie.
I loved 'Gladiator' when I was young. Russell Crowe was a big inspiration; the fact that he plays my father in 'Noah' was amazing.
Also, I knew that the impact of Motorcycle Diaries was going to be so resonant for all of us who went through the experience of making it that I didn't want to do anything that could reflect it.
Arrested Development opened a lot of doors for me.
The experience of seeing a surf movie in the 1970s, as a teenager, and the energy in those theatres, was amazing. It was the only way to see people surfing. These guys would go out and make these surf movies and bring them to four-wall theatres. It was an incredible experience that I'll never forget.
I liked the fact that I was forced to get inside of my emotions and to really try to figure out a lot of what I was going through.
'The Little Mermaid' was a really great experience.
I really liked the helicopter pilot in 'Dawn of the Dead', when he gets bitten and comes out of the elevator. That guy was amazing. He did this incredible walk that we didn't even know about until we started shooting.
'Dancing With the Stars' really opened a lot of doors for me, and I'm so grateful for that.