I'm so lucky to have worked with Burt Lancaster, who I remember was one of the first people I'd heard swearing in a really interesting way.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Burt Lancaster was largely responsible for me becoming a director.
I very much admired Lancaster. George Clooney reminds me of him today. Not all the macho, swinging around that Burt used to do, but the courage. You know where you stand with men like that.
There was a time I could have been mistaken for Burt Reynolds. I had a moustache and so did he. But he was the number one star in the world, so there wasn't really much confusion.
There are times over different projects when I've asked the writers why people are swearing for no good reason. I tell them that it would be funnier if there weren't these swear words.
My whole life growing up, both my parents told me not to swear like a sailor. After college, I recall there was finally a time where I swore, and neither one of them was correcting me, and I felt so relieved. I thought, finally; I can finally be myself and not get yelled at.
The only actor who I think probably might have possibly taken a swing at me if he could have would be Burt Reynolds. He used to call Roger and me the Bruise Brothers, out of Chicago.
I knew the profanity used up and down my street would not go over the air... So I trained myself to say 'Holy Cow' instead.
I've worked with very few that I considered unpleasant. Dennis the Menace was a joy to work on.
Swearing is industry language. For as long as we're alive it's not going to change. You've got to be boisterous to get results.
I grew up cursing a lot.