Spike Jonze

Johnny Knoxville went from struggling to pay his rent to being on the cover of 'Rolling Stone' in the course of, like, a month.

After 'Where the Wild Things Are,' I guess I felt more confident as a writer.

I think there's a knee-jerk reaction to things from parents.

There was definitely a point in my thirties when I thought, 'Oh, wow, I'm not the youngest person on the set anymore.' But I like it. Working with younger artists is totally exciting.

Samantha Morton is one of the best actresses in the world.

I'm always amazed when any actor can decipher my direction.

The thing I remember most about having a tantrum is not the rage during the tantrum, but the being freaked out afterwards, and embarrassed, and guilty. It's scary to lose control of yourself.

The world is becoming nicer and easier, but that doesn't mean we are any less lonely or any more connected.

Be willing to get fired for a good idea.

I always aspire to that, where it feels like the film was made by the characters as opposed to the filmmakers. I try to be invisible.

Kids are so fiercely opinionated, that if they love the Harry Potter books and they go see the movie, they'll be the first to say, 'That was wrong! They didn't get that right!' They're storytellers themselves. They're critics. They're going to have the critical opinion.

I think the way kids create is so inspiring. They're drawing a picture? They love the picture they drew; they're not tortured about it.