Alan Alda

No, I never thought about my image. It interests me that there are people who do, that they seem to be methodical about it.

I've been lucky enough to live through all the things that are supposed to give meaning to our lives, like parenting, grandparenting, art, celebrity. All these things you expect meaning to come from, and sometimes it comes when you're not expecting it.

I used to be an amateur inventor when I was a kid; I'm always inventing something.

I don't miss directing at all, and I don't miss screenwriting either because somebody's always telling you to do something different.

If I can't get the girl, at least give me more money.

I've been nominated twice before as actor in a leading part. Now I'm nominated as actor in a supporting part. If I don't win, I'll just wait until I'm nominated for being in the theater during the show. Do they have one like that?

I must have interviewed 600 or 700 scientists all around the world.

When I got recognized as a writer, when I got the Emmy, I was more excited than the Emmys I had gotten as an actor.

What I always wanted to get seen as was as a good actor, when it was the acting I was doing. When I'm writing, I want to try to be seen as a good writer. Not as somebody with a particular idea to sell, or something like that.

There is a wonderful feeling of power when you're a director, but I don't think I need that, and I'm OK without it.

I'm most at home on the stage.

I had never really wanted to be famous. Everyone is supposed to want to be rich and famous, but as a boy I never knew what rich was, and the first view I had of famous made me leery.