The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four people is suffering from a mental illness. Look at your 3 best friends. If they're ok, then it's you.

Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it has spread its roots into the very depth of your heart; confess to yourself you would have to die if you were forbidden to write.

I want to be with those who know secret things or else alone.

I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world.

Let everything happen to you Beauty and terror Just keep going No feeling is final

We need, in love, to practice only this: letting each other go. For holding on comes easily; we do not need to learn it.

Artists work best alone. Work alone.

In the sixties, everyone you knew became famous. My flatmate was Terence Stamp. My barber was Vidal Sassoon. David Hockney did the menu in a restaurant I went to. I didn't know anyone unknown who didn't become famous.

My view is that to get anywhere in life you have to be anti-social, otherwise you'll end up being devoured. I've never been particularly social, anyway, but if I've ever been rude, fifty per cent of it has usually been provoked by other people's attitudes. Though I do admit, like most Celts, I'm moody. It's fine until people try to cheer you up with gems like, 'snap out of it' or 'Come on, now'.

After I began to make some money, my brain-damaged accountant put me in one business after another that went bad. The only one that panned out was a small bank, an old Scottish firm with London offices in Pall Mall. I was a director. We sold out to a larger bank. That was the only successful venture I've had, apart from acting.

Most movies shot in Italian don't even bother to record the sound. In fact, sometimes when Fellini works, he doesn't even know what the dialogue is going to be, and he simply has his characters count from 1 to 10, knowing he will loop in their dialogue later.

I met my wife through playing golf. She is French and couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak French, so there was little chance of us getting involved in any boring conversations - that's why we got married really quickly.

I never trashed a hotel room or did drugs.

My boy, we are pilgrims in an unholy land.

Sometimes a woman just needs to be slapped.

I suppose I'll be able to get a drink there.

Personally I give us . . . one chance of three.

I'm an easy target because of my political opinions.

There's always a new challenge to keep you motivated.

It's not the worst thing to slap a woman now and then.

Nothing is impossible, only mathematically improbable.

I like women. I don't understand them, but I like them.

If you can't do it with one bullet, don't do it at all.

If you have to resort to violence, you've already lost.