All directors are different. Certainly, the directors that I respond to the most are guys that figure it out by doing it, not by thinking or studying. Also, the kind of actor that I think I am - I learned about theater doing theater, not studying theater. I think that traditional school can be great, but also it can stifle original thought.

Michael Pitt

Your experiences are what made you what you are today. So when tragedy happens in people's lives, and things are left unsaid, it can be very unsettling. The lack of closure can linger.

Michael Pitt

Film is a collaborative art form. If you're not being collaborative, you probably shouldn't be working in film. You don't do it on your own. People who understand that, cultivate that, get the best results.

Michael Pitt

What I'm trying to do is to make films - 'I Origins' is one of them - with the new generation of filmmakers. I want to support that.

Michael Pitt

You develop a voice and a process that's unique to yourself.

Michael Pitt

You always have nerves. And it's important to respect your nerves and your doubts. And then you have to ultimately overcome them.

Michael Pitt

Brooklyn is definitely the only place to live in the New York area. I love Brooklyn. Go Brooklyn!

Michael Pitt

There's something very, very powerful about having a life mate that you are attracted to but then can also have a beer with.

Michael Pitt

'Boardwalk' begins literally on the first day of Prohibition, which I think was a wonderful way to start - to have the story kind of come out of this massive historical phenomenon. And the more I researched the '20s, the more I discovered just how interesting it was.

Michael Pitt

If you saw me trying to do laundry or something, well, I'm not really equipped to do anything else.

Michael Pitt

I don't believe Wikipedia about anything. I don't go there for anything but keywords.

Michael Pitt

I'm going to write films, star in films, direct films. Write records. Perform live.

Michael Pitt

What I've learned - after working for, I guess, some time now - is when you're approaching a relationship like that, like, any working relationship, it's good to be open. To know that someone might have a different way of doing things and listen to them. And hopefully, you come to a common understanding.

Michael Pitt

It sounds cliche, but success is your friends, your family, what you do, and if you're happy when you wake up.

Michael Pitt

I think Van Sant is the most important American director we have. He takes the most risks. He's just pure to me.

Michael Pitt

I don't really have hobbies. I paint. I write. I direct videos. I take photos. I'm a creative person. A normal day for me is doing all of those things. Sometimes I stay up until 5 A.M. writing a song because I make music. It's the same with writing.

Michael Pitt

When actors give their input, it can be very ego-driven, and directors are scared of that.

Michael Pitt

I'm a closeted nerd. I studied Richard Dawkins. I watched every lecture. He's sort of the leading scientific atheist of our time. He's very provocative. His whole thing is science over spirituality.

Michael Pitt

Acting is really scary, but it's also challenging, fun, hard work. There's always an element of improvisation with every actor, even when something is really scripted.

Michael Pitt

All directors are different. Certainly, the directors that I respond to the most are guys that figure it out by doing it, not by thinking or studying. Also, the kind of actor that I think I am - I learned about theater doing theater, not studying theater. I think that traditional school can be great, but also it can stifle original thought.

Michael Pitt

A kid now can practically record a song or edit a short film on his way to school. I think that will produce, perhaps, more less-interesting things - or you'll have to search more to find the interesting things. But I also think it's exciting.

Michael Pitt