When I'm in the studio with a writer, I don't mind for them to take the lead and show me something new.
Both art and the artist lack identity and define themselves only through their encounter with each other.
I always believed that my work should be unfinished in the sense that I encourage people to add their creativity to it, either conceptually or physically. Back in the 1960s, I was calling for 'Unfinished Music,' number one, and number two, with my artwork - I was taking unfinished work into the gallery. And that's how I was looking at it.
I mean, certainly writing, painting, photography, dance, architecture, there is an aspect of almost every art form that is useful and that merges into film in some way.
One of the things I like about making stuff in the age of the Internet, is that people make stuff in response to it. You can see people respond to your work visually or musically or with writing.
Making a record is an intimate experience. A good producer can get things out of you that you can't get out of yourself.
It might crush a lot of people, but I've never been in the room with an artist that I've written a song for.
I view the whole thing as a collaboration. As an actor, I always found that to be the most freeing thing, when the director would collaborate with you, so that together you'd come up with something exponentially better.
I was excited by what my painter friends were doing, and they seemed to be interested in our poetry too, and that was a wonderful little, fizzy sort of world.
I cannot exist as a solo artist.
Kanye and T.I. both engage with what I'm doing.
My part in AC/DC is just adding the color on top.
In this business, you're dependent on the writer, the filmmaker, the luck of beating out who knows how many people for the part. I'm over getting torn up about that.
My bottom line is that I think Ridley Scott is one of the greatest visual artists of our time and I feel very privileged that he wants to work with me, so I go with that flow.
It's ludicrous to think people work for you: 'a film by...' doesn't exist. Directed by, maybe, but it's a film from a collective, a group of people whom you consult and seek your counsel and advice and vice versa, too.
There's such good people out there where there filmmaking world is alive.
I have this desire in the back of my mind now of making music and film at the same time - putting the two together.
I think film is collaboration, and I always want to hear everyone's input.
All my success belongs to those who have contributed in my pursuit of art, ranging from writers and directors to makeup artists, lighting crew, etc.
Basically, I see myself as a maker of things who knows how to support other makers of things. At the end of the day, I am just committed to helping put good stories out into the world in whatever role is appropriate and needed for that particular project.
I don't design. I don't paint. I absolutely never touch my works.
I love Jon Hamm. I'm so lucky to get to work with him and work so closely with him. We have a lot of these scenes that are very intimate, and very tender. Those are the kind of things that an actor lives for. Real moments of connection with other actors.
I've worked with a lot of really fine actors, both on stage and on screen. The level of their game lifts me up and brings the level of my game up to theirs. Always. It's like a constant upgrade.
I've worked with Tim Burton five times, and it's just like being part of a family; life doesn't get much better than that.
I prefer the band situation. I prefer the relationship. Music is meant to be that way. It's meant to be interdependent.
