Mike Nichols

“Style is the result of a lot of failures.”

“The only safe thing is to take a chance.”

“There's nothing better than discovering, to your own astonishment, what you're meant to do. It's like falling in love.”

“If you're not in the moment, you're either looking forward to uncertainty, or back to pain and regret.”

“A movie is a series of mistakes. The only thing you can do is make them in the right order.”

“Directing is a series of choices. The best directors make the best choices.”

“One of the hardest things to do is to be present.”

“Laughter is a release. It's a way of dealing with the absurd, the painful, the illogical.”

“I love actors. I love their courage.”

“The great thing about collaboration is that you're not in it alone. You're in it with other people.”

“It's not that I'm a control freak. It's just that I'm a control enthusiast.”

“You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.”

“Filmmaking is a chance to live many lifetimes.”

“Comedy is a serious business.”

“What is the most exciting thing you can do with your time? To go on an adventure. It's the best.”

“The first step in any direction is a choice.”

“The only thing I'm sure of is that I don't know anything.”

“The most important thing in a relationship is to be a good listener.”