In America, EVERYONE writes but no one reads. Everyone's writing all day long - sending emails, TWEETS, text MESSAGES; they all think they're James Cameron's Avatar, performing in some VIDEO GAME for which they make up the script.

I was sent the script for 'Silver Linings' when I was doing a PLAY in D.C. at The KENNEDY CENTER with Cate Blanchett and I was sent the script and asked if I was interested, and I SAID 'Oh, boy am I!'

'Liberace's a GREAT film. It's a great PIECE of MATERIAL. I have a great SCRIPT and it's a great score.

It's all about the SCRIPT. REALITY is KEY to me and LESS cutesy.

In 'Boomerang,' they didn't have a SCRIPT at all, they just told me to COME up with some STUFF.

I've been involved with some HUGE studio PROJECTS that have been bloody AWESOME. It all STARTS with a great script, doesn't it?

MANY times, when a DIRECTOR reads a script and wants somebody who says 'Far out', then they let me do what I WANT with it and that's usually more INTERESTING for an ACTOR.

I think every SCRIPT I read has SOMETHING that sends me into a state of PANIC but that usually makes me WANT to do it.

If I'm not afraid when I'm reading a script, that MEANS I KNOW I've done it before. If I read something and THINK, WOW, I can't play this PART, then I want to play it more.

In a way, we tried to make 'The SALVATION' a contemporary film with contemporary emotions. At the same time, in the script, you get a FEEL that all the SMALL TALK is not a part of our universe. It's more precise talk.

On 'Stranger Than Fiction,' the script was so good that I stuck to EVERY line because it was just such brilliant writing from Zach Helm that I felt LIKE I REALLY just want to SHOOT the page.

I always THINK it's interesting to SWITCH GENRES, because if I read a script and I know exactly how to manifest a story, I don't REALLY want to do it anymore, because I've already done it in my HEAD.

I USED to WRITE STORIES and POETRY, but for some reason I have it in my head that if I'm going to write, I have to write a script.

That was, in writing the 'Twilight' script I had about five weeks to write that. I'd TAKEN about a MONTH to write the OUTLINE and then it was slam into a script and write it down FAST because the writer's strike was looming.

WRITING a GREAT SCRIPT - not just a good one, but a great one - is almost an IMPOSSIBLE task.