Considers Fitzcarraldo (1982), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) among his personal favorite movies.
Domestic Partner: Angelina Jolie (2005 - present).
Auditioned for the role of Mike in Phantasm II (1988) but director Don Coscarelli instead chose James LeGros.
Along with Angelina Jolie, he traveled to Syria and Jordan on a United Nations Goodwill visit to displaced Iraqi civilians. [October 2009]
Friends with Clint Eastwood.
Met ex-fiancée Gwyneth Paltrow on the set of Se7en (1995).
Was in a relationship with singer Sinitta Renay for two years during the 1980s.
Lives in Los Angeles, Malibu, Goleta, California, Benerville, France and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ex-son-in-law of John Aniston and Nancy Dow.
Ex-stepson-in-law of Sherry Rooney.
Appears in two films that take place in the Northwest during the first decades of the 20th Century, and in which he defends a Native American's right to be served alcohol in a bar: "A River Runs Through It" (1992) and...
"Legends of the Fall" (1994).
Personal Quotes
[US Weekly, 9/18/00] Being married means I can break wind and eat ice cream in bed.
I'm gonna design my own fleet of trailers. No! I'm gonna record an album like Jennifer Lopez. It'll be an acoustic version of KC & The Sunshine Band. Then maybe I'll design a line of clothes like [Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs] but all in synthetic fur.
I'd like to design something like a city or a museum. I want to do something hands on rather than just play golf which is the sport of the religious right.
[Viasat magazine, 5/01] Fame is a bitch, man.
[on what keeps him humble] You know, I telephoned my grandparents the other day, and my grandfather said to me, "We saw your movie." "Which one?" I said, and he shouted, "Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn't like?" I thought that was just classic. I mean, if that doesn't keep your feet on the ground, what would?
I'm one of those people you hate because of genetics. It's the truth.
Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.
[Time magazine, 10/13/97] You shouldn't speak until you know what you're talking about. That's why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I'm a f---ing actor! They hand me a script. I act. I'm here for entertainment. Basically, when you whittle everything away, I'm a grown man who puts on makeup.
When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It's just a first impression. Then there's someone who doesn't catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world. The greatest actors aren't what you would call beautiful sex symbols. I'll tell you who my favorite actress is, Dianne Wiest, and you wouldn't call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.
[when asked by Conan O'Brien how he got into character as stoner Floyd in True Romance (1993)] I'm a method actor.
[In May, 2005, on his impending divorce to Jennifer Aniston] The thing I don't understand is looking at this as a failure. It's talked about like it failed, I guess because it wasn't flawless. Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually.
[2003] It's amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you, really. It got me motivated, having turned 40 in December.
[on having children] It really changes your perspective on the world. You know, I've had my day. I made some films, and I've really had a very fortunate life, and it's time for me to share that a little bit. Having children takes the focus off yourself, which I'm really grateful for. I'm so tired of thinking about myself. I'm sick of myself. You feel you want to be there and not miss out on anything. It's a true joy and a very profound love. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is the most extraordinary thing I've ever taken on.
[On how his children will influence his future roles] My thoughts these days are, "Oh, my God, what did I do? What are they going to see from the past?" It definitely colors what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions.
[on how his earlier, lesser film roles ultimately improved him as an actor]: I believe I'm quite capable and we, as people, can learn to do anything, and that's proof of it! And my education is on film, on record! Now I can take on anything that comes my way and find truth in it an do a pretty good job.
[About Quentin Tarantino) The set is heaven and he is God. Heretics are not allowed
(2010 - on New Orleans) Truthfully, my favorite sound in the entire world is opening up the balcony doors in the French Quarter and hearing four different sounds playing at once from the apartments across the way or down the street. It's a balmy night, twilight, and I'm drinking a beer, and this feeling just falls over me, of contentment. It gives me goosebumps to talk about it.
(On being dumped by ex-fiancee Jill Schoelen in 1989) She called me up in Los Angeles and was crying on the phone. She was lonely and there was a huge drama. At this point I had $800 to my name and I spent $600 of it getting a ticket from Los Angeles to Hungary to see her. I got there, went straight to the set where she was filming and that night we went out to dinner. She told me that she had fallen in love with the director of the film. I was so shocked I said, 'I'm outta here.' I spent my night in Budapest, sitting on a bench, smoking, with just a local bum to talk to who couldn't speak English. These are the days and nights you remember when you have success. I returned to America absolutely broke. This is why recognition does not bother me too much.
Fame makes you feel permanently like a girl walking past construction workers.
(2009) What's valuable to me has become clearer as I've got older. To me, it's about the value of your time and your day and the value of the people you spend it with. It's about me being a strong father and guide and a good match for my significant other. Then, if I'm going to go to work, it must be something of value to me. I'm much more experienced now, so I can find films that are interesting quicker and cut out the films that don't really matter. It means more to me now because my kids are going to see them, and I want them to be proud.
(1998, on why he moved to L.A.) A lot of the attraction before I came out was the fame, the lifestyle...now my motivation is more, 'I want to be good!'.
We make breakfast like everyone else and it's chaos and pancake batter splashed all over the place and bath time at night. Ultimately, I'm dad. I have the concerns a dad has. Is everyone safe? Am I spending enough time with them? These are the things that keep me awake.
[on comparing his own parenting style with that of his character in 'The Tree of Life']: They say actions speak louder than words. It's even more true with my kids. And so it's quite important to me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them in the door. I want to keep them to be free and not encumbered with my junk. In the film it's the exact opposite. I find it very sad, a very sad man who was embittered by his situation, doesn't feel he can get ahead, always feels like he's on the losing end, feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament, doesn't know why it isn't working out for him and why is it working out for other people. That poisoned view of things.
There are no secrets in our house. We tell the kids, 'Mom and Dad are going off to kiss.'
(2011) I spent the '90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.
(2011, on Angelina Jolie) One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I'm so happy to have her.
(2011, on learning to be a parent) I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual. And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you're awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, 'You can make a mess, but you've got to clean it up.'
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