"We were doing it under the most extraordinary circumstances, but the first out of the tent in the morning would be David Lean. He said to me on the very first day of shooting, Pete, this is the beginning of a great adventure."

"There is a legend. And to protest is daft."

"I wouldn't mind being a lord."

"I'm the most gregarious of men and love good company, but never less alone when alone."

"Films were never in my budget. Didn't occur to me till much later. I hoped for a long, good life, which I've had and I'm having as an actor. I didn't expect the rest."

"My own favorite is something called Rogue Male."

"My dear sir, it haunted me for the rest of my life."

"Writing is a kind of performing art, and I can't sit down to write unless I'm dressed. I don't mean dressed in a suit, but dressed well and comfortably and I have to be shaved and bathed."

"The good parts are the people who don't make do. They're the interesting people. Lear doesn't make do."

"I love working with young people, which is to me a big kick."

"I'm a working stiff, baby, just like everybody else."

"We were in the Arabian Desert for nine months. And I was having the time of my life. It could have been an archeological expedition, a military expedition."

"Life turned out much better than I thought. I knew after a little while that I could act."

"When did I realize I was God? Well, I was praying and I suddenly realized I was talking to myself."

"Where do I begin? I loved working with Kate Hepburn, which was one of the highlights of my life; Working with Richard Burton in Beckett was another great joy."

"If I'm not at my study by 10:00, 10:30, forget it, I can't write a word."

"It's my job, it's what I do, it's what I'm on earth to do and it's who I am."

"It's very inconvenient because every time I finish, let's say, a chapter of a book, I think I'm going to ring Richard and then realize: Oh, Christ, I've buried him. I buried him last year."

"I loved doing My Favorite Year, which was great fun, and The Ruling Class, which I made with all my chums."

"I have no memories I'm prepared to share with you."

"I tell my children to avoid theatre and go into cinema and TV."