“When kids look up to great scientists the way they do to great musicians and actors, civilization will jump to the next level”

“He was on a wildly successful TV show on Disney for two years (playing a singing possum), before hitting the big screen, playing everything from Captain Marvel, to a schizophrenic, to Alexander the Great, to a college kid with a crystal meth addiction. I don't know if he's a great actor, but he's great looking, so who cares.”

“Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them.”

“The great Tao (or way) is very level and easy; but people love the by-ways.”

“When you talk about a great actor, you're not talking about Tom Cruise.”

“I guess it's like James Joyce when he was a kid, you know. He hung out with all the great writers of the day, and he was a little kid, like, with tennis shoes on, and they said 'Look at this lame!' They didn't use those words in those days. They said 'God, here comes this nut.' And he told them, 'I'm great!' And he sat with them, and he loved to be with them, and it ended up that he was great.”