Wisdom in fragments

I'm 65 years old, and one of the things that amazes me is the number of people who work to get to a certain level of success in showbusiness, and then quit to go play golf?! There is nothing else I would want to do in this world.

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

When we were first able to make approximately what our fathers made by doing performance, we considered ourselves completely successful and had no ambition beyond that. If we were playing fairs and cruise ships, we were happy.

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

My interest is not whether something could dematerialize in my hand, but how people can be misled. You can this very dangerous thing- lying- and make it safe to play around with.

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

Magic is this incredibly weird bondage and discipline you make where you say to someone, 'do this thing to me that's morally wrong… you have my consent…' – once you give your consent, the morality changes.

Magician, Illusionist & Half of Penn & Teller Duo

You have to keep reaching, keep thinking about what the next-level is.

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

You have to know who you are, be open-minded, and be ready to collaborate. You have to have thick-skin and be prepared to get your idea ripped apart.

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

You have to take bullsh** and turn it into fertiliser.

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

What I've learned about tech is that it's cold and robotic; you don't know any of the people who make the stuff you live on.

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

'Brand,' is what journalists and industry-people say… we say culture movement. As artists we say culture! Movement! And analysts say brand. I don't know what a brand is, but I know what a freakin' movement is….

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

Entrepreneurship is the relentless drive to carry-on, no matter what. Entrepreneurship is tolerance, focus and dedication. Entrepreneurship is this 'true north' belief that whatever this 'thing' is that you want to bring to culture, that you will see it through… and that you are the one here to usher it into existence.

Grammy-Winning Producer, Rapper & Innovator from Black Eyed Peas

Wine making is also alchemy, not everything is controllable – you are dealing with nature. There's a savage element to all of this. A great winemaker is an artist.

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

It took me a long time to figure out that the sensation I was having was anxiety- it's a real, physical, feeling that manifests within you. It's so much more than just being 'in your head' it's your whole body.

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

An actor who isn't acting becomes a sort of non-person. If you're not acting, what are you?

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

There's also a danger in acting of identifying yourself as an actor. We have to try to identify ourselves as human beings first, and our jobs second. I'm Sam, I act sometimes… not I am Sam, I am an actor. What I do is separate to me.

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

Authenticity- for me- is incredibly important. It's easy to spot the difference between acting and authentic performance- even though it may seem a contradiction in terms. When you're acting, 10% of you needs to be conscious of what you're doing, and 90% lost in the moment.

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films

I've always been self-taught, sort of like the Grandma Moses of acting. If I'd gone to drama school, I would probably have had a very different career- perhaps not as much fun in some ways.

Actor best known for Jurassic Park and The Piano films