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William Monahan

William Monahan Quotes

Screenwriter

William Monahan, born on November 3, 1960, is an American screenwriter known for his profound insights into crime themes and his exquisite narrative skills. His works, including 'The Departed' and 'The Departed', have earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Famous William Monahan Quotes

“You can believe in originals only if you just don't know their context within literature. Certainly I believe in originality, but it lies with the teller, not the tale.”

Ifs Knows Believe Lying Literature I Believe Originals I Believe In Tales Originality

Author:William Monahan

“You know a shooter when you see it. At least the creative people do. If a picture isn't obvious in the first draft you're kind of screwed.”

People Ifs Knows Firsts Kind Creative Obvious Creative People Shooter

Author:William Monahan

“Getting the correct writer is simply like casting. You wouldn't hire an actor in order to tell him how to work. He knows how to work, which is why you hired him.”

Knows Order Actors Know How Casting

Author:William Monahan

“It's interesting to think that my children know more about the process than many mature critics.”

Thinking Knows Children Process Interesting Critics My Children Mature

Author:William Monahan

“I cut London Boulevard pretty aggressively, but I liked the transitions and the elliptical feel that I got. It's not an exceptionally easy film to follow. You have to know that the paparazzo looks like Mark David Chapman. He hasn't got an expositional sign on him.”

Knows Feels Looks Film Easy Cutting Mark London Transition Boulevard

Author:William Monahan

“I've got things I have to do in fiction to sort of register my existence, before I kick the bucket, but it will never be my living and I know it. Plus it never moved fast enough for me and lacked cut and thrust. I need to be in the real show.”

Knows Needs Real Enough Shows Existence Fiction Cutting Moved Kicks Plus Thrust Register Buckets

Author:William Monahan

“Because you're running an enterprise with two hundred-odd people, and it's really your responsibility to keep it moving quickly. So you have to know what you're doing, do it, and move on.”

People Knows Two Running Moving Responsibility Hundred Odd Enterprise Keep It Moving

Author:William Monahan

“I had a guy at the Groucho bar clawing at my arm nearly in tears saying that until he saw The Departed he thought Americans were the ones on TV. I didn't know you had accents. I didn't know you had a class system. I didn't know you were like us. To which the answer is, probably only where I grew up, but while we're at it don't watch television and think it's the United States of America.”

Thinking Knows States America Guy Answers United Class Watches United States Saws Television Tears Tvs Arms Grew Grew Up Bars Accents United States Of America Departed Class System

Author:William Monahan

“There's only one way to prep, so far as I know. You have your script, you hire the people you want, you find your locations and your setups, everybody shows up and you shoot the film.”

People Knows Way Want Shows Film Scripts One Way Location Preps Setups

Author:William Monahan

“You just have to know what you want and what you're doing and it leads to a kind of general well-being, which I think you sensed when you were there.”

Thinking Knows Want Wells Kind What You Want Well Being

Author:William Monahan

“I'm not a precious text protector, or anything like that, you know, because it's a much more vital form than that. You have to rock.”

Knows Form Rocks Protector

Author:William Monahan

“I had a long writing history behind me before I got into anything in film. It comprehended science fiction, it comprehended historical, it comprehended, you know, just about everything that you can think of.”

Thinking Knows Writing Long Film Behinds Fiction Science Fiction Historical Writing History

Author:William Monahan

“I never work until I have a deadline. You have to fit so much in a given day that you just don't get serious until you know when the deadline is.”

Knows Given Serious Fit Deadline

Author:William Monahan

“You never know what people are going to go and see.”

Author:William Monahan

About the Author

Born: November 3, 1960
Known for: Screenwriter
Quotes: 135

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