Sam Levinson

I don't design stories to fit some political ideology. I design stories about characters who I love and care about, while trying…

— Sam Levinson

As a child I'm sure I was no different from any other human being struggling to navigate the difficulties and complexities of…

— Sam Levinson

When 60 - 70 percent of all interpersonal conversations and relationships exist through text messaging or social media, it's hard to get…

— Sam Levinson

I've always wanted to write, I've always wanted to direct. The conscious decision was always to not be an actor.

— Sam Levinson

I was never interested in acting on film or in television, but I was always more inclined to writing and directing, and…

— Sam Levinson

I remember John Waters's 'Pink Flamingos,' that was the film where I realized you could do anything you want - there were…

— Sam Levinson

If you look at 'Network' or any kind of satire, it's fundamentally unemotional in some ways.

— Sam Levinson

Do I think that, when we're teaching a book at school, should we go through a myriad list of trigger warnings? No.…

— Sam Levinson

I can't wake up every day and not thank Sundance. They're a great beacon of light for any independent film. Just to…

— Sam Levinson

So I think it's important to just keep in mind that the work doesn't end when the scene ends. You want to…

— Sam Levinson

I always wanted to write and direct films for as long as I can remember.

— Sam Levinson

When we go to the cinema, we bring all of our preconceptions of actors with us.

— Sam Levinson

Sometimes you can just have a dialogue with an actor beforehand and shape the performance then, but other actors need more guidance…

— Sam Levinson

Everything is spectacle. Everything is entertainment, whether it's shame, invasion of privacy, abuse, no matter what it is it's become almost a…

— Sam Levinson

If you're working in close-ups, then an actor is only able to act with his head. I like an actor to act…

— Sam Levinson

There's always certain actors that are interested in certain things and other actors who aren't.

— Sam Levinson

I don't really plan too much ahead when I write, because otherwise, I get kind of bored.

— Sam Levinson

For me, there's far too many close-ups in film. They're a television technique.

— Sam Levinson

I tend not to approach things intellectually at first. Maybe after the fact i can look at it and see ultimately what…

— Sam Levinson

I studied method acting for four years and I'm a big believer in the idea that it's not about the actual experience…

— Sam Levinson

But we're not this one stupid thing we said three years ago, or ten years ago, or even last week. We seem…

— Sam Levinson

And the nature of split screen is a disconnect: It's a line between two characters, two images, two realities.

— Sam Levinson

The way that I deal with actors as a director is I just talk to them forever before we even arrive on…

— Sam Levinson

I was very sensitive, so when sensitivity has no place to go, it's often turned into anger or frustration.

— Sam Levinson

I don't even like getting my picture taken because I feel terrible about the way I look. I'm so self-conscious about things.

— Sam Levinson