"Being a puppet in a director's vision is great; I enjoy that and I'm happy to do that. But sometimes you say, `I want to be running the show,' and after I worked with Clint, I really turned the heat up on `Loverboy,' because it was so great to see the way he works. He's an inspiration to me. His style, his persona, his take on things: he's so calm."

"I bow down to you. You are a talent beyond compare. If I'm half the person you are and half the talent you are when I'm 74, I will know that I've accomplished something great."

"Tremendous respect, he's a complete professional. He knows where he is and what he's doing every second. He's the last descendant of those great instinctual Hollywood actors."

"I care about his talent, and what really intrigued me was the fact that Clint made the transition from acting to directing. Few people in life get to do something they love so much. I talk to other people I respect, like Ben Affleck and George Clooney, and all of us look up to Clint."

"There are some people in this business that are icons, and we often wonder if, when we meet them, they'll live up to what we imagine them to be. And Clint Eastwood in person is even better. Clint is what every great director should be. He is a great leader. And I certainly would follow him anywhere."