They said what: Best quotes of 2022

(First of two parts)

The past year has been such a busy time for us as we tried get used to the “new normal” and adjust to a world that’s been opening up more and more, following the lockdowns of the past two years.

We’ve conducted so many Q&As—one-on-one chats, roundtables and star-studded press conferences—over the course of the pandemic, and thereafter. Here are the best quotes from our interviews last year.

Robert Pattinson —REUTERS

Robert Pattinson on playing a young and vulnerable superhero in ‘The Batman’

We normally see Batman going away to train and coming back confident with his skills fully realized. For the first time, you’ll see that this Dark Knight is more fallible—he’s just a man in an armored suit. This version really embraces that concept and makes him more interesting to play in a lot of ways.

Steven Spielberg—REUTERS

Steven Spielberg on putting his own voice to his ‘West Side Story’ remake

It comes from an evolutionary space. It doesn’t happen consciously, and it doesn’t happen by design. It happens throughout the process of having the goal and gumption to ask for the rights from Stephen Sondheim himself.

That was quite a meeting I had when I met Stephen for the first time. It was at his house, to ask him if I could tell the story again, but based on the original Broadway show. All directors put their mark on whatever they direct. Whatever it is, it happens over a process—[and] every time we make a choice.

Gong Yoo in “The Silent Sea”

Gong Yoo on working with Jung Woo-sung

Woo-sung is like the celebrity of celebrities. I wanted to be like him. I didn’t know him well before [we worked together in] “The Silent Sea,” but now, he’s like a brother to me. Because he’s also an actor, he knew how to make us comfortable on set.

Acting or shooting could be tiring, but because we had such a terrific executive producer, Woo-sung’s presence was a huge morale booster for all of us. For any actor my age, especially for men, he is an idol.

Zendaya —REUTERS

Zendaya on playing drug addict Rue in ‘Euphoria’

Rue hits rock bottom this season. So, it’s my hope that the people watching can continue seeing her as a person worthy of their love and time. Despite everything, I hope they still see the good in her that’s worthy of redemption, even if she can’t see it herself.

If people can go through something like that with her and watch her take the necessary steps on the road to sobriety, then maybe they can extend that empathy to others struggling with the same issues.

Ralph Fiennes in “The King’s Man”

Ralph Fiennes’ empowering message for young people these days

In the movie [“The King’s Man”], I say to my son (played by Harris Dickinson), “Reputation is what people think of you, but your character is what you are”—and I quite like that distinction.

I was always encouraged as a child not to worry about what people thought of me. Your interior actions and sense of responsibility to yourself are more important.

Paddy Considine in “House of the Dragon”

Paddy Considine on playing King Viserys Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’

One of the things that I really love about Viserys is that he is one of very few characters in his world that is not driven by power. He’s a very incorruptible man, which works to his detriment.

The job of being king is something that Viserys finds very difficult because people want a tyrant. They understand tyranny more than they understand reason and kindness—and I thought that was what was original about him.

Ryan Gosling in “The Gray Man”

Ryan Gosling on playing a reluctant spy in ‘The Gray Man’

To personalize the role, I tried to approach it the way a plumber would. This is someone who’s just doing his job. If you have a leak, he goes in and fixes it.

So while they let [my character] Six wear fancy clothes and send him to exotic locations, he’s still very much a blue collar kind of guy—and I thought that was an interesting juxtaposition. I felt like that made this character unique, and that’s how I connected to him.

Vin Diesel’s advice to his ‘Fast and Furious’ character Dom about being a dad

He has to have patience and courage. But the No. 1 advice I’d give Dom is something he probably doesn’t need: Just love your children—and that can go a long way. There are many different philosophies on how to raise children successfully, but love is the key. When a child feels loved, nothing is impossible.

Peter Dinklage on the relevance of Cyrano de Bergerac’s story in the age of social media

Love has been around since the beginning of time, but we’re still trying to define it and figuring out what the heck it is. Is it real? Is it just desire or attraction or mere friendship? These are questions we’ve always asked ourselves, from Shakespeare to Rostand.

Nowadays, I feel like this resonates even more because the internet enables us to hide our true selves. We’re creating personas of ourselves who may or may not be who we really are.

Who is to say that what we see on social media isn’t the best representation of you. But will the person who professes to love you respond to the real version of you that you didn’t invent?

Jude Law —REUTERS

Jude Law on playing Albus Dumbledore

I felt like I’d been in preparation for the role subconsciously from the minute I started reading the “Harry Potter” books to my children. There’s just so much in the character to mine as an actor.

To me, it was important to think of who Albus was before he met Gellert (played by Mads Mikkelsen). I always imagined that being Dumbledore was actually quite a lonely place, because he was outstanding even at a very young age … to the point where he probably felt slightly isolated.

Then suddenly, Albus meets someone who matches his brilliance and inspires him—that kind of connection can be very, very powerful.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch on why he considers playing Doctor Strange ‘career-defining’

Playing Doctor Strange has given me scope, as well as the freedom to support, nurture and finance smaller fare with difficult stories and delicate issues that otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to shine the light on, either as a producer or actor.

So, yes, it’s career defining. I’m on a journey, and this is a huge part of it. I always try to freshen things up, seek different challenges and work with different people—and this job is no exception.

Laura Dern in “Jurassic World: Dominion”

Laura Dern on her return to the ‘Jurassic Park’ franchise

I love movies and filmmakers … and I grew up with actor-parents (Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd). So, when I was 20, 23, when Steven Spielberg called me [for ‘Jurassic Park’], the idea of working with a master on what was going to be an experiment involving the “first CGI film” was huge.

It didn’t feel like a blockbuster. It felt more like an innovation and a pioneering movie experience. So, to watch this franchise grow, then be able to come back to a character that has been loved by moviegoers for many years [via “Jurassic World: Dominion”] … it felt like an homage to cinema.

Chris Evans—REUTERS

Chris Evans when asked to choose between delivering “Avengers assemble” (as Captain America) or “To infinity and beyond” (as Buzz Lightyear)

Oh, man! It’s almost impossible [to choose between the two]. Obviously, ‘To infinity and beyond’ is something I knew well before “Avengers assemble.” It was dear to me in much earlier chapters of my life.

But as proud as I am to play Buzz, that line belongs to someone else [Tim Allen]! It almost felt like I was wearing someone else’s clothes, so you just do your best to honor it. At least with “Avengers assemble,” I was the first in the pool for that one.

Christian Bale —REUTERS

Christian Bale on playing the villain Gorr in ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’

Look, there’s great pleasure in playing a villain. It’s a lot easier to portray than a superhero, so Chris Hemsworth had a much tougher job.

Everyone is immediately fascinated with bad guys. And I don’t know if I’m pushing it too much to say that we wanted some sympathy for Gorr. But certainly, you understand why this guy is making awful decisions.

Gorr is a monster, but [when you learn about his story], you’ll generate a little understanding as to why he came to be that way.

Austin Butler in “Elvis”

Austin Butler on bringing Elvis Presley to life

I had those two years where I didn’t do anything else but just obsess over the role. Essentially, I just followed where my curiosity would take me. I tried to be as meticulous as possible, but at the end of the day, what was most important was finding Elvis’ humanity.

What I was most fascinated by was stripping away the icon, shaking off the caricatures and the Halloween costumes of Elvis, and getting down to who he was when he’s in an empty room by himself at the end of the day. INQ

(To be concluded)