I can say yes to some directors without even reading a script. But the first-time directors I've worked with, the scripts have not been perfect, but they had something that I liked.

The first time I did a big American film, I was surprised by all the different financiers who came to the set and told the director what to do.

I've worked with Lars von Trier on many films, and there's always a female character that's like an open wound - everything just pours out of this person.

Even the most despicable person is still a human being.

It's good to pay high taxes - you have free schools, free universities. It's a much more decent society than those where everybody pays their own way, and some people don't get anything.

From my second son Gustav, I bought one of his complaints for 200 kroner. He was complaining that he was a middle child - he wasn't the beloved first child, and he wasn't the cute little youngest child. So I said, can I use that same wording in a film? And he said yeah. So I bought it from him.