Conan O'Brien

This big thing of paper goes clomp up on stage.

And I'm like, I think I have the guitar on.

I lean over and I pick it up and it says, you know, the literary progeria in the works of Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner.

It was my thesis.

Someone had gone and found it and photocopied it and threw it up on stage and I thought,

this is what I get.

And also, I remembered writing this and having it thrown to me on stage was not part of the dream.

But it's so weird.

But I also, I can't explain why, but I know that doing all of that thinking and reading has informed me.

Whatever I was going to do, if I was making clay pots now for a living, it would be helping me somehow.

You have had this extraordinary career that any actor would say, yes, if I could have the Jodie Foster career, I'll take that right now.

These multiple awards, two Oscars.

But you have always shown a real interest in directing.

And I've heard you say that Jodie Foster, who's directing, is more yourself maybe than the different actors.

characters you play when you're acting.

Is that fair?

Because so much of directing too, and I don't understand the job, I'm fascinated by people who can do it, it would terrify me, is planning, thinking, making lists.

Yes.

But someone told me also a lot of directing is this or this.

That's choosing.