Although some people think I am a romantic novelist I have always thought of myself as a rather gritty radical historian.

Many people with physical disabilities have romantic lives and good marriages to partners who see past their disabilities and recognize all of the things they can do.

There's a hardening of the culture. Reality TV has lowered the standards of entertainment. You're left wondering about the legitimacy of relationships. It's probably harder to entertain the same people with a more classic form of writing and romantic comedies are a classic genre.

I had to trick people into giving me money for my first film. Making a romantic comedy is easier and more expected from a woman than it is to make a drama about a Japanese warrior.

I think Bach is equally a romantic composer because he laid the seeds harmonically for people like Chopin and the great Romantics Brahms so it's difficult to you know all this like labelling and putting - I think Bach is attractive to musicians because he supersedes the labels.

I don't live with people that's why my relationships last. I'm not romantic. Even when I was a teenager if somebody asked if they could hold my hand I'd say - no it's not heavy I can hold it myself thank you'.

I try to speak of a love that not necessarily romantic. I think there is so much love between people and so much love people want to give but it's harder and harder these days to show that to celebrate that you know?

If I were sufficiently romantic I suppose I'd have killed myself long ago just to make people talk about me. I haven't even got the conviction to make a successful drunkard.

You won't find me in a romantic comedy. Those movies don't speak to me. People don't come to talk to me about those scripts because they probably think I'm this dark twisted miserable person.

The big stars I felt a kinship with were never the romantic leads. It wasn't Steve McQueen or Robert Redford - it was people like Walter Matthau and Anthony Quinn. My big hero was Tommy Cooper.

Usually in romantic comedies you end up sacrificing a great deal of the complexity - you know just two attractive people and a good soundtrack.

It's good to be able to be a leading lady to be a romantic lead to play opposite people who are talented and charismatic and stuff.

People want to hear about the extremes of human nature. They want things that are larger than their own lives and more romantic and not necessarily of their own experiences.

When you are the lead in a romantic comedy you have to worry about people really liking you.

I find it incredibly romantic that people should fight for a cause they believe in and be prepared to die for it.

Well there's just some universal truths in a way that I've just observed to be true. You read Voltaire. You read modern literature. Anywhere you go there's these observations about romantic love and what it does people and these rotten feelings that rarely are people meaning to do that to each other.

It seemed romantic but also tragic - people would be winning but then lose it all or crash but fight on break bones but get back on their bikes and try to finish. Just getting to the end was seen as an achievement in itself.

I've never felt that I had to take a role in one of those mediocre but hugely budgeted romantic comedies because I want to wear beautiful dresses and have people think I'm pretty and that I get the guy.

I tend to play strong characters and people just assume that I would want to play romantic comedies which I would love to do but there are other women that do it so great and they maybe couldn't do what I do play the kind of characters that I play.

I know most people use their phones to tell time but there's something very romantic and beautiful about a timepiece.

The Southern whites are in many respects a great people. Looked at from a certain point of view they are picturesque. If one will put oneself in a romantic frame of mind one can admire their notions of chivalry and bravery and justice.

I'm a fan of daytime drama I totally get it. When we are doing scenes that are romantic or will get the audience riled up I feel like I'm a fan in the room going 'People are going to be so mad right now!'

The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible cities and wonderful suburbs. I live in the suburbs the final battleground of the American dream where people get married and have kids and try to scratch out a happy life for themselves. It's very romantic in that way but a bit naive. I like to play with that in my work.

People expect me to be dark and gloomy then write that I'm a jolly chap and after all that is what I am. I think it's a case of an absolute romantic naivety that there should be a parallel between the work and the artist.