Malcolm McDowell Quotes

"The best thing I did was abuse myself when younger - I dabbled in everything, cocaine, booze, women - because now I don't have to do it anymore."

"There are no great scripts - just great films."

[When asked what his favorite
Stanley Kubrick film was]: "
A Clockwork Orange! I never saw any of the others."

[Reflecting on
A Clockwork Orange]: "It's a remarkable film that has survived as such a classic and I'd be a raving idiot not to be thrilled with that."

"He didn't want me at first, told me about the big-name actor he could get, how he was taller than I was - I'm five eight and a half - but I said, 'That's nothing, I can stand on a box.'"

"I did a picture I loved called
Time After Time, and the people who saw it loved it. We had a big opening in Toronto at the Festival of Festivals - huge - and they gave us a fabulous reception. Great city, Toronto - Mary (
Mary Steenburgen) and I loved it there. Great restaurants, great people. The studio hired these so-called 'experts' to tell them how to market the film. And these silly asses took a poll to determine a 'recognition' factor. And more people recognized Jack the Ripper, which was
David Warner's role in the movie, than H.G. Wells, who I played in the movie. Hardly anyone recognized the name H.G. Wells, in fact. So they decided to go with a campaign that stressed Jack the Ripper, which was all well and good except that people didn't want to see another movie about Jack the Ripper, and they stayed away in droves. I've got a big piece of that film, but I haven't seen a penny, and I probably never will. However, I did meet my wife making that movie, so I don't really mind!"

"I got to be the hero in that one. It's a very whimsical part, a wonderful part, H.G. running after Jack the Ripper (
David Warner) and meeting this modern woman (
Mary Steenburgen). Of course, it's very special to me because I met Mary ((
Mary Steenburgen), we got married, and we had two children. Even though we're not together now, she is the mother of my children and that film is where we met. It's also a damn good film!" - On
Time After Time