"The casting director's fondest desire would be to come up with 100% of the persona the writer has created. But if we can get to 80 or 85% I am very, very happy....Just because the writer puts it on paper, it doesn't mean that that person actually exists."
"My style has changed over the years. I look back at my original scripts and say, 'oh my gosh, I wrote that?' Because I don't write like that now. It evolves, it changes, because as person you should be evolving and changing. That comes out in the writing."
"The script is clearly the most significant element of any film. Everything else is important but if the story doesn't' work, all of the charisma of the star, the talent of the director, the skills of everybody associated with, are for naught."
" ... On jury duty, a woman shows up in her Star Trek uniform. The judge says, 'What is this?' And she says, 'It symbolizes truth.' Every once in awhile, I look around and I say, 'What have I done?' Because people come up with the weirdest things. But again, [Star Trek] has helped a lot of people. There's a balance to it. Many of the astronauts ... are astronauts because of Star Trek. People have gone into science because of Star Trek. People have changed their lives and live a better life because of Star Trek."
"I want to be remembered as a person who early on in his life took control of his life and set goals. When people gave me a lined paper, I wrote the other way. When people expect some certain behavior from me, I will frustrate their expectations."
"My mantra is this: I am engaged in the noblest, most honorable profession that the human mind has ever conceived. I am a storyteller."