71 Quotes by Peter Mullan

There are some people who walk into a room and they oxygenate it, by their very being there’s fresh air. Then there are those who come in with the smell of death and they suck the life out.

It takes a very strong brain to resist the absolutes, the myths that the media and the politicians peddle – the idea that if you are too kind, where does it all end? That not to help someone is somehow a good idea.

I did ‘Deathly Hallows’ so my kids could get on the ‘Harry Potter’ set. They met Daniel Radcliffe, who was a darling and couldn’t have been nicer to them so I’m a hero right now.

Life is much weirder than fiction; nothing’s more absurd.

I was on the set of ‘Braveheart’ and my mate says to me, ‘Do you think this film will be any good?’ And I really meant this, too, I told him ‘Let me put it this way – It won’t win any awards.’ Cut to: five Oscars.

Watching people just look out for themselves, I think, is extremely interesting. It goes right back to something like ‘The Beggar’s Opera’ – the underbelly of society, how it operates, and how that reflects their so-called betters.

There’s a part of bohemia I love. The lack of prejudice, the lack of aggression, I love the lack, for the most part, of competitiveness. It’s more peaceful.

I know virtually no one of my age who can remember a hug, or a smile from their father, or a ‘Let’s go play football.’

I wanted to dismantle the bollocks that there’s a military structure to a gang, with a leader, second leader, the good looking one, first babe, second babe. It’s far more arbitrary than that and their values shouldn’t be romanticised. They aren’t something you want to sign up to.