“I was inspired [to write] this book because there are so many fake books out there about my life, and there are so many other people who are writing about my life, and a lot of it is not true.†—Justin Bieber on why the time is right for him to release an autobiography [MTV]
“You think about legacy before you even start. When a kid is practicing on the basketball court, it’s ‘5-4-3-2-1 and the crowd goes crazy!’ …The legacy, I think about that as I make the music, all the time … every time I go up to bat, I’m thinking how can I make an album better than Thriller.†—Jay-Z [WSJ]
“Beyonce — she’s Beyonce! Once I heard the song, I had to do it. It was my second time being asked to do a Beyonce video. The first was ‘Irreplaceable’ — where the singer explains that her lover is indeed replaceable — but I didn’t want to do that. I said, ‘Call me when you have a hero role.’†—Michael Ealy, on his motivation for being in Beyoncé’s “Halo†video [Speakeasy/WSJ]
“I can cry if I read the newspaper, but I can also watch Spongebob Squarepants and cry. Man, that yellow sponge and his pink friend can really make me break down.†—Helena Christensen [Vogue UK]
“It’s weird to say this but right now, I’m like in love with Pee-wee Herman. I’m in love with the Broadway show. I’m in love with New York. And at the same time, all these people are in love with me, so it’s just like this love fest.†—Paul Reubens on returning to play Pee-Wee Herman on Broadway [ArtsBeat/NYT]
“Sesame Street taught children how to read, we taught children how to bang pots and pans.†—John Paragon, who is again portraying Jambi the Genie in the Broadway production of the Pee-wee Herman Show [NYT]
“When I was a little kid, for a little longer than was reasonable, I thought it was possible that I was the Messiah. But I’m not the only person who thought they were the Messiah. I’m not in the minority when it comes to young Jewish boys, especially in America. It’s part of our culture. You have people telling you, ‘You’re the smartest and the handsomest!’†—Adam Levin, author of the 1,000-page novel The Instructions [Speakeasy/WSJ]
“My grandmother always came to my shows. She was always concerned about the way I dressed — even later on, when I was well known and I supported her. I recall going to her house, and she went to her closet and she came out with a Manila envelope and there was $700 in there.†—Al Pacino [NYT]
“Had I heard Kanye and Jay, I would have punked out. I wouldn’t turn it down but I think I would have limited my creativity.†—Nicki Minaj on her verse on the Kanye West track “Monster†[MTV]