William David "Bill" Forsyth (born 29 July 1946) is a Scottish film director and writer known for his films Gregory's Girl (1981), Local Hero (1983), and Comfort and Joy (1984). Read full biography of Bill Forsyth →
The studio system reminds me of the stock market.
I didn't think Comfort and Joy was going to be a box-office smash.
The movie business is very much like that: people in authority making purely emotional decisions instead of interesting rational ones.
I'd made these experimental films but I thought the major chore of a filmmaker was to relate to actors.
My two elder sisters married Englishmen and went abroad.
There are things that Scotsmen get and other people don't get in the dialogue. Scottish characters can be pinpointed by a phrase, targeted very... →
At the moment, my mother is the only one left in Glasgow, although it's certainly my home.
I don't really enjoy filming.
I was quite surprised how easily people wanted to pigeonhole things I've done.
I'm not fond of any of my films in an intimate way, but Gregory's Girl would be number 4 on my list.
It means that if they misunderstood Comfort and Joy, they misunderstood my other films.
It's easier for me to get three times the amount of money I really want.
I went to the Glasgow Youth Theatre and they just let me in. But I was so shy that I was there for about six weeks without actually introducing... →