Lee Child
Birthday: 29 October 1954, Coventry, West Midlands, England, UK
Birth Name: Jim Grant
Height: 193 cm
Lee Child was born in the exact geographic centre of England, in the heart of the industrial badlands. Never saw a tree until he was 12. It was the sort of place where if you fell in the river, you ha ...Show More
[on the filmed version of his novel 'Jack Reacher'] I'm well aware of the alchemy that has to take p Show more
[on the filmed version of his novel 'Jack Reacher'] I'm well aware of the alchemy that has to take place, and my observation of the process was obviously intensely personal and self-interested, but also academic in a surprisingly detached way. I found myself agreeing with the choices ninety-nine percent of the time. I would have done it no differently. Hide
[on how Jack Reacher got his name] We went out shopping to the supermarket and a little old lady com Show more
[on how Jack Reacher got his name] We went out shopping to the supermarket and a little old lady comes up to me and says, 'You're a nice tall chap, could you reach me that can?' So Jane said, 'Hey, if this writing thing doesn't pan out you could always be a reacher in a supermarket.' I thought, Reacher: good name. Hide
[on his choice of what writer he would most like to have met] I'll have to go with the elephant in t Show more
[on his choice of what writer he would most like to have met] I'll have to go with the elephant in the room - William Shakespeare. I'd ask him, Dude, did you know how great you were? Were you aware at the time of the sheer incandescent beauty of, say, 'Romeo and Juliet'? Or were you just scuffling along like the rest of us, trying to make a living? And possibly a supplementary: Why did you make 'Richard III' so damn long? Were you getting paid by the word, or what? Hide
The words 'truly great book' sets a very high bar in the context of the last couple of centuries. Th Show more
The words 'truly great book' sets a very high bar in the context of the last couple of centuries. Therefore I'd have to pick 'The Lost' by Daniel Mendelsohn. Nonfiction, but only incidentally. It's a memoir, a Holocaust story, a detective story, both a rumination on and an analysis of narrative technique, a work of Old Testament and ancient Greek historiography, and a work of awful, heartbreaking, tragic suspense. A book of the decade, easily, and likely a book of the century. Hide
There are many technical reasons why screenwriters generally make bad novelists. The fundamental thi Show more
There are many technical reasons why screenwriters generally make bad novelists. The fundamental thing is that it's not about you, it's about the audience. A lot of writers write to impress themselves or their friends or whatever, and when you've worked in the media before, you very quickly understand that that's not what it's about. It's about the audience. Hide
Ian Fleming hated the idea of Sean Connery playing James Bond, and of course now, most people think Show more
Ian Fleming hated the idea of Sean Connery playing James Bond, and of course now, most people think Sean Connery was the best James Bond ever. There is a disconnect between the books and the movies with Bond in stylistic ways. He doesn't sadistically shoot people in the face in the movies. That really is not true with the 'Jack Reacher' movie. Cruise plays it very calm, very quiet, very still - but very, very tough. He's completely uncompromising. They haven't softened Reacher at all. Hide
In television you learn very quickly that this isn't about you. It's about the audience. It's not ab Show more
In television you learn very quickly that this isn't about you. It's about the audience. It's not about being a cool guy, impressing your friends, buying a black turtleneck and a black leather jacket. It's about satisfying the audience, first, second, and third. That's your only responsibility. Hide
[on how the Jack Reacher character will eventually end up] When that day comes, it's going to be a d Show more
[on how the Jack Reacher character will eventually end up] When that day comes, it's going to be a difficult decision. In one way I feel he should die. He's a noble old warhorse and, at the end of it, should probably die a noble death. That would be definitive. On the other hand, it might be more suggestive and comforting to the readers if he just, one last time, walks off into the distance and we never see him again. At least we can imagine he's still out there somewhere. Hide
Lee Child's FILMOGRAPHY
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as Actor (8)
as Creator (1)
