Stephen J. Cannell Quotes & Sayings

“So many people get involved with carrying grudges and having these moral battles with people, where they cast themselves as the righteous and the other guy is the dirtbag. They waste tons of energy on it, create all kinds of darkness around themselves and the other person. It gets you nothing.”

“My dad was my best friend. I worshipped him. All of my success in life really comes from him. He believed that you get nothing from negativity.”

“I believed in the concept of over-performing. I believe anyone can achieve their goals in life if they over-perform, and that means you have to work ten times harder than anybody you see.”

“I never waited for my Irish Cream coffee to be the right temperature, with a storm happening outside and my fireplace crackling... I wrote every day, at home, in the office, whether I felt like it or not. I just did it.”

“A lot of making TV is lightening in a bottle.”

“I can write a book in probably three months.”

“I flunked three grades before I got out of high school.”

“I love 'Dexter.' The dark sense of humor is wonderful.”

“I really hesitate to say that any of my shows influenced other writers.”

“I was born in L.A. County Hospital, but I grew up in Pasadena. I married my 8th grade sweetheart, Marcia.”