Leaving the stage

78-year old Gene Hackman (Can a 2-time Oscar winner be underrated?) has a new line of work. (Reuters India)

Q: What do you like about writing so much?

HACKMAN: "I like the loneliness of it, actually. It's similar in some ways to acting, but it's more private and I feel like I have more control over what I'm trying to say and do. There's always a compromise in acting and in film, you work with so many people and everyone has an opinion (laughs). But with the books, it's just Dan and I and our opinions. I don't know that I like it better than acting, it's just different. I find it relaxing and comforting."