Yes, I Did Say That!

A look at who’s saying what in entertainment

“People maybe have expectations of me. I’m happy to defy them.”

STEVE MCQUEEN

The Occupied City director, to Vanity Fair, on his willingness to push the boundaries of filmmaking, specifically in regard to the lengthy running time of the four-hour A24 documentary, which premiered in Cannes.

“Sofía Vergara is not the only Latina personality. There’s other ones!”

AUBREY PLAZA

The White Lotus actress, whose father is Puerto Rican, to Vanity Fair, emphasizing the importance of normalizing “all kinds of different Latina people” in media.

“I did work for someone once who ran such a volatile, hostile set that it made me physically ill.”

MELISSA MCCARTHY

The Little Mermaid star, to The Guardian, recalling the toxicity of a person she did not name — an experience that she says taught her to “never keep quiet again” when it comes to problematic workplaces.

“What I will not do is cut any labor from the frontline.”

JOSH D’AMARO

The Disney Parks chairperson, at an investor conference, on the company’s recent pledge to enact $5.5 billion in cost-saving measures. Amid cuts, D’Amaro says, he won’t eliminate hourly frontline workers who interface directly with parkgoers.

“There are nights I cry myself to sleep.”

KIM KARDASHIAN

The reality TV star, to the On Purpose With Jay Shetty

podcast, reflecting on the challenges and chaos of single parenting.

“If that’s where this industry is going, it’s going to infantilize itself.”

DAVID SIMON

The Wire writer, to NPR’s Consider This podcast, on the buzz surrounding the potential rise of AI in writers rooms during the strike.

“This is to stab all the people who stand in the way of women’s rights.”

CATE BLANCHETT

The Tár actress, at Variety and the Golden Globes’ joint Cannes Film Festival party, presenting Iranian actress Zahra Amir Ebrahimi with the Breakthrough Award in the form of a trophy with a pointed edge.

“People aren’t meant to live on pedestals. The air up there is way too thin, and I found it really hard to breathe.”

LENA WAITHE

The Chi showrunner, in a commencement speech at Barnard College, sharing her experience dealing with the pressure of living up to the idea of an “ideal icon” in Hollywood.