Darren Star Quotes

Powerful Darren Star for Daily Growth

About Darren Star

Darren Starr, a renowned American television writer, producer, and director, was born on August 25, 1961, in Westfield, New Jersey. He is best known for creating some of the most popular TV shows in the 90s, including "Sex and the City," "Melrose Place," and "Beverly Hills, 90210." Starr's passion for storytelling was ignited early on. He spent his childhood immersed in soap operas like 'Search for Tomorrow' and 'As the World Turns,' which influenced his future career in television. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in writing. His first major break came when he was hired as a writer for "Growing Pains." He then joined the team of "Charles in Charge," where he met Aaron Spelling. This association led to his role as a producer on "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills, 90210." In 1998, Starr created the groundbreaking series, "Sex and the City," which revolutionized television by focusing on the lives and relationships of four New York City women. The show was a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards, including multiple Emmys and Golden Globes. Starr's work has been influential in shaping modern television, particularly in the realms of drama, comedy, and female-centric narratives. His unique ability to blend these genres and create compelling, relatable characters has left an indelible mark on the industry. Currently, Starr is working on a reboot of "Emily in Paris" for Netflix. Despite his many achievements, Starr remains humble and dedicated to his craft, continuing to push boundaries and tell stories that resonate with audiences worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I think the best drama is about relationships and how people navigate them."

Darren Star's quote emphasizes that compelling drama revolves around human connections and the complexities involved in navigating these relationships. It suggests that the dynamics, conflicts, growth, and transformations within interpersonal relationships can provide fertile ground for captivating stories, as they reflect real-life experiences and universal emotions. Essentially, good drama illuminates the intricacies of human interaction and how individuals navigate their social world.


"You don't have to know everything at the beginning; you just have to start."

This quote emphasizes that it's not necessary to have complete knowledge or a clear plan from the outset when starting something new. Instead, the key is to take the first step and begin the process. Through action, learning, and experience, the path forward will become more defined over time. It encourages individuals to embrace the unknown, be adaptable, and trust in their ability to grow and evolve with each step they take.


"I believe in the power of a great story and characters that you care about."

This quote by Darren Star emphasizes the importance of a compelling narrative and relatable characters in the creation of impactful media. A "great story" is one that captivates its audience, while "characters that you care about" are those with whom viewers can emotionally connect, making them invested in the outcome of the story. This perspective underscores the idea that the power of storytelling lies not only in the narrative itself but also in the ability to create an emotional bond between the audience and the characters on screen or page.


"I try to make my shows about real life, but heightened because it is on television."

Darren Star's quote suggests that he aims to create television shows based on realistic human experiences and emotions, yet intensified or exaggerated for the purpose of entertaining audiences. This approach allows him to balance authenticity with a level of drama that captivates viewers, making everyday situations more compelling on screen. It also implies an understanding that while life is often mundane, television should offer a heightened version of reality to keep viewers engaged and entertained.


"I'm always looking for something that feels fresh and original, something that I haven't seen before."

This quote suggests that Darren Star values novelty and authenticity in his work. He is constantly seeking out new ideas and perspectives that have not been explored extensively or presented in a conventional manner, aiming to create something unique and distinctive.


Certainly when, you know, you put a lot of creative people together, there's ego and tension and all that stuff comes into play. But on the flip side, there's a lot of camaraderie and closeness.

- Darren Star

Play, Tension, Certainly, Creative People

I think certainly that looking for love is a big part of the show, but I think that if - there's one thing that is different about 'Sex and the City' and the message that I think has resonated with viewers, especially women. It's that you don't need to get married. You don't really need that love to be fulfilled.

- Darren Star

Love, Big, Big Part, Love Is

Network's rating dependent. A show might not stick. A lot's timing. Like, my Bradley Cooper in 'Kitchen Confidential' didn't always work. Cable supports young shows. TV Land, which you can find on Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, wanted 'Younger.' They came to me.

- Darren Star

Young, TV, Rating, Hulu

When 'Sex and the City' aired its first season, people didn't know about HBO as a place for original series. People weren't saying, 'Oh I've got to watch 'Sex and the City'!' They found it later. In some ways, it helped change what people thought of HBO.

- Darren Star

City, Thought, Some, Sex And The City

I grew up in D.C. but always had a love affair with New York. I did 'Central Park West,' 'Sex and the City,' 'Law & Order.'

- Darren Star

Love, New, Always, Sex And The City

When I brought 'Sex and the City' to HBO, I wanted to do something independent, where I could be like, 'I don't care if anybody watches this thing. Just let me do something that I would love to see.' Honestly, the success of 'Sex and the City' was what was most surprising to me. It was sort of like the anti-TV-show in my mind.

- Darren Star

Love, Independent, Brought, Sex And The City

When I did 'Sex and the City,' it was like, 'Let's do a comedy where the humor is not coming from innuendo but from the a truthful place. This is a show where we're going to be able to say and do what we want.'

- Darren Star

City, Like, Going, Sex And The City

I think people have this sort of idea that 'Sex and the City' was this overnight sensation, and that can't be farther from the truth.

- Darren Star

City, Think, I Think, Sex And The City

I think 'Sex and the City' is a chapter that will never close. In a wonderful way, it's always going to be an open chapter because it seems like new generations discover the show and relate to it, which is amazing, and you can't hope for that.

- Darren Star

City, Chapter, I Think, Sex And The City

In the moment when you're doing a show, you're thinking of that moment, but you don't think of, 'Here's down the line how people will be relating to the characters.' There's something very universal about 'Sex and the City' that people are still tapping into, where every generation seems to be discovering for itself.

- Darren Star

Doing, Here, Very, Sex And The City

Cable's on fire. Traditional broadcast TV's hearing a death knell. I sample as much television as possible. I like 'Homeland,' 'Game of Thrones,' 'Veep.' Now reinvention's important.

- Darren Star

Game, TV, Broadcast, Sample

I never did theater. I was a theater major at USC my first year because I didn't get into the film school. I was biding my time, hoping to be accepted to film school, and I ended up transferring to UCLA my sophomore year.

- Darren Star

Year, Film School, USC, Transferring

I've been on the board of UCLA Film and TV School, and I went to UCLA. I realized that the same movie theater that was there when I went to school, 30 years later is the same movie theater in the same condition. There was an opportunity to refurbish an existing room, and I jumped at the opportunity.

- Darren Star

Movie, Been, TV, UCLA

I'm used to pressure. When writing must get done, I work in bed, on a bus, a train.

- Darren Star

Work, Bus, Bed, Train

I grew up feeling Israel is very important, and I'm very supportive of Israel. At the same time, I think you can be really supportive of Israel and not look at it as a black-and-white situation.

- Darren Star

Think, Supportive, Very, Black-And-White

When doing a series, I look for something that has an idea you can think about, something that I'm noticing and aware of and thinking about, because when you're doing a series, you think about more than just jokes... you know, when you're doing a comedy, you think about what's going to reflect people's experiences, in a way.

- Darren Star

Doing, Idea, About, Jokes

'Younger' is about reinvention and how age is very much a state of mind. I think the show is ultimately about reinvention. I do think it explores, ultimately, the differences between generations, through the prism of reinvention. That reinvention is possible.

- Darren Star

Mind, Through, Very, Prism

Women are really emotional creatures, and men are kind of closed in terms of emotions. I think women are just a lot more out there.

- Darren Star

Think, Emotions, I Think, Women Are

I realized early on I was not an actor. And it was a great thing to have that realization. To see actors and see what that talent is... it wasn't me.

- Darren Star

Great, Actor, Realized, Realization

The idea of viewers getting invested in a series is that you're getting invested in the reality of these characters' lives that, in fact, don't have an ending.

- Darren Star

Fact, Idea, Lives, Invested

I think L.A. has got a great lifestyle, but I love New York. You couldn't do 'Broad City' in L.A. because L.A. is a much gentler place. The standard of living is so different.

- Darren Star

Love, Think, Standard, Lifestyle

I love the idea of modern art in a home that isn't totally modern. There's a certain energy that comes out of that juxtaposition.

- Darren Star

Love, Art, Idea, Juxtaposition

Male nudity, full-frontal nudity, has always been considered a lot more taboo than female nudity. As far back as I can remember, there's been a double standard between men and women. I think it's time that men get equal time in terms of nudity.

- Darren Star

Been, I Think, Standard, Taboo

When you're doing a single-camera show, it's more buying into a level of reality. I think a sitcom, a four-camera show, doesn't require that so much. I think with a film show, you just need the characters to grow.

- Darren Star

Doing, Show, I Think, Sitcom

I think women have such rich emotional lives that they are expressive about. I also think they're funny. I like watching strong female characters, and I like writing them. I don't know if it's conscious that I gravitate towards women, but it's certainly evolved that way.

- Darren Star

Strong, I Think, Gravitate, Conscious

In general, I think writing characters, no one is 100 percent good or bad, and certainly, the bad characters never think they're bad themselves. Even the worst characters don't feel like they're bad guys on the inside.

- Darren Star

Think, I Think, Certainly, Bad Guys

'90210' was looking at teenagers from a perspective that hadn't really been seen on television, though it had been seen in movies like some John Hughes films. I don't know if you want to say '90210' was real, but what the characters were going through was relatable - in a very glamorous environment.

- Darren Star

Through, Some, Very, Hughes

In L.A., you just kind of come and have a nice hiking-yoga-gym life.

- Darren Star

Kind, Come, Just, Just Kind

Adversity creates comedy.

- Darren Star

Adversity, Comedy, Creates

As a writer, it is always fun to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes.

- Darren Star

Someone, Always, Imagine, Shoes

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