I’m a motion picture dialogue editor. I spend weeks, even months, locked in a small space with the actors that make up a film. I make them more articulate, sexier, and generally more appealing. I develop intimate relationships with them: At times I learn far more about them than I’d like to know. I study their regional accents and their breathing peculiarities. I analyze the cadence of their speech. I learn their moral, ethical, and personal makeup. In short, I’ve got them figured out.

John Purcell