“I think a lot of independent films really live and die on the intimacy that comes from people knowing each other—that trust and that attitude.”

“I think there’s a reason a lot of artists - whether its writers or painters or whatever - go into a sort of self imposed exile at the very least, or just travel for a period of time as it allows you to reflect on your own culture and compare and contrast it. Not to mention yourself. You pick up the elements of yourself that you maybe wouldn’t see in your everyday life”

McCarthy grew up in New Jersey, near where his first film as director, The Station Agent was set, in fact.  In the 80s he went to university, starting with a business studies degree and then switching to philosophy.  This wasn’t quite right either, though it did encourage him to start writing.  In his twenties he began to act, and found a vocation - and roles in several well-known movies and in television.  He consolidated this career by going to Yale to study acting, where he also continued to write scripts, one of which was The Station Agent.  He says he was not totally comfortable as an actor and so decided to direct his script himself - the film was a huge hit at Sundance and around the world, and opened many doors for him.  He has continued to act, write and direct.  He cites as influences, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.