Iconic screenwriter Robert Towne may be best-known for his Academy Award-winning original screenplay for Roman Polanski's Chinatown, which is widely considered one of the greatest screenplays ever written. He also wrote its sequel The Two Jakes, and the Hal Ashby comedy-dramas The Last Detail, and Shampoo, as well as the first two Mission Impossible films.

Towne has also directed films such as the sports dramas Personal Best and Without Limits, the crime thriller Tequila Sunrise, and the romantic crime drama Ask the Dust. He got his start acting and writing for legendary director/producer Roger Corman.

>> Related: Advice from Filmmaker Roger Corman

In this intimate interview, produced by The Writer's Guild Association, Towne talks at length about his family, his childhood in San Pedro, and how he fell in love with film.

Of particular note: about fifteen minutes into the interview Towne talks about taking acting class (with blacklisted actor Jeff Corey), and how doing so helped him understand what is dramatically effective -- and how that influences his dialogue writing.

And one of our favorite takeaways is this quote, which captures the sense of wonder that the best screenwriters bring to their stories:

"I think that's one of the main benefits of screenwriting, is being able to delve into worlds like a journalist and often to be able to travel to places. Writing screenplays has taken me all over the world. Screenwriting can take you around the world and then to worlds you would never ever be able to approach. I think to try to immerse yourself in those worlds is critical to the process."

What are your favorite takeaways from the interview?