The best people live their lives on the edge of eccentricity. Those who try to remain normal and color within the lines may seek approval from their peers, but they’ll never be remembered. The best creators are always those who are unconventional and willing to think outside the box at any given moment. Alfred Hitchcock was one such creator.

Hitchcock became a well-known director for films like Psycho (1960) and North by Northwest (1959). The director delighted in studying what made an audience fearful, both in his work in film and television. By the 1950s, Hitchcock had become a master of both mediums with his popular anthology series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Hitchcock served as both the show’s creator and narrator, bookending each episode as though it were a cautionary tale. During his time on the show, Hitchcock worked closely with writer James Allerdyce, who admired the director’s eccentricities.

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“I always want to be a little outrageous,” Hitchcock told Allerdyce, according to an interview with The Saginaw News.

Allerdyce did not see Hitchcock merely as a superior; he regarded the creator as a role model. The Psycho director never allowed himself to rest on his laurels and was always looking for the newest sort of material to terrify his viewers.

“Hitchcock likes to be a little different in everything he does,” said Allerdyce. “Hitch amazes me even now, after four years.”