Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Acting Quotes

"Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being - his physical, mental and emotional habits - influence his acting to a much greater extent than commonly recognized."

"Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being - his physical, mental and emotional habits - influence his acting to a much greater extent than commonly recognized."

Lee Strasberg, American Director

Acting, Being, Habits, Influence

77

"And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years."

"And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years."

Nicholas Lea, Canadian Actor

Acting, Job, Years

73

"Go learn the language. Go take some acting lessons. Start from zero like everybody else."

"Go learn the language. Go take some acting lessons. Start from zero like everybody else."

Roselyn Sanchez, Puerto Rican Model

Acting, Language

73

"I went whole hog at the actor's lifestyle - really embraced it. I had by then known how much I loved acting already, because I discovered acting from a teacher in the seminary - that's the first place I ever did it, in the seminary."

"I went whole hog at the actor's lifestyle - really embraced it. I had by then known how much I loved acting already, because I discovered acting from a teacher in the seminary - that's the first place I ever did it, in the seminary."

Peter Jurasik, American Actor

71

"Acting is actually private."

"Acting is actually private."

Joan Chen, Chinese Actress

55

"Initially I probably didn't even call it acting, but dressing up or something. As a kid I think you fully imagine the world in which you want to inhabit, so you put some clothes on and just kind of freely imagine this world, and it's a total imaginary world."

"Initially I probably didn't even call it acting, but dressing up or something. As a kid I think you fully imagine the world in which you want to inhabit, so you put some clothes on and just kind of freely imagine this world, and it's a total imaginary world."

Hugo Weaving, Nigerian Actor

Acting, Clothes, Want, World

51

"Macbeth is a very popular play with audiences. If you want to sell out a theater, just mount a production of Macbeth. It's a short play, it's an exciting play, it's easy to understand, and it attracts great acting."

"Macbeth is a very popular play with audiences. If you want to sell out a theater, just mount a production of Macbeth. It's a short play, it's an exciting play, it's easy to understand, and it attracts great acting."

Ian McKellen, English Actor

Acting, Audiences, Play, Popular

49

"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."

"Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there."

Meryl Streep, American Actress

45

"I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra."

"I firmly believe lyrics have to breathe and give the audience's ear a chance to understand what's going on. Particularly in the theater, where you have costume, story, acting, orchestra."

Stephen Sondheim, American Composer

Acting, Chance, Theater

37

"The difference - the fundamental difference between theater acting and film acting is that film acting is disjunctive."

"The difference - the fundamental difference between theater acting and film acting is that film acting is disjunctive."

James Lipton, American Educator

Acting, Difference, Film, Theater

37

"I came to acting in a very circuitous way."

"I came to acting in a very circuitous way."

Victoria Pratt, Canadian Actress

36

"Acting in 'Star Wars' I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad, and I didn't even know who the cantaloupes were."

"Acting in 'Star Wars' I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad, and I didn't even know who the cantaloupes were."

Mark Hamill, American Actor

34

"Acting allows me to explore new worlds, to discover characters by delving into their lives, and ultimately to become someone else entirely."

"Acting allows me to explore new worlds, to discover characters by delving into their lives, and ultimately to become someone else entirely."

Pierce Brosnan, Irish Actor

34

"I always think that a director who knows about the technical side, but cares about the acting performances and casting as well, is ahead of the game."

"I always think that a director who knows about the technical side, but cares about the acting performances and casting as well, is ahead of the game."

Bob Balaban, American Actor

34

"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying."

"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying."

Johnny Depp, American Actor

Acting, Lying, Play

33

"For 50 years, acting was the reason I got up in the morning."

"For 50 years, acting was the reason I got up in the morning."

Jack Klugman, American Actor

Acting, Reason, Years

33

"I think I have been very lucky as far as my acting career goes."

"I think I have been very lucky as far as my acting career goes."

Natasha Henstridge, Canadian Actress

33

"I'm very serious about acting."

"I'm very serious about acting."

Victor Garber, Canadian Actor

32

"My first paid acting job was a movie called Fandango. It also starred Kevin Costner."

"My first paid acting job was a movie called Fandango. It also starred Kevin Costner."

Judd Nelson, American Actor

Acting, First, Job

32

"There is some sadness for me now about acting because it used to be that there was a reverence for actors."

"There is some sadness for me now about acting because it used to be that there was a reverence for actors."

Estelle Parsons, American Actress

Acting, Actors, Now, Sadness

32

"Literally, I think I've quit acting three or four times, only for a few days. Maybe for a few weeks."

"Literally, I think I've quit acting three or four times, only for a few days. Maybe for a few weeks."

Mark Ruffalo, American Actor

32

"Forget acting. It's all about rock 'n' roll."

"Forget acting. It's all about rock 'n' roll."

Brendan Fraser, American Actor

32

"Just let the wardrobe do the acting."

"Just let the wardrobe do the acting."

Jack Nicholson, American Actor

31

"The ultimate acting is to destroy yourself."

"The ultimate acting is to destroy yourself."

Klaus Kinski, German Actor

30

"I never lost my appetite for acting."

"I never lost my appetite for acting."

Eli Wallach, American Actor

Acting, Appetite

29

"You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself."

"You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself."

Tom Welling, American Actor

29

"I moved here to California when I was 13 to pursue my acting career."

"I moved here to California when I was 13 to pursue my acting career."

Christina Milian, American Musician

27

"Every man has inside himself a parasitic being who is acting not at all to his advantage."

"Every man has inside himself a parasitic being who is acting not at all to his advantage."

William S. Burroughs, American Writer

Acting, Being, Man

27

"Maybe subconsciously I've kept activism separate from acting because it's important to me in a more profound way."

"Maybe subconsciously I've kept activism separate from acting because it's important to me in a more profound way."

Blythe Danner, American Actress

Acting, Activism

27

"Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly."

"Acting is standing up naked and turning around very slowly."

Rosalind Russell, American Actress

27

"I like acting for now. But after seeing Apollo 13, what I really want to do is to be an astronaut. I'm dying to go to a space camp next summer!"

"I like acting for now. But after seeing Apollo 13, what I really want to do is to be an astronaut. I'm dying to go to a space camp next summer!"

Natalie Portman, American Actress

Acting, Dying, Now, Space

26

"A little acting debut in Spin City, with Michael J. Fox, which opened up a whole new door for me."

"A little acting debut in Spin City, with Michael J. Fox, which opened up a whole new door for me."

Heidi Klum, German Model

25

"Acting is everybody's favorite second job."

"Acting is everybody's favorite second job."

Jack Nicholson, American Actor

Acting, Favorite, Job

25

"Everyone thinks acting is easy. It's far from easy, but it's the most gratifying thing I do."

"Everyone thinks acting is easy. It's far from easy, but it's the most gratifying thing I do."

Eli Wallach, American Actor

25

"Working with a great director is like getting a master class in acting."

"Working with a great director is like getting a master class in acting."

Swoosie Kurtz, American Actress

25

"The real exertion in the case of an opera singer lies not so much in her singing as in her acting of a role, for nearly every modern opera makes great dramatic and physical demands."

"The real exertion in the case of an opera singer lies not so much in her singing as in her acting of a role, for nearly every modern opera makes great dramatic and physical demands."

Maria Jeritza, Austrian Soprano

Acting, Lies, Opera, Singing

24

"When strangers start acting like neighbors... communities are reinvigorated."

"When strangers start acting like neighbors... communities are reinvigorated."

Ralph Nader, American Lawyer

Acting, Neighbors, Strangers

24

"It always makes me sad when I think of how I saw Wagner wasting his vitality, not only by singing their parts to some of his artists, but acting out the smallest details, and of how few they were who were responsive to his wishes."

"It always makes me sad when I think of how I saw Wagner wasting his vitality, not only by singing their parts to some of his artists, but acting out the smallest details, and of how few they were who were responsive to his wishes."

Anton Seidl, Hungarian Celebrity

Acting, Artists, Singing, Vitality

23

"One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself."

"One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself."

Ed Harris, American Actor

22

"If laws acting upon private interests can not always be avoided, they should be confined within the narrowest limits, and left wherever possible to the legislatures of the States."

"If laws acting upon private interests can not always be avoided, they should be confined within the narrowest limits, and left wherever possible to the legislatures of the States."

Martin Van Buren, American President

Acting, Laws, Limits, States

22

"If you give an audience a chance they will do half your acting for you."

"If you give an audience a chance they will do half your acting for you."

William Hazlitt, English Critic

Acting, Chance, Will

22

"A musical would be fantastic. The soundtrack would be great and I'd like to do acting."

"A musical would be fantastic. The soundtrack would be great and I'd like to do acting."

Melanie Chisholm, English Musician

21

"I didn't actually begin professionally acting until I was 30."

"I didn't actually begin professionally acting until I was 30."

Katey Sagal, American Athlete

21

"Acting has to do with saying it as if you meant it, so for me the words are always very important. It's very important for me to know my lines, know them so well that I don't have to think about them."

"Acting has to do with saying it as if you meant it, so for me the words are always very important. It's very important for me to know my lines, know them so well that I don't have to think about them."

Christopher Walken, American Actor

Acting, Saying, Words

21

"I'm less needy about needing to express myself through acting. I have many different lives outside of this that are extremely fulfilling."

"I'm less needy about needing to express myself through acting. I have many different lives outside of this that are extremely fulfilling."

Richard Gere, American Actor

21

"In the end, it's acting, it's not real. But every director will tell you that you have to create conditions that create tension, because tension is what makes drama feel real."

"In the end, it's acting, it's not real. But every director will tell you that you have to create conditions that create tension, because tension is what makes drama feel real."

Paul Greengrass, British Filmmaker

Acting, Drama, End, Tension

21

"I started taking acting classes when I was twelve."

"I started taking acting classes when I was twelve."

Lindsay Wagner, American Actress

21

"Acting is a form of confusion."

"Acting is a form of confusion."

Tallulah Bankhead, American Actress

Acting, Confusion

21

"I see myself as a comic but the acting helps sell tickets for gigs."

"I see myself as a comic but the acting helps sell tickets for gigs."

Alan Davies, British Actor

21

"When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn't acting. It's following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that."

"When an actor plays a scene exactly the way a director orders, it isn't acting. It's following instructions. Anyone with the physical qualifications can do that."

James Dean, American Actor

21

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