Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Acting Quotes

"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

40

"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

35

"Acting is actually private."

"Acting is actually private."

Joan Chen, Chinese Actress

33

"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

29

"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

28

"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

23

"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

22

"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

20

"The ultimate acting is to destroy yourself."

"The ultimate acting is to destroy yourself."

Klaus Kinski, German Actor

16

"I never lost my appetite for acting."

"I never lost my appetite for acting."

Eli Wallach, American Actor

Acting, Appetite

15

"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

14

"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

14

"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

13

"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

13

"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

13

"Just let the wardrobe do the acting."

"Just let the wardrobe do the acting."

Jack Nicholson, American Actor

12

"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

12

"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

12

"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

12

"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

11

"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

11

"I'm very serious about acting."

"I'm very serious about acting."

Victor Garber, Canadian Actor

11

"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

11

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

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

Victoria Pratt, Canadian Actress

11

"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

10

"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

10

"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

10

"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

9

"Kids are a great excuse for you to stop acting like one."

"Kids are a great excuse for you to stop acting like one."

Michael Madsen, American Actor

9

"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

8

"Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion."

"Acting is not being emotional, but being able to express emotion."

Robert Quillen, American Journalist

Acting, Being, Emotion

8

"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

8

"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

8

"For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting."

"For minority actors, developing our own projects has to be the eventual path. We have a lot of stories to tell and a really unique voice. But none of that is going to be heard as long as we're just the hired hands, acting."

Jimmy Smits, American Actor

Acting, Actors, Minority, Projects

8

"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

8

"I'm not as focused on my acting career as I have been in the past."

"I'm not as focused on my acting career as I have been in the past."

Harry Hamlin, American Actor

Acting, Career, Past

8

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

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

Rosalind Russell, American Actress

8

"When I'm not involved in an acting job I try to run 10 miles a day."

"When I'm not involved in an acting job I try to run 10 miles a day."

Joan Van Ark, American Actress

Acting, Day, Job

8

"Well, acting was just in me and I tried to avoid it. I didn't want to do what my parents did, you know?"

"Well, acting was just in me and I tried to avoid it. I didn't want to do what my parents did, you know?"

Corbin Bernsen, American Actor

Acting, Parents, Want

7

"Finally I had a place where I could express my pain and I felt safe because I didn't have to put my name on it. I think acting kept me alive back then."

"Finally I had a place where I could express my pain and I felt safe because I didn't have to put my name on it. I think acting kept me alive back then."

Lindsay Wagner, American Actress

Acting, Name, Pain

7

"When it's working, what acting is really about is getting into the essence of a moment in a creative, joyous way - through whatever frees you up."

"When it's working, what acting is really about is getting into the essence of a moment in a creative, joyous way - through whatever frees you up."

Lili Taylor, American Actress

7

"Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on."

"Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on."

River Phoenix, American Actor

7

"Acting is everybody's favorite second job."

"Acting is everybody's favorite second job."

Jack Nicholson, American Actor

Acting, Favorite, Job

7

"Sean's a better person when he's directing. He becomes a queen when he's an actor. And he's so unhappy when he's acting."

"Sean's a better person when he's directing. He becomes a queen when he's an actor. And he's so unhappy when he's acting."

Robin Wright Penn, American Actress

Acting, Actor, Queen

7

"I like to use all of myself, and acting wasn't doing that."

"I like to use all of myself, and acting wasn't doing that."

Stanley Tucci, American Actor

7

"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

7

"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

7

"I'm not acting, but I am acting."

"I'm not acting, but I am acting."

Tracey Gold, American Actress

7

"Because modeling is lucrative, I'm able to save up and be more particular about the acting roles I take."

"Because modeling is lucrative, I'm able to save up and be more particular about the acting roles I take."

Kathy Ireland, American Model

7

"Acting is easier than skating in a way and harder in other aspects. In skating, you get one chance, and with acting you get to do it over and over."

"Acting is easier than skating in a way and harder in other aspects. In skating, you get one chance, and with acting you get to do it over and over."

Tara Lipinski, American Athlete

7

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