Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive 3/10

top of page

Acting Quotes

"But I'm not objective when I'm acting."

"But I'm not objective when I'm acting."

Laura Innes, American Actress

51

"I have a four year old and I'm telling you we did Nickelodeon last night and he embarrassed me. It was like one of those moments when I couldn't believe my kid is acting like this. I just had to just like walk away from him because he was really pushing my buttons."

"I have a four year old and I'm telling you we did Nickelodeon last night and he embarrassed me. It was like one of those moments when I couldn't believe my kid is acting like this. I just had to just like walk away from him because he was really pushing my buttons."

Nia Long, American Actress

Acting, Moments, Night, Old

50

"I kind of fell into acting, but I have sung and trained since I was in the eighth grade."

"I kind of fell into acting, but I have sung and trained since I was in the eighth grade."

Tia Carrere, American Actress

50

"Because of my background in theater and radio acting, I knew that I could make a living as an actor."

"Because of my background in theater and radio acting, I knew that I could make a living as an actor."

Casey Kasem, American Broadcaster

Acting, Actor, Living, Theater

50

"When I started acting, it was really the way for me to be able to communicate."

"When I started acting, it was really the way for me to be able to communicate."

Richard Gere, American Actor

50

"My acting career helped pull me through the rough times."

"My acting career helped pull me through the rough times."

Shirley Knight, American Actress

50

"You don't know when you're being watched. That's one of the weird things about celebrity. It's my least favorite part of acting, celebrity."

"You don't know when you're being watched. That's one of the weird things about celebrity. It's my least favorite part of acting, celebrity."

Denzel Washington, American Actor

Acting, Being, Celebrity, Favorite

50

"When I was younger and studying acting, I never ever saw myself in the sitcom world; it was drama that really turned me on and still does."

"When I was younger and studying acting, I never ever saw myself in the sitcom world; it was drama that really turned me on and still does."

Matt LeBlanc, American Actor

Acting, Drama, World

50

"Acting is easier - writing is more creative. The lazy man vies with the industrious."

"Acting is easier - writing is more creative. The lazy man vies with the industrious."

William Shatner, Canadian Actor

Acting, Man, Writing

50

"I had never done any serious acting before, but I decided that it was a chance that I should take."

"I had never done any serious acting before, but I decided that it was a chance that I should take."

Helena Christensen, Danish Model

50

"I talk about acting to students making the transition from high school to UCLA. Kids going into this profession really need to know the reality of it."

"I talk about acting to students making the transition from high school to UCLA. Kids going into this profession really need to know the reality of it."

Loni Anderson, American Actress

Acting, Kids, Profession, Reality

50

"I don't care to analyze acting. On the other hand there is a fascination because distributors are putting out British films. You get films here with great performances you'll never see again. Why compare. We should go after the businessmen."

"I don't care to analyze acting. On the other hand there is a fascination because distributors are putting out British films. You get films here with great performances you'll never see again. Why compare. We should go after the businessmen."

Tim Roth, British Actor

50

"Our leaders are acting like lemmings."

"Our leaders are acting like lemmings."

Jack Herer, American Activist

Acting, Leaders

50

"I don't want to stop acting, but acting in some ways is a young man's game."

"I don't want to stop acting, but acting in some ways is a young man's game."

Kevin Bacon, American Actor

Acting, Man, Want

50

"Yes, I made mistakes by rebelling, by acting out in confused ways."

"Yes, I made mistakes by rebelling, by acting out in confused ways."

Jennifer Capriati, American Athlete

Acting, Mistakes

49

"The foundation for film acting is stage acting."

"The foundation for film acting is stage acting."

James Lipton, American Educator

49

"I had started off, before I ever got an acting job, working at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions as a reader. I was always interested in that side of the camera."

"I had started off, before I ever got an acting job, working at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions as a reader. I was always interested in that side of the camera."

Mira Sorvino, American Actress

49

"The worst acting is about imitation."

"The worst acting is about imitation."

Paul Guilfoyle, American Actor

Acting, Imitation

49

"You don't have any kind of sense of being foolish when you are acting. When you're younger you don't want to look a fool, so you don't do things that might make you vulnerable."

"You don't have any kind of sense of being foolish when you are acting. When you're younger you don't want to look a fool, so you don't do things that might make you vulnerable."

Tom Wilkinson, British Actor

Acting, Being, Fool, Sense

49

"I'm sure acting is a deeply neurotic thing to do."

"I'm sure acting is a deeply neurotic thing to do."

Ralph Fiennes, British Actor

49

"The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting."

"The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting."

Jessamyn West, American Author

49

"I went to college in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University... studied acting there. Then I went to New York for about five years. I moved out here about 10 years ago."

"I went to college in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University... studied acting there. Then I went to New York for about five years. I moved out here about 10 years ago."

Laura San Giacomo, American Actress

Acting, College, University, Years

49

"There is no right in acting."

"There is no right in acting."

Frank Langella, American Actor

48

"I think the acting satisfies the need and desire for approval."

"I think the acting satisfies the need and desire for approval."

William Shatner, Canadian Actor

Acting, Approval, Desire

48

"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

48

"The camera does not like acting. The camera is only interested in filming behaviour. So you damn well learn your lines until you know them inside out, while standing on your head!"

"The camera does not like acting. The camera is only interested in filming behaviour. So you damn well learn your lines until you know them inside out, while standing on your head!"

Ben Kingsley, English Actor

48

"You see, I've never really studied acting."

"You see, I've never really studied acting."

Diana Ross, American Actress

48

"To me, acting is acting... I'd be happy working on a street corner in a mime troupe."

"To me, acting is acting... I'd be happy working on a street corner in a mime troupe."

Kelly McGillis, American Actress

48

"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

48

"You've got to keep taking certain risks, because my priority is in acting, it's not in movie stardom."

"You've got to keep taking certain risks, because my priority is in acting, it's not in movie stardom."

Gary Sinise, American Actor

48

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

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

Lindsay Wagner, American Actress

48

"With Sean Penn, he wants to be surprised. He doesn't necessarily want what he's written, although we'll do what he's written. He likes the danger of acting."

"With Sean Penn, he wants to be surprised. He doesn't necessarily want what he's written, although we'll do what he's written. He likes the danger of acting."

David Morse, American Actor

Acting, Danger, Want

48

"Acting isn't really a creative profession. It's an interpretative one."

"Acting isn't really a creative profession. It's an interpretative one."

Paul Newman, American Actor

Acting, Profession

48

"The danger chiefly lies in acting well; no crime's so great as daring to excel."

"The danger chiefly lies in acting well; no crime's so great as daring to excel."

Charles Churchill, English Poet

Acting, Crime, Danger, Lies

48

"Vadim changed my mind about acting. Vadim was the only man who was certain I had something special to offer."

"Vadim changed my mind about acting. Vadim was the only man who was certain I had something special to offer."

Brigitte Bardot, French Actress

Acting, Man, Mind

48

"Acting means living, it's all I do and all I'm good at. If I weren't getting paid well, I would still be acting in a small troupe somewhere."

"Acting means living, it's all I do and all I'm good at. If I weren't getting paid well, I would still be acting in a small troupe somewhere."

Morgan Freeman, American Actor

48

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves."

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves."

Carl Jung, Swiss Psychologist

Acting, Creation, Instinct, Intellect

48

"Acting with creatures that aren't there is kind like acting with an actor who refuses to come out of his trailer. You still have to go on and do the scene."

"Acting with creatures that aren't there is kind like acting with an actor who refuses to come out of his trailer. You still have to go on and do the scene."

Liam Neeson, Irish Actor

48

"To me acting is like a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle is of the sky and all the pieces are blue. Out of this you have to create a human being and put it together."

"To me acting is like a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle is of the sky and all the pieces are blue. Out of this you have to create a human being and put it together."

Henry Winkler, American Actor

Acting, Being, Sky

48

"We lived and breathed acting."

"We lived and breathed acting."

David Naughton, American Actor

47

"Even if I think in English, it's more a language of acting than French."

"Even if I think in English, it's more a language of acting than French."

Sophie Marceau, French Actress

Acting, English, Language

47

"Having been an actor and a writer for so long - 20 years or so - I felt that it would be daft to go to one's grave without having directed. It's a natural extension of writing and acting, and so I knew it would happen one day."

"Having been an actor and a writer for so long - 20 years or so - I felt that it would be daft to go to one's grave without having directed. It's a natural extension of writing and acting, and so I knew it would happen one day."

Stephen Fry, British Comedian

Acting, Actor, Day, Grave

47

"I don't know if I'm going to do any more acting. It's a great job, you know? Make a movie? Why not?"

"I don't know if I'm going to do any more acting. It's a great job, you know? Make a movie? Why not?"

Colleen Haskell, American Celebrity

47

"I had all the usual ambition growing up. I wanted to be a writer, a musician, a hockey player. I wanted to do something that wasn't nine to five. Acting was the first thing I tried that clicked."

"I had all the usual ambition growing up. I wanted to be a writer, a musician, a hockey player. I wanted to do something that wasn't nine to five. Acting was the first thing I tried that clicked."

Michael J. Fox, Canadian Actor

Acting, Ambition, First, Growing up

47

"In 2003, I had the pleasure of acting in three films."

"In 2003, I had the pleasure of acting in three films."

Janine Turner, American Actress

Acting, Pleasure

47

"As an actress I find the most enjoyable part of acting is really just to please the director. I just want to please my director."

"As an actress I find the most enjoyable part of acting is really just to please the director. I just want to please my director."

Joan Chen, Chinese Actress

47

"I would rather do many small roles on TV, stage or film than one blockbuster that made me rich but had no acting."

"I would rather do many small roles on TV, stage or film than one blockbuster that made me rich but had no acting."

Miranda Richardson, English Actress

47

"Producing is hell, writing is frustrating, acting is really satisfying, directing is heaven."

"Producing is hell, writing is frustrating, acting is really satisfying, directing is heaven."

Salma Hayek, Mexican Actress

Acting, Heaven, Hell, Writing

47

"I started acting when I was 13 in New York. Worked there for a couple years, then auditioned for a show there that was going to be filming here. Ended up coming out, getting the job and just staying."

"I started acting when I was 13 in New York. Worked there for a couple years, then auditioned for a show there that was going to be filming here. Ended up coming out, getting the job and just staying."

Kristanna Loken, American Actress

Acting, Job, Years

47

"I really think that effective acting has to do literally with the movement of molecules."

"I really think that effective acting has to do literally with the movement of molecules."

Charlotte Whitton, Canadian Politician

47

bottom of page