Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive 4/10

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Acting Quotes

"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

37

"When you drop your guard in films, the acting process compensates. You get lazy and you start acting."

"When you drop your guard in films, the acting process compensates. You get lazy and you start acting."

Ben Kingsley, English Actor

37

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

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

Diana Ross, American Actress

37

"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

37

"I ran spotlight. Swept up. Did box office. Ran the lighting board. But acting was the most fun."

"I ran spotlight. Swept up. Did box office. Ran the lighting board. But acting was the most fun."

Tim Robbins, American Actor

Acting, Fun, Office

37

"I think my being such a nomad let me into acting. I was always having to create a new image whenever we moved."

"I think my being such a nomad let me into acting. I was always having to create a new image whenever we moved."

Aidan Quinn, Irish Actor

37

"I can see clearly now... that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate."

"I can see clearly now... that I was wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate."

Richard M. Nixon, American President

Acting, Now, Wrong

37

"At school there was no acting to be had other than school plays which I did now and again."

"At school there was no acting to be had other than school plays which I did now and again."

Ewan McGregor, Scottish Actor

Acting, Now, School

37

"But it is a hard, it's a hard profession teaching acting."

"But it is a hard, it's a hard profession teaching acting."

Dabney Coleman, American Actor

Acting, Profession, Teaching

37

"I was at an acting academy for seven years prior to the trial."

"I was at an acting academy for seven years prior to the trial."

Kato Kaelin, American Celebrity

37

"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

37

"Acting is the only thing I ever really wanted to do, and I'm really ill-prepared to do anything else."

"Acting is the only thing I ever really wanted to do, and I'm really ill-prepared to do anything else."

Nikki Cox, American Actress

37

"I jumped into acting because it was fun. It was tougher when I had to take my fun seriously."

"I jumped into acting because it was fun. It was tougher when I had to take my fun seriously."

Chris Noth, American Actor

37

"Real acting is realistic no matter what the medium."

"Real acting is realistic no matter what the medium."

James Denton, American Actor

37

"I kind of fell into acting.I was very lucky."

"I kind of fell into acting.I was very lucky."

Mark Goddard, American Actor

37

"The exciting part of acting, I don't know how else to explain it, are those moments when you surprise yourself."

"The exciting part of acting, I don't know how else to explain it, are those moments when you surprise yourself."

Tom Cruise, American Actor

Acting, Moments

37

"And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing."

"And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing."

Sydney Pollack, American Director

37

"I have enjoyed acting very much, because I know it's not for real!"

"I have enjoyed acting very much, because I know it's not for real!"

Gloria Stuart, American Actress

37

"I've been planted here to be a vessel for acting... That's why I'm really taking any part, regardless of how complicated it's going to be."

"I've been planted here to be a vessel for acting... That's why I'm really taking any part, regardless of how complicated it's going to be."

Leonardo DiCaprio, American Actor

36

"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

36

"I feel I'm two people: I have my interest in acting and I have a lot of other political interests I'd like to pursue."

"I feel I'm two people: I have my interest in acting and I have a lot of other political interests I'd like to pursue."

Alec Baldwin, American Actor

Acting, Interest

36

"I kind of dwindled into acting."

"I kind of dwindled into acting."

Ron Silver, American Actor

36

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

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

Shirley Knight, American Actress

36

"For me, acting is doing."

"For me, acting is doing."

Pierce Brosnan, Irish Actor

36

"The foundation for film acting is stage acting."

"The foundation for film acting is stage acting."

James Lipton, American Educator

36

"I was born with a need to be the center of attention, and, of course, you're the center of the world when you're acting."

"I was born with a need to be the center of attention, and, of course, you're the center of the world when you're acting."

Julie Christie, British Actress

Acting, Attention, World

36

"When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended up doing a lot of comedy."

"When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended up doing a lot of comedy."

Leslie Easterbrook, American Actress

Acting, Comedy, Desire, First

36

"You'd be surprised at how undemanding acting is."

"You'd be surprised at how undemanding acting is."

Martin Mull, American Actor

36

"It's a living, breathing thing, acting."

"It's a living, breathing thing, acting."

Frank Langella, American Actor

36

"Then, when I was a senior in high school, I was kind of bereft and she put me in an acting class."

"Then, when I was a senior in high school, I was kind of bereft and she put me in an acting class."

Beth Henley, American Playwright

Acting, Class, School

36

"Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself."

"Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself."

John Gielgud, English Actor

Acting, Forget, Glory, Shame

36

"The enemy resembles us. Therefore, he needs to be approached not as an assembly of 'targets' to be destroyed one by one; but as a living, intelligent entity capable of acting and reacting."

"The enemy resembles us. Therefore, he needs to be approached not as an assembly of 'targets' to be destroyed one by one; but as a living, intelligent entity capable of acting and reacting."

Martin Van Creveld, Israeli Historian

Acting, Enemy, Living, Needs

36

"There's so much crap talked about acting."

"There's so much crap talked about acting."

Ben Kingsley, English Actor

36

"A lot of what acting is paying attention."

"A lot of what acting is paying attention."

Nancy Reagan, American First Lady

Acting, Attention

36

"You know, acting is very fascinating. But being an actress is not, because you become so concentrated on yourself."

"You know, acting is very fascinating. But being an actress is not, because you become so concentrated on yourself."

Beatrice Wood, American Artist

36

"Sitting at the table during Color Purple and looking up and suddenly realizing I was acting in front of Steven Spielberg, was pretty cool. It was pretty good."

"Sitting at the table during Color Purple and looking up and suddenly realizing I was acting in front of Steven Spielberg, was pretty cool. It was pretty good."

Whoopi Goldberg, American Actress

36

"I wasn't really serious about acting - I was serious about baseball."

"I wasn't really serious about acting - I was serious about baseball."

Kurt Russell, American Actor

Acting, Baseball

36

"Very often the Group actor is a critic when he's acting and an actor when he's criticizing."

"Very often the Group actor is a critic when he's acting and an actor when he's criticizing."

Elia Kazan, American Director

36

"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

36

"The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it in college, but I had no interest really in that, in getting up in front of anybody."

"The reason I got into acting was not to explore myself. I was a reader, I didn't care about acting. I got into it in college, but I had no interest really in that, in getting up in front of anybody."

Campbell Scott, American Actor

Acting, Care, College, Interest

36

"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

36

"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

36

"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

35

"My advice is to make acting your second career choice."

"My advice is to make acting your second career choice."

Amber Tamblyn, American Actress

Acting, Advice, Career, Choice

35

"My acting coach makes the impossible accessible."

"My acting coach makes the impossible accessible."

Karolina Kurkova, Czechoslovakian Model

35

"Even though it seems like there are a lot of parts, there is really tons of downtime in the acting world."

"Even though it seems like there are a lot of parts, there is really tons of downtime in the acting world."

Taryn Manning, American Actress

35

"What I loved about the acting class was that you got to think all day long about a person that wasn't you, and figure out why they were sad and what they wanted, what they dreamed."

"What I loved about the acting class was that you got to think all day long about a person that wasn't you, and figure out why they were sad and what they wanted, what they dreamed."

Beth Henley, American Playwright

Acting, Class, Day

35

"Acting is what I do. It's not what I solely define myself as."

"Acting is what I do. It's not what I solely define myself as."

Meg Ryan, American Actress

35

"I think acting is about forgetting yourself in order to give the best of yourself. It's passing through you more than you're creating it. You're not the flower, but the vase which holds the flower."

"I think acting is about forgetting yourself in order to give the best of yourself. It's passing through you more than you're creating it. You're not the flower, but the vase which holds the flower."

Juliette Binoche, French Actress

35

"I wrote a script. I actually enjoyed writing it more than acting. It's about the Irish rebellion of 1920, which is a fascinating period and place for me."

"I wrote a script. I actually enjoyed writing it more than acting. It's about the Irish rebellion of 1920, which is a fascinating period and place for me."

Tom Berenger, American Actor

Acting, Irish, Rebellion, Writing

35

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