Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive 5/10

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Acting Quotes

"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

44

"I don't know how I could have an acting career with this."

"I don't know how I could have an acting career with this."

Connie Sellecca, American Actress

44

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

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

Martin Mull, American Actor

44

"The three of us acting was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. I really look forward to the days when all three of us shoot together, because the sparks really fly."

"The three of us acting was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. I really look forward to the days when all three of us shoot together, because the sparks really fly."

Jeanne Tripplehorn, American Actress

44

"Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy."

"Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy."

James Earl Jones, American Actor

Acting, Fantasy, Romantic

44

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"I was going to buy a van and move to LA so I could secretly pursue acting without any of my friends knowing."

"I was going to buy a van and move to LA so I could secretly pursue acting without any of my friends knowing."

Steve Buscemi, American Actor

Acting, Friends

44

"I do readings at the public library. I just did a benefit scene night for my old acting teacher."

"I do readings at the public library. I just did a benefit scene night for my old acting teacher."

Mark Ruffalo, American Actor

Acting, Night, Old, Public

44

"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

44

"As a director, I also get to sit and watch actors and learn from them in a way that I don't get to do when I'm just acting."

"As a director, I also get to sit and watch actors and learn from them in a way that I don't get to do when I'm just acting."

Stanley Tucci, American Actor

44

"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

44

"One of the things I want to do that's outside the realm of acting and the arts - although both have their place in this - is ending childhood hunger here in America."

"One of the things I want to do that's outside the realm of acting and the arts - although both have their place in this - is ending childhood hunger here in America."

Jeff Bridges, American Actor

Acting, America, Childhood, Ending

44

"I never did go back to acting class. I was too busy working."

"I never did go back to acting class. I was too busy working."

Kirstie Alley, American Actress

44

"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

44

"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

44

"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

44

"Acting in films hasn't changed me. I feel exactly the same."

"Acting in films hasn't changed me. I feel exactly the same."

Shelley Duvall, American Actress

44

"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

44

"I've always loved acting with adults versus like the whole High School feel."

"I've always loved acting with adults versus like the whole High School feel."

Alison Lohman, American Actress

44

"There is a class system in acting just like in anything else. Black females fall in a category below black male actors."

"There is a class system in acting just like in anything else. Black females fall in a category below black male actors."

Debra Wilson, American Comedian

Acting, Actors, Class

44

"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

44

"Acting coaches in Hollywood were always telling me to use my hands and body more. But that was never me. I just breathe and sometimes it doesn't look as if I'm doing that."

"Acting coaches in Hollywood were always telling me to use my hands and body more. But that was never me. I just breathe and sometimes it doesn't look as if I'm doing that."

Perry Como, American Musician

Acting, Body, Coaches, Hollywood

43

"I have recently started acting lessons in south France, and I intend to commence acting lessons at Rada."

"I have recently started acting lessons in south France, and I intend to commence acting lessons at Rada."

David Ginola, French Athlete

43

"If all the circumstances of acting are made to easy, then there's no grain of sand to make the pearl."

"If all the circumstances of acting are made to easy, then there's no grain of sand to make the pearl."

Peter Sarsgaard, American Actor

Acting, Circumstances

43

"But acting just sort of happened and I found that I loved it. It was such a challenge."

"But acting just sort of happened and I found that I loved it. It was such a challenge."

Rachael Leigh Cook, American Actress

Acting, Challenge

43

"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

43

"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

43

"I write my plays to create an excuse for full-tilt acting and performing."

"I write my plays to create an excuse for full-tilt acting and performing."

Eric Bogosian, American Actor

43

"I've made a kind of pact with myself where I said, It doesn't matter what it is as long as I'm acting."

"I've made a kind of pact with myself where I said, It doesn't matter what it is as long as I'm acting."

Dan Castellaneta, American Actor

43

"I suddenly discovered that acting made girls notice me."

"I suddenly discovered that acting made girls notice me."

Ted Lange, American Actor

43

"I never feel more alive than when I'm on stage. On film you feel chopped up, you can be acting from the neck up, or the hand, there is a lot of close up."

"I never feel more alive than when I'm on stage. On film you feel chopped up, you can be acting from the neck up, or the hand, there is a lot of close up."

Kathleen Turner, American Actress

43

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

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

Frank Langella, American Actor

43

"The head of the CIA, it seems to me, would think long and hard before he admitted that former employees of his had been involved in the murder of the President of the United States-even if they weren't acting on behalf of the Agency when they did it."

"The head of the CIA, it seems to me, would think long and hard before he admitted that former employees of his had been involved in the murder of the President of the United States-even if they weren't acting on behalf of the Agency when they did it."

Jim Garrison, American Public Servant

Acting, Employees, Murder, President

43

"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

43

"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

43

"I don't see it as a form of healing, because if you have wounds that are bleeding I don't think acting will ever get them to stop. But I find acting is a form of illumination."

"I don't see it as a form of healing, because if you have wounds that are bleeding I don't think acting will ever get them to stop. But I find acting is a form of illumination."

Rebecca De Mornay, American Actress

Acting, Healing, Will, Wounds

43

"So I think it was to Bryan's credit that he was able to let go of some of those things because you create these scenes and you think you become creative, even I, acting things, you become very creatively taken by it."

"So I think it was to Bryan's credit that he was able to let go of some of those things because you create these scenes and you think you become creative, even I, acting things, you become very creatively taken by it."

Brandon Routh, American Actor

43

"In those days, reserve duty lasted for six years, which, I might add, was three times as long as service in the regular army, although to be perfectly honest, I was unable to fulfill my entire obligation because I was taking acting classes and they said I could skip my last year."

"In those days, reserve duty lasted for six years, which, I might add, was three times as long as service in the regular army, although to be perfectly honest, I was unable to fulfill my entire obligation because I was taking acting classes and they said I could skip my last year."

Larry David, American Actor

Acting, Army, Duty, Obligation

43

"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

43

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

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

Mark Goddard, American Actor

43

"In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas, a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed."

"In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas, a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed."

William S. Burroughs, American Writer

Acting, Space, Writing

43

"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

43

"The only thing I like about being an actress is acting."

"The only thing I like about being an actress is acting."

Elizabeth Ashley, American Actress

43

"I can only pay my electric bill for my last two years on my acting."

"I can only pay my electric bill for my last two years on my acting."

Piper Perabo, American Actress

42

"It was the desire to do the complete thing. I only took taking acting lessons because my whole thing, really, was to direct. But my first jobs were acting jobs."

"It was the desire to do the complete thing. I only took taking acting lessons because my whole thing, really, was to direct. But my first jobs were acting jobs."

James Coburn, American Actor

Acting, Desire, First, Jobs

42

"Twelve to 15 years of acting school, and I am being a bird."

"Twelve to 15 years of acting school, and I am being a bird."

Joe Pantoliano, American Actor

Acting, Being, School, Years

42

"I remember once when I told Lindsay Anderson at a party that acting was just a sophisticated way of playing cowboys and Indians he almost had a fit."

"I remember once when I told Lindsay Anderson at a party that acting was just a sophisticated way of playing cowboys and Indians he almost had a fit."

John Hurt, British Actor

Acting, Cowboys, Party

42

"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

42

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