Acting Quotes | Beyond Motive 5/10

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Acting Quotes

"I was never a villain on the stage. I always played strong, sympathetic types. My first stage role with a speaking part, believe it or not, was as a priest. It wasn't until I began acting in films that the producers and directors saw me primarily as a bizarre villain."

"I was never a villain on the stage. I always played strong, sympathetic types. My first stage role with a speaking part, believe it or not, was as a priest. It wasn't until I began acting in films that the producers and directors saw me primarily as a bizarre villain."

Conrad Veidt, German Actor

Acting, Bizarre, First

4

"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

4

"I see my job as an actor to be as good a channel as I can be. Acting is a gift, and I have respect for it."

"I see my job as an actor to be as good a channel as I can be. Acting is a gift, and I have respect for it."

Lili Taylor, American Actress

Acting, Actor, Job, Respect

4

"You need to become a good listener. As you're working, you hear someone else's lines and how you absorb them becomes your acting."

"You need to become a good listener. As you're working, you hear someone else's lines and how you absorb them becomes your acting."

Jacqueline Bisset, English Actress

4

"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

4

"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

4

"From there I did a one year theatre acting course in Fife, and then three years of drama school in London."

"From there I did a one year theatre acting course in Fife, and then three years of drama school in London."

Ewan McGregor, Scottish Actor

Acting, Drama, London, School

4

"I had a bonding problem when I went off and boxed for five years. I was over in Europe and Asia fighting because I wanted to do something different; I was tired of acting. But the thing is, when I was done doing that, I couldn't get a job."

"I had a bonding problem when I went off and boxed for five years. I was over in Europe and Asia fighting because I wanted to do something different; I was tired of acting. But the thing is, when I was done doing that, I couldn't get a job."

Mickey Rourke, American Actor

Acting, Europe, Fighting, Job

4

"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

4

"I didn't want to start acting like a cartoon."

"I didn't want to start acting like a cartoon."

Rachael Leigh Cook, American Actress

4

"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

4

"As a measure of acting skills, film can be very deceptive."

"As a measure of acting skills, film can be very deceptive."

Mary Mastrantonio, American Actress

Acting, Film, Measure

4

"Acting is really not what I'm interested in. I'm not an aspiring actor and you should be able to tell."

"Acting is really not what I'm interested in. I'm not an aspiring actor and you should be able to tell."

Keith Hernandez, American Athlete

4

"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

4

"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

4

"I have a theory about that, if you have to say something, if you have encourage for one second a prospective acting student - he should not go in to acting."

"I have a theory about that, if you have to say something, if you have encourage for one second a prospective acting student - he should not go in to acting."

Dabney Coleman, American Actor

4

"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

4

"When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting."

"When actors are being defensive and defending their position, that is when you get less than good acting."

John Boorman, British Director

Acting, Actors, Being

4

"Acting classes, I guess, are good and I would like to maybe sometime take one. But I would feel like I was learning someone else's technique. I like mine."

"Acting classes, I guess, are good and I would like to maybe sometime take one. But I would feel like I was learning someone else's technique. I like mine."

Frankie Muniz, American Actor

Acting, Learning

4

"Acting is acting."

"Acting is acting."

Brent Spiner, American Actor

4

"In Hitchcock's eyes the movement was dramatic, not the acting. When he wanted the audience to be moved, he moved the camera. He was a subtle human being, and he was also the best director I have ever worked with."

"In Hitchcock's eyes the movement was dramatic, not the acting. When he wanted the audience to be moved, he moved the camera. He was a subtle human being, and he was also the best director I have ever worked with."

Bruce Dern, American Actor

Acting, Being, Eyes

4

"I did a film once that I was killed in. It was a painful, horrifying day. It was a wonderful day from the standpoint of acting, but I was a wreck otherwise."

"I did a film once that I was killed in. It was a painful, horrifying day. It was a wonderful day from the standpoint of acting, but I was a wreck otherwise."

Leslie Easterbrook, American Actress

Acting, Day, Film

4

"I didn't go to film school, I went to acting school."

"I didn't go to film school, I went to acting school."

Charles S. Dutton, American Actor

Acting, Film, School

4

"Believe me, when an actress is told that her very name is synonymous with bad acting, she's had it."

"Believe me, when an actress is told that her very name is synonymous with bad acting, she's had it."

Piper Laurie, American Actress

4

"Great acting may be a turn-on, but it won't make me fantasize about the person for a week."

"Great acting may be a turn-on, but it won't make me fantasize about the person for a week."

Sandra Bullock, American Actress

4

"It's interesting to play a role where you don't really have to preoccupy yourself with any need to convince yourself that you're not acting."

"It's interesting to play a role where you don't really have to preoccupy yourself with any need to convince yourself that you're not acting."

Michael C. Hall, American Actor

4

"I always enjoyed writing. I did playlets in high school, I did radio shows in college. That's one of the reasons I went down to Second City, because you could do acting and writing."

"I always enjoyed writing. I did playlets in high school, I did radio shows in college. That's one of the reasons I went down to Second City, because you could do acting and writing."

Dan Castellaneta, American Actor

Acting, College, School, Writing

4

"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

4

"I went into acting because I had to make a good living. I had a child now and I had to support him any way I could... I wasn't happy, but I wasn't unhappy. I was just doing what I had to do to survive."

"I went into acting because I had to make a good living. I had a child now and I had to support him any way I could... I wasn't happy, but I wasn't unhappy. I was just doing what I had to do to survive."

David Soul, American Actor

Acting, Living, Now, Support

4

"Acting is a form of confusion."

"Acting is a form of confusion."

Tallulah Bankhead, American Actress

Acting, Confusion

4

"Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult."

"Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult."

Laurence Olivier, English Actor

Acting, Occupation

4

"Acting is a matter of giving away secrets."

"Acting is a matter of giving away secrets."

Ellen Barkin, American Actress

Acting, Giving, Secrets

4

"Acting allows me to tell a lot of stories, you know start at the beginning, finish at the end, and tell everything in between. Modelling is just an image."

"Acting allows me to tell a lot of stories, you know start at the beginning, finish at the end, and tell everything in between. Modelling is just an image."

Cameron Diaz, American Actress

Acting, Beginning, End

4

"I took acting lessons when I was 19, 20, and I had my writing."

"I took acting lessons when I was 19, 20, and I had my writing."

Michael Ironside, Canadian Actor

Acting, Writing

4

"I've been acting for 25 years, living out of suitcases on theater tours or film locations."

"I've been acting for 25 years, living out of suitcases on theater tours or film locations."

Alfred Molina, English Actor

Acting, Film, Living, Theater

4

"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

4

"I never had any acting heroes. I never really went to the theatre."

"I never had any acting heroes. I never really went to the theatre."

Julie Walters, British Actress

Acting, Heroes, Theatre

4

"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

4

"You start acting in spite of your neuroses, not because of them."

"You start acting in spite of your neuroses, not because of them."

Frank Langella, American Actor

4

"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

4

"Acting is a form of confession."

"Acting is a form of confession."

Tallulah Bankhead, American Actress

Acting, Confession

4

"It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I started acting."

"It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I started acting."

Steve Buscemi, American Actor

4

"One of the joys about acting is researching."

"One of the joys about acting is researching."

William Sanderson, American Actor

4

"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

4

"If we ever do end up acting just like rats or Pavlov's dogs, it will be largely because behaviorism has conditioned us to do so."

"If we ever do end up acting just like rats or Pavlov's dogs, it will be largely because behaviorism has conditioned us to do so."

Richard Rosen, American Author

Acting, Dogs, End, Will

4

"It's easy to play a bad girl: You just do everything you've been told not to do, and you don't have to deal with the consequences, because it's only acting."

"It's easy to play a bad girl: You just do everything you've been told not to do, and you don't have to deal with the consequences, because it's only acting."

Eliza Dushku, American Actress

Acting, Consequences, Play

4

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

"I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

Acting, Sentimentality, Trying

4

"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

4

"Be where the acting is. I live in Houston. Dallas is 4 1/2 hours away. I let them know there's no difference."

"Be where the acting is. I live in Houston. Dallas is 4 1/2 hours away. I let them know there's no difference."

Vic Mignogna, American Actor

Acting, Difference, Houston

4

"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

4

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