Actor Quotes | Beyond Motive 16/17

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Actor Quotes

"It's like a cast of actors; you're all working together closely under pressure to produce something everyday. And when we put up an issue, it's like the curtains opening on a new play. I really like that daily sense of surprise."

"It's like a cast of actors; you're all working together closely under pressure to produce something everyday. And when we put up an issue, it's like the curtains opening on a new play. I really like that daily sense of surprise."

David Talbot, American Journalist

Actor, Actors, Play, Pressure, Sense

32

"As actors, we went where we wanted to, and the camera followed us: it was like having another person in the room. There was no formal structure to the process. It was very liberating."

"As actors, we went where we wanted to, and the camera followed us: it was like having another person in the room. There was no formal structure to the process. It was very liberating."

Emily Watson, English Actress

32

"Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor."

"Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor."

Montgomery Clift, American Actor

32

"Hollywood is where they shoot too many pictures and not enough actors."

"Hollywood is where they shoot too many pictures and not enough actors."

Walter Winchell, American Journalist

Actor, Actors, Hollywood

32

"I don't have any training as an actor, but I guess I'm an intense pretender. When you read something over and over, it gets into you a little bit. You can't help but begin to feel it, even if you're a healthy person as I think I am."

"I don't have any training as an actor, but I guess I'm an intense pretender. When you read something over and over, it gets into you a little bit. You can't help but begin to feel it, even if you're a healthy person as I think I am."

John Hawkes, American Actor

Actor, Help, Training

32

"The worst thing for an actor is a director that gets on your nerves and says things that actually confuse you."

"The worst thing for an actor is a director that gets on your nerves and says things that actually confuse you."

Stephen Rea, Irish Actor

32

"Working with a bunch of actors is like trying to tune each violin."

"Working with a bunch of actors is like trying to tune each violin."

Patrice Leconte, French Director

Actor, Actors, Trying

32

"Jerry Weintraub, the producer, might be a pain in the ass, but he really knows how to treat his actors."

"Jerry Weintraub, the producer, might be a pain in the ass, but he really knows how to treat his actors."

Bernie Mac, American Actor

Actor, Actors, Pain

31

"That's probably the biggest secret of acting: If the actor believes it themselves, they can make you believe it."

"That's probably the biggest secret of acting: If the actor believes it themselves, they can make you believe it."

Melissa Leo, American Actress

31

"The best actors instinctively feel out what the other actors need, and they just accommodate it."

"The best actors instinctively feel out what the other actors need, and they just accommodate it."

Christopher Nolan, British Director

31

"Our feeling is that the most important thing on a set is that actors have enough confidence to try different things. If there's stress or tension, they won't go out on a limb because they won't want to embarrass themselves if they don't feel completely comfortable."

"Our feeling is that the most important thing on a set is that actors have enough confidence to try different things. If there's stress or tension, they won't go out on a limb because they won't want to embarrass themselves if they don't feel completely comfortable."

Peter Farrelly, American Director

Actor, Actors, Confidence, Feeling, Stress

31

"I'm a method actor."

"I'm a method actor."

Seann William Scott, American Actor

31

"I'm so uncomfortable, especially in emotional situations, having to say sentences that don't feel right. As an actor - or really, as any kind of person sensitive to it."

"I'm so uncomfortable, especially in emotional situations, having to say sentences that don't feel right. As an actor - or really, as any kind of person sensitive to it."

Franka Potente, German Actress

31

"We film in front of a live audience, and I was a theater actor before I got into television, so I like that."

"We film in front of a live audience, and I was a theater actor before I got into television, so I like that."

Jillian Bach, American Actress

Actor, Film, Television, Theater

31

"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore."

"The best thing about switching from being an actor to being a director is that you don't have to shave or hold your stomach in anymore."

Dick Powell, American Actor

31

"Just about every actor wants to be a Disney cartoon voice at some point."

"Just about every actor wants to be a Disney cartoon voice at some point."

Randy Quaid, American Actor

Actor, Disney, Voice

31

"The whole point of being an actor is to get satisfaction out of a role - unless you're just vain about celebrity."

"The whole point of being an actor is to get satisfaction out of a role - unless you're just vain about celebrity."

Jonny Lee Miller, British Actor

Actor, Being, Celebrity, Satisfaction

30

"If I was going to be broke I decided I might as well be with actors as anyone else. They were cheerful idiots and seemed to take it better."

"If I was going to be broke I decided I might as well be with actors as anyone else. They were cheerful idiots and seemed to take it better."

Peter Finch, English Actor

Actor, Actors, Idiots

30

"I think every actor should go back and do theater periodically."

"I think every actor should go back and do theater periodically."

Chad Lowe, American Actor

30

"I did seven indies because the independent market used to be a lot better before all the stars were doing independents. As a beginning actor, that's where you started."

"I did seven indies because the independent market used to be a lot better before all the stars were doing independents. As a beginning actor, that's where you started."

Josh Holloway, American Actor

Actor, Beginning, Stars

30

"If it's something that reaches out and grabs me, I want to do it. I have a lot of trouble doing things that don't grab me. So, I'm not a very good actor in that way. I can't fake it."

"If it's something that reaches out and grabs me, I want to do it. I have a lot of trouble doing things that don't grab me. So, I'm not a very good actor in that way. I can't fake it."

Clancy Brown, American Actor

Actor, Trouble, Want

30

"Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull."

"Every writer is a frustrated actor who recites his lines in the hidden auditorium of his skull."

Rod Serling, American Writer

30

"Eventually though, I'd like to have my own production company. Then I could create great opportunities not only for myself, but for other actors as well."

"Eventually though, I'd like to have my own production company. Then I could create great opportunities not only for myself, but for other actors as well."

Mario Lopez, American Actor

Actor, Actors, Company, Production

30

"Sword fighting in film is not about how good the fighter is, but how good the actor receiving the blows is."

"Sword fighting in film is not about how good the fighter is, but how good the actor receiving the blows is."

Takeshi Kitano, Japanese Actor

Actor, Fighting, Film

29

"I think I'm still trying to find my feet as an actor. And I know it ain't brain surgery, but it confuses me and it comes between me and my sleep a lot."

"I think I'm still trying to find my feet as an actor. And I know it ain't brain surgery, but it confuses me and it comes between me and my sleep a lot."

Colin Farrell, Irish Actor

Actor, Feet, Sleep, Trying

29

"Jack Nicholson is a textbook actor who's very intuitive. He is absolutely brilliant at going as far as you can go, always pushing to the edge, but still making it seem real."

"Jack Nicholson is a textbook actor who's very intuitive. He is absolutely brilliant at going as far as you can go, always pushing to the edge, but still making it seem real."

Tim Burton, American Director

29

"You can think of Hollywood as high school. TV actors are freshmen, comedy actors are maybe juniors, and dramatic actors - they're the cool seniors."

"You can think of Hollywood as high school. TV actors are freshmen, comedy actors are maybe juniors, and dramatic actors - they're the cool seniors."

Owen Wilson, American Actor

Actor, Actors, Comedy, Hollywood, School

28

"You know, whatever happens between the two of us that's created when we come together as actors is not something I think we can explain."

"You know, whatever happens between the two of us that's created when we come together as actors is not something I think we can explain."

Laurence Fishburne, American Actor

28

"I still have the actor's disease. I always think I'll never get another job."

"I still have the actor's disease. I always think I'll never get another job."

Roddy McDowall, British Actor

Actor, Disease, Job

28

"Every actor I think has got their own number of takes that they like, you know. Some actors like to go all day, you know on the one scene and some actors want to take two takes. I personally like four."

"Every actor I think has got their own number of takes that they like, you know. Some actors like to go all day, you know on the one scene and some actors want to take two takes. I personally like four."

Robert Carlyle, Scottish Director

Actor, Actors, Day, Want

28

"A totally healthy actor is a paradox."

"A totally healthy actor is a paradox."

Vittorio Gassman, Italian Actor

27

"If you were a kid actor, if you had any plans of being an actor as an adult, you were really barking up the wrong tree."

"If you were a kid actor, if you had any plans of being an actor as an adult, you were really barking up the wrong tree."

Susan Olsen, American Actress

Actor, Being, Wrong

27

"I'm becoming a frustrated director, I think, in an actor's body."

"I'm becoming a frustrated director, I think, in an actor's body."

David Wenham, Australian Actor

27

"Most cartoonists are failed actors."

"Most cartoonists are failed actors."

Milton Caniff, American Cartoonist

27

"Actors are crazy or we wouldn't be doing this."

"Actors are crazy or we wouldn't be doing this."

Eileen Brennan, American Artist

27

"Once you've gotten the job, there's nothing to it. If you're an actor, you're an actor. Doing it is not the hard part. The hard part is getting to do it."

"Once you've gotten the job, there's nothing to it. If you're an actor, you're an actor. Doing it is not the hard part. The hard part is getting to do it."

Morgan Freeman, American Actor

Actor, Job, Nothing

26

"Actors say they do their own stunts for the integrity of the film but I did them because they looked like a lot of fun."

"Actors say they do their own stunts for the integrity of the film but I did them because they looked like a lot of fun."

Steve Coogan, British Comedian

Actor, Actors, Film, Fun, Integrity

26

"I was not able to understand how it could be right to pay an actor, or a singer, or an instrumentalist for entertaining the public and wrong to pay a ball player for doing exactly the same thing."

"I was not able to understand how it could be right to pay an actor, or a singer, or an instrumentalist for entertaining the public and wrong to pay a ball player for doing exactly the same thing."

Al Spalding, American Athlete

Actor, Public, Right, Wrong

26

"Any competent actor could have done what I did."

"Any competent actor could have done what I did."

Larry Hovis, American Musician

26

"Becoming an actor? If it's not a calling, don't do it. It's too hard."

"Becoming an actor? If it's not a calling, don't do it. It's too hard."

Sandra Oh, Canadian Actress

26

"An actor is an actor is an actor. The less personality an actor has off stage the better. A blank canvas on which to draw the characters he plays."

"An actor is an actor is an actor. The less personality an actor has off stage the better. A blank canvas on which to draw the characters he plays."

Arthur Lowe, British Actor

Actor, Personality

26

"A symphony is a stage play with the parts written for instruments instead of for actors."

"A symphony is a stage play with the parts written for instruments instead of for actors."

Colin Henry Wilson, British Writer

Actor, Actors, Play

25

"When actors are talking, they are servants of the dramatist. It is what they can show the audience when they are not talking that reveals the fine actor."

"When actors are talking, they are servants of the dramatist. It is what they can show the audience when they are not talking that reveals the fine actor."

Cedric Hardwicke, English Actor

Actor, Actors, Talking

25

"I think it's easy for directors to stay fresh more than actors, especially once an actor becomes a star. It's hard for Russell Crowe to walk down a street or take a subway. I can fly coach."

"I think it's easy for directors to stay fresh more than actors, especially once an actor becomes a star. It's hard for Russell Crowe to walk down a street or take a subway. I can fly coach."

Michael Mann, American Director

Actor, Actors, Coach

25

"Being an actor on a movie set is like going to the playground at recess."

"Being an actor on a movie set is like going to the playground at recess."

Melissa Leo, American Actress

25

"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set."

"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set."

Peter Farrelly, American Director

Actor, Actors, Problems

25

"I haven't gotten labeled as a Hispanic actor."

"I haven't gotten labeled as a Hispanic actor."

Mario Lopez, American Actor

25

"I never planned to be an actor. It turned out I could make a living doing it."

"I never planned to be an actor. It turned out I could make a living doing it."

Wallace Shawn, American Actor

25

"I've always known I wanted to be an actor. It never crossed my mind to be anything else. I think I probably decided for sure when I saw 'Sounder'."

"I've always known I wanted to be an actor. It never crossed my mind to be anything else. I think I probably decided for sure when I saw 'Sounder'."

Christopher Judge, American Actor

25

"Marlon Brando said any guy can become an actor. It takes a real man to quit."

"Marlon Brando said any guy can become an actor. It takes a real man to quit."

Clifton Davis, American Actor

24

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