Actors Quotes

Directing was a natural thing for me. Actually, it was far less stressful directing than being the lead actor. I was able to have my input in all aspects of it.

My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.

Yeah, I had to change my name because there were two other actors registered at Equity with that name.

As an actor, one of my greatest fears is losing my memory.

Actors were the first people to accept me.

You know, it's hard as a writer to lose characters (and actors) you like. You really don't want them to die because you're not going to get to see them anymore.

I don't think I'm predominantly thought of as being a comedic actor.

You know, I really wish now I'd had the nerve to become an actor. Because I'd have been Robert Redford, no question.

I much prefer to watch actors and writers create "humanizing" moments for characters. In a drama, "humanizing" is far more impactful and powerful than "redeeming."

It actually got me upset reading about adopted children. They become junkies or criminals or actors. I wanted to write a book from the children’s point of view.

I think it's very dangerous for an actor to take [shooting] too seriously because I think it could really damage you if you do that.

Anything that you [as an actor] can change about yourself for a part is helpful.

Well, the first thing I wanted to be was a carpenter. Then I wanted to be a painter and then a singer. It was when I first saw 'Lawrence of Arabia' that I wanted to be an actor.

I'm identified as a New York actor, I sound like I'm from New York, and I couldn't be more proud of it.

I think when you work on a Woody Allen film the actors become a real company, probably more than on any other film.

What's enjoyable for me, as an actor, is to do as many different things as possible.

I was thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we can just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we got something here.

I love any kind of recognition because as an actor I'm very hard on myself sometimes.

In a way, putting actors deep into this sort of complicated universe frees them from thinking about who they should be. They just are somebody.

I read about some movie where they did everything on blue screen, and the actors were not even connecting to each other.

I find, surprisingly, that actors are liberated in their work if there's stuff going on around them, because they can't think too much about who they're supposed to be.

I like actors who just are who they are, with a little bit of qualification to adapt to their character. But mostly they just use their own personality to embody the character.

I like actors who don't have to think too hard about what they have to do to achieve their performance.

I'm always excited to work with actors.

Sometimes when an actor says something almost perfect, but you know you have to edit it, if you tell them to change something immediately, it will come out great

Actors are always a little high at work. Acting is their drug. So when you put the brakes on, they're naturally a little disappointed.

It's only human and natural that an actor should see the film in terms of his own part, but I, as a director, have to see the film as a whole. He must therefore collaborate selflessly, totally.

Method actors are absolutely terrible. They want to direct themselves, and it's a disaster.

Sometimes actors' mistakes give me ideas I can use, because mistakes are always sincere, absolutely sincere.

As an actor you accept that you have to publicise what you do, but as for the whole personal life thing that people sometimes choose, no, that's not for me.

As an actor, all you want to do is to work and do good work.

I've never had a plan. You look for different actors you want to work with or different subjects you want to explore, or sometimes it's just a momentary fancy.

As an actor, you want as much variety as you can muster up. Otherwise you just keep playing the same chord over and over again.

You see these actor/director relationships in the celebrity world and you understand why. The director knows which buttons to push and it makes it so much more familiarized.

I've worked with very few actors who have been at all difficult.

De Niro is a classic example of somebody who is iconic and who sort of effortlessly puts actors at ease the moment you meet him. I think it's also just something that he innately does with people.

It's fun to explore areas that are taboo that you're not allowed to in real life as an actor.

Soaps are a great springboard for any actor but if you want to be taken seriously, you have to be careful.

There was not an industry for child actors. I never really made any money. It was all about fun for me.

I went on to host a kids' program from when I was around 10 until 15. In some ways I'm a child actor.

The best actors in the world are the actors who don't keep the walls up all the time and allow themselves the potential to be embarrassed.

Fighting the wild branches of a haunted tree is not something that every actor is confident enough to attack, literally and figuratively.

I spent so long studying really hard to become a fine actor, but threw it all away because I got the adulation and the fame so easily

As an actor you just want to continue to work on things that you like. You can be in this business a long time and consistently working and just be totally artistically unfulfilled.

I guess it's a bit cliché, but as an actor, I really admire good writing. There are a lot of great ideas out there, but it's the execution that really makes it work.

I like to take a break, but at the same time, I think most actors are not very good at sitting around doing nothing because we like to work.

As an actor, I need to get excited about something that I can actually relate to.

As an actor, you learn, every time you work.

I probably drive casting people crazy because I'm not thinking about actors so much as real people.

Some deeply untrusting actors - the kind that need to know exactly what's what and are completely insecure - might be quite good within the parameters of a certain sort of acting.