ACTING QUOTES IV
quotations about acting
Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Hamlet
The art of shape-shifting, or character acting, is by and large misunderstood and under appreciated. We can tell a musical instrument is hard to master because it's external to us. The instrument of the actor--the physical body and the voice--well, in the words of John Lennon, "Everybody's got one." Built-in. Meaning most people think that they, therefore, must be able to act. "How hard could it be?" Plenty hard. There's a reason acting conservatories like Julliard and the Yale School of Drama exist: it takes practice. The greatest stage actor of all time, Laurence Olivier, said it takes 20 years to master.
MARK JACKSON
"Acting Appreciation 101: Five Top Character Acting Examples in Film", Epoch Times, February 21, 2016
What they teach in these acting schools is incredible, hair-raising crap.
KLAUS KINSKI
Kinski Uncut: The Autobiography of Klaus Kinski
There is a place in the universe not for the faint of heart. It is a place where you must be completely vulnerable without ever expecting a hug. It is a place where you make earth-shattering discoveries you will never be able to share. It is a place where you face the limitations of being human in the face of another's pain. That place is the film frame.
JOHN SWANBECK
"Why Film Acting Is a Lonely Art", Backstage, March 1, 2016
Acting is make-believe. Dylan, my kid, when he was young he said, 'I do that in the park everyday.'
MICHAEL DOUGLAS
"Michael Douglas Recalls What His Dad, Kirk Douglas, Said After His First Acting Gig: 'You Were Absolutely Terrible'", People, September 7, 2016
For years one of the highest praises visited upon an actor's performance has been that they were acting "as if the camera weren't there." In fact, this is often the public's most indelible impression of acting skill. But it's a completely false one. For any middling actor, there's virtually nothing intimidating about a camera being on the set; after all, "real life" occurs in front of all sorts of appurtenances: cars, lamps, pedestrians, neighbors, etc. The camera is just another movable piece of equipment on the set. Until it starts rolling. That's when it gets intimidating. That's when people make all those mistakes and waste all that film.
TONY BILL
Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Movie Set
I can act every single day because I love it; it's just so liberating. It might be rare, but there are certain moments when you really don't feel like yourself.
LILY-ROSE DEPP
"Lily-Rose Depp on why acting is life", New Zealand Herald, February 2, 2016
The humiliation of being in a poor play, of playing a shabby role, of appearing before disgruntled audiences, if any, of being curdled by hostile reviews, can outrage all human dignity. Being caught in a long-run success is almost as bad. The fearful monotony, the boredom of saying the same words every night, at the same minute, has unhinged the mind of more than one actress.
TALLULAH BANKHEAD
Tallulah: My Autobiography
On the stage he was natural, simple, affecting,
'Twas only that when he was off, he was acting.
OLIVER GOLDSMITH
Retaliation
I take acting classes to be more well-prepared because acting is like fighting. When I'm fighting, I train and spar with guys that are like my opponents. When I'm acting, I have sparring partners, so to speak, that help me prepare for the scene.
GEORGE ST-PIERRE
"GSP talks acting career, return to UFC", ESPN, August 25, 2016
Most of the stuff that I do is based on instincts. You end up kind of following a procedure that no one has ever explained to you, but I have figured it out over time.
TOM HANKS
"Tom Hanks Explains How Acting Is Just Like Flying a Plane", Vanity Fair, September 8, 2016
The art of acting is not to act. Once you show them more, what you show them, in fact is bad acting.
ANTHONY HOPKINS
attributed, Movie Speak: How to Talk Like You Belong on a Movie Set
To be an actor, you have to be a child.
PAUL NEWMAN
attributed, Paul Newman: A Life in Pictures
The fact is, movie acting is the toughest profession, and anyone who feels moved to query that has simply never shot a really intense scene about being on welfare with Kristen Stewart, much less had to bang her afterwards. People who endure that go fishing to relax, you know what I mean? That's how tough the gig is.
MARINA HYDE
"Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hiddleston and Daniel Craig reveal the toll of the role", The Guardian, September 8, 2016
Our bodies and personalities are our tools. We have to use what we have and plug it into the projects we take on.
ROBERT PETERPAUL
"The 1 Most Important Question Actors Must Ask", Backstage, September 7, 2016
I was terrorized by the emotional requirements of being an actor. Acting is like letting your pants down; you're exposed.
PAUL NEWMAN
Time Magazine, Dec. 6, 1982
In the theater there are players who can make a production out of eating an apple.
TALLULAH BANKHEAD
Tallulah: My Autobiography