Many actors, I've read, are introverts, and many introverts, when socializing, feel like actors.
If I do a scene with an actor who doesn't have much experience, I say, 'I tell you what we're going to do: You just listen to me, and then you respond. We don't have to do any acting.' And that's good advice because you shouldn't see the acting.
Somehow I seem to have been gently bypassed as a serious actor.
Actors always have things that they're not thrilled about on a show and have a hobby of bellyaching about those things.
I'm not an instinctive actor.
Sigmund Freud said we act out our own dreams, but if you are only an actor you are not acting out your own dream. You are simply participating in someone else's dream.
When I have failed as an actor I've always thought it was my fault. But when I direct something, I wouldn't want the actors to think it was their fault.
You can see areas where maybe you got a bit lazy, perhaps, or you see when you were really on form. I think an actor is very like a sportsman in that respect. You have periods where you're in terrific form.
I think all great actors - and I don't classify myself as one of them, incidentally - but I think all great actors listen well and I've learned that from a lot of the very good actors with whom I've worked - to really listen to what people say.
One of the first lessons you learn as an actor is to listen.
I was very sad to hear of the death of Ronnie Barker, who was such a warm, friendly and encouraging presence to have when I started in television. He was also a great comic actor to learn from.
I don't really get off on the anonymous love of strangers, which I think a lot of actors do. They're lacking something in their own personal lives, so they want the adoration of autographs and all that stuff.
An actor's life is like a series of - it's like the first day of school happening over and over again.
This whole celebrity racket, it's not really my bag. I don't really do that stuff, and I am not looking to get famous myself. I would love it if my characters get famous, my work was well known and appreciated. But I'm an actor, not a spokes model or a celebrity or whatever that is. I don't know how to be that.
When they're good, I like working with new actors.
I don't call myself an actor, I call myself an entertainer, because I don't just do one thing.
I would prefer just to be an actor for hire rather than struggling with something like Higher Ground, that I had a lot of emotion attached to.
I dont like to repeat myself as an actor.
Concept is what makes actors raise their game.
I'm an actor. I love to act. That's my job. I'll leave the politicking to others.
I think all actors want to change. When you do something many times, over and over, you want to do something fresh. But movie is still my business. A lot of action actors want change, but no studio wants to spend money on something that is not guaranteed; not proven. I think it is very difficult. It is hard to change.
It was easier to do Shakespeare than a lot of modern movie scripts that are so poorly written.
Even as an actor, when you have a kissing scene it's still weird.
I played a role. That is what actors do. But I played it too well. I went too far. And by the time I wanted to stop, to take a bow and leave the stage, it was too late.
When you're an actress, there are only a few times you can really get paid. One of them is doing a sequel. They can't fake you or hire another actor to play you.
