How synchronization changed technology forever
“Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.”
“If I give a good performance, I give at least 50% of the credit to the director.”
“If it works, great. If it doesn’t work, I tried.”
“There’s always going to be someone out there… who doesn’t believe in you or who thinks your head is too big or you’re not smart enough. But those are the people you need to ignore, and those are the times you need to just keep doing what you love doing.”
“Winning an Oscar is an honor, but, between you and me, it does not make things easier.”
“Ninety percent of how you learn is watching great people. When you are surrounded by good actors it lifts your performance.”
“If you’re an actor and you don’t get cast in stuff a lot, then put together a show or hold play-reading nights at your apartment. Make your own opportunities.”
“The audience is the best judge of anything. They cannot be lied to. Truth brings them closer. A moment that lags–they’re gonna cough.”
“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.”
“Our job is to represent the truth of human nature, whether you’re playing a tender love story that’s set in a coffee shop or whether you’re in ‘The Avengers,’ which is set in a Manhattan which is exploding.”
“It is not whether you really cry. It’s whether the audience thinks you are crying.”
“Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting than being one.”
“In this industry, there are only two ways up the ladder. Rung by rung or claw your way to the top. It’s sure been tough on my nails.”
“You are always hoping that movie audiences are interested in characters and interested in story values rather than just mindless special effects. But you never know.”
“If you’re not willing to work hard, let someone else do it. I’d rather be with someone who does a horrible job, but gives 110% than with someone who does a good job and gives 60%.”
“I think the best way to become a character is by osmosis as opposed to thinking directly about stuff.”
“I was asked to act when I couldn’t act. I was asked to sing ‘Funny Face’ when I couldn’t sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn’t dance–and do all kinds of things I wasn’t prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it.”
“As an actor, you can’t think about the end result or the fame; you just have to focus on the day you’re in. You have no control over the finished product, what people will think of it, so all you have is the experience of making it, and you have to stay focused on that.”
“Everything I learned as an actor, I have basically applied to writing.”
Sources: (Acting in London)
“Acting is something different to everybody. I just know that if you watch an actor or actress getting better and better, I think that’s them just understanding themselves better and better.”
“There is a kind of invisible thread between the actor and the audience, and when it’s there it’s stunning, and there is nothing to match that.”
“You’ve got to get the thickest skin possible. Like a rhino hide. It’s a very personal job. Put a helmet on.”
“Acting, and the privilege of being able to do it for a living, is so important to me. I don’t turn up and just hope for the best. I really fret about it. I do my homework; I prepare myself for the experience of playing a particular character.”
“I know some really great actors who are pretty judgmental people, pretty critical people. But they’re great actors. When they’re acting, that’s the craft.”
“I’m not intimidated by lead roles. I’m better in them. I don’t feel pressure. I feel released at times like that. That’s what I’m born to do.”
“If I had never ventured beyond being a stand-up comic, then I would be sitting in my house today working on my Leonardo DiCaprio impression.”
“Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them.”
Have you ever wondered what it's like to act in a professional setting? What it would be like to dedicate weeks, months, and sometimes even years to getting in the mind of a character so that you live and breathe their lives like you do your own. This is essentially what it takes to execute world-class performances in movies and TV—the kinds of performances that would win an Oscar or Emmy.
These celebrities have all revealed what they think is vital to understand when it comes to acting relating to the approach and mindset. To learn how they do it in their own words, click through this gallery.
Acting tips and more from Hollywood's best
Insight from the biggest stars
CELEBRITY Actors
Have you ever wondered what it's like to act in a professional setting? What it would be like to dedicate weeks, months, and sometimes even years to getting in the mind of a character so that you live and breathe their lives like you do your own. This is essentially what it takes to execute world-class performances in movies and TV—the kinds of performances that would win an Oscar or Emmy.
These celebrities have all revealed what they think is vital to understand when it comes to acting relating to the approach and mindset. To learn how they do it in their own words, click through this gallery.