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Tom Hiddleston -

“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.”

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Ingrid Bergman -

“It is not whether you really cry. It’s whether the audience thinks you are crying.”

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Meryl Streep -

“Acting is not about being someone different. It’s finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.”

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Kate Winslet -

“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.”

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Lupita Nyong'o - “Every single role brings with it an ignorance and an insecurity, and so you have to approach it with the same curiosity and humility.”

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Natalie Portman -

“Ninety percent of how you learn is watching great people. When you are surrounded by good actors it lifts your performance.”

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Theo James -

“I think the best way to become a character is by osmosis as opposed to thinking directly about stuff.”

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Orlando Bloom -

“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.”

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Cameron Diaz -

“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.”

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Jack Nicholson -

“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.”

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Will Smith -

“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%.”

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Tina Fey -

“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.”

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Clint Eastwood -

“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.”

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Barbra Streisand -

“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.”

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James Franco -

“If I give a good performance, I give at least 50% of the credit to the director.”

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Robin Williams -

“Winning an Oscar is an honor, but, between you and me, it does not make things easier.”

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Maggie Smith -

“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.”

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Audrey Hepburn -

“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.”

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Philip Seymour Hoffman -

“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.”

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Emilia Clarke - ”You can’t come out of drama school and think, ‘It’s all going to be amazing.’ You have to expect to work in a bar for at least five years and be a waitress for maybe two!”

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Emily Blunt -

“You’ve got to get the thickest skin possible. Like a rhino hide. It’s a very personal job. Put a helmet on.”

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Christopher Lee -

“Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them.”

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Jim Carrey -

“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.”

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Johnny Depp -

“If it works, great. If it doesn’t work, I tried.”

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Morgan Freeman -

“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.”

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Marilyn Monroe -

“Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting than being one.”

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Charlie Chaplin -

“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.”

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Jimmy Fallon -

“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.”

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Quentin Tarantino -

“Everything I learned as an actor, I have basically applied to writing.”

Sources: (Acting in London)

See also: Actors who found success on multiple TV shows

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