Quotes from Scott Bakula

The movies are about big tent pole movies and big action and effects.

The reality of our business is that for every actor who's rolled up his tent and given up and gone home, the next day you hear about some shoe salesman at Macy's who had this audition and now he's Harrison Ford. There's always that carrot out there in our business.

Well, I'm... first and foremost I'm a theater guy and everything that I know comes from the theater.

The 'NCIS' franchise is beyond successful.

By all standards, except for 'Star Trek' standards, 98 episodes of any television show is a wildly successful run.

After 'Quantum Leap,' a lot of sci-fi things came my way, and I had to say, 'I can't do that right now.'

The further away you can get away from yourself as an actor, the more fun you have.

And I've always felt comfortable certainly in a courtroom because you're just performing. And there was a time in my life when I thought when I grew up I'd be a trial lawyer myself.

The longest show I've ever done was four and a half years, so I can only imagine what ending an eight year show is like.

One of the hardest things to do is to be present and open and clear about who you are and what you stand for. We all have issues with that.

I've always been a big fan of time travel, and I'm very into the notion that some day we'll be able to do it. Beam me up!

I've always had an affinity for lawyers. My dad is a lawyer. He's retired now. My brother is a lawyer.

You want to try and bring a character to life in an honest a way as you possibly can. It doesn't matter whether he's a doctor, an actor, a car salesman or a captain of a starship. If you can bring truth and honesty to that character, then your audience will believe you.

I havent really thought about where to scatter my ashes when the time comes, but I doubt that it would be in space.

I don't even know how many times I auditioned for Danny Zuko in 'Grease.'

What we are as actors, for better and for worse, is visible.

To be quite honest, I find that it's easier to do parts that are wrapped up in different hair and wardrobe and eras, and different period behavior, than it is to play closer to the present.

Clive Barker is just genius, and he's incredibly gifted in so many different ways. He can write and direct and paint and do all these different things, and he can do them all extremely well.

Years ago, I did a CBS audition. I was nervous. They introduced me as 'Scott Bakoola.' Not a good sign. I also didn't get the show.

A lot of people don't know that I'm a singer - that's my thing, really.

I was a huge fan of the original 'Star Trek,' and I'd never even dreamed that I would someday be captain of a starship.

Liberace was a miracle. You talk about who he was and what he did, and then you look at who he inspired, from Elton John to Cher to Michael Jackson to Bette Midler. There are so many people that came to see him. Elvis was there, watching his shows.

If you're a fan of Shirley MacLaine just like I am, I'd kinda go anywhere to work with her.

I've shot a lot of places, and I've produced. I always thought, 'Gosh, when you shoot in a big city, it's so difficult.' And New York, I always think, 'Where are you going to park the trucks? How are you going to stop the traffic?'