Quotes from Theodore Bikel

I always sang, I always acted, I always played.

I created the role of Captain Von Trapp.

No heirloom of humankind captures the past as do art and language.

I make no claim that Jewish culture is superior to other cultures or that the Jewish song is better than the song of my neighbor.

What moves me is neither ethnocentric pride nor sectarian arrogance. I make no claim that Jewish culture is superior to other cultures. But it is mine.

I do not know who there is among us that can claim to know God's purpose and God's intent.

I know for certain of only one commandment, one obligation, that God imposes upon us, and that is to be compassionate toward other human beings.

Accents. I'm very good with accents. I'm exceedingly good.

As an artist I have an even more abiding interest in the compact between the Arts and Government.

In my world, history comes down to language and art.

By showing hunger, deprivation, starvation and brutality, as well as endurance and nobility, documentaries inform, prod our memories, even stir us to action. Such films do battle for our very soul.

It's a sad thing to contemplate, but I'm the last surviving cast member of 'The African Queen.'

All too often arrogance accompanies strength, and we must never assume that justice is on the side of the strong. The use of power must always be accompanied by moral choice.

I glory in the fact that a human being has multiple talents and exercises them all with a degree of integrity and artistic proficiency. That's what I do.

I have always striven to raise the voice of hope for a world where hate gives way to respect and oppression to liberation.

I do prefer the stage. It's really the granddaddy of them all.

An actor is supposed to emulate life. Instead, alas, many are imitating other actors. You don't fashion your knowledge of theatre or your approach to a role on the basis of what other actors have done. This kind of thinking is a great danger, especially in dealing with TV producers who frequently say things like, 'This is a Sean Connery type.'

Every actor wants to direct.

We live in a world of guns, bombs and terror. To conquer hate seems a nigh-impossible task.

One might have thought the world would stop ascribing moral equivalence between acts of terrorism and acts of punishing terrorism. It has not happened that way.

The play is always fresh to me. It's not the audience's fault that I've said the words before.

If I have one vanity wish, it would be to direct. It's the only thing I haven't done yet that I would like to.

For I firmly believe that Jewish life, indeed any communal life, can only be organized according to democratic principles.

I refuse to do shows that are narrowly constructed, that appeal to only one sentiment. I do a lot of Jewish material in front of non-Jews and a lot of non-Jewish material in front of Jews on the simple theory that the non-Jews are entitled to a glimpse of a Jewish world and the Jews are entitled to a glimpse of the world.