Quotes from Richard Jenkins

It's like, in movies where you talk to the audience 90 percent of the time, it's - you kind of want to stay away from that stuff. But, you know - but to write exposition brilliantly is hard.

There's nothing like walking onto a Hollywood sound stage.

Sometimes you read things that people don't even notice in a performance, that you just are moved by or understand that this actor is really living his or her life on the screen. The first time I realized that was when I watched Brando in 'On the Waterfront.'

I don't consider myself a comedian, but you work with some comedians, and sometimes these guys are incredible on their feet - it's just amazing - and that's not what I do. But it's always fun, and I don't really care as long as the character is interesting.

If I'm playing a bad guy, and I'm playing him evilly - I'm making him evil; I'm being evil because I want the audience to understand that he's bad - or if I have a line that's funny, I do it in a comedic way, that, to me, is a lie. It's dead when I watch it.

When I go to the movies, I want to see a human being dealing with their lives. That's all I ask.

I'd like to play the whale in 'Moby Dick.' If I keep eating, I may end up getting there.

'My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right here in this script your character does that.'

Losing a parent makes you realize how temporary everything is - you're looking through someone's whole life in a drawer, and they're very simply gone.

The truth is you only have yourself to offer. And when you come to that realization, it's terrifying, because you think it's probably not enough.

I understand being alone. I understand not liking it, wishing for something else.

Life is too god damn short and you can't waste a minute of it.

I always loved movies. I wanted to be in them! I always saw them and said, 'How do you do that?' It seemed like going to the moon. It was not a rational thought, but that's the only thing I wanted to do.

Rehearsal for film is tough. Until the camera's there, everything changes.

I like relaxed sets. I like to feel that I can make a mistake without feeling like I'm costing somebody money. I like a sense of freedom. I like it when people are open and are willing to let you do your work.

When I was a kid, I loved horror films. I used to stay up on Saturday night to watch.

Any time you die in a film, it's not real, so it's all kind of fun.

In college, I was teetering on the edge: Do I want to be an actor? Do I not want to be an actor? And then I saw Michael Caine in 'Alfie,' and I thought, 'Wow, that's what I want to do with my life,' even if I knew I'd never reach that level of proficiency.

I don't watch the dailies. You want to just turn in your resignation when you watch the dailies.

But I loved making Eat Pray Love, and I loved working with Julia Roberts.

A Western would be good. I'd love to do a Western.

There's a lot of great directors that I want to work with, but as soon as I mention them, I never get a chance to work with them.

I worked with Mike Nichols. First time I worked with Mike Nichols, I just really loved this man.

The main thing on film is you want to be innocent to the moment.