Quotes About Authenticity

It's always obvious to me when someone is looking at me with an idea of who I am and hoping that that's the person I'm going to be. No matter how subtle it is, it's there, and you want to give them who they really want. But it ain't me.

My character Lena is somebody who responds to people in a very simple way. I didn't have to take myself off to a darkened room to concentrate, I just had to try and be open. It's an interesting, subtle relationship.

I get really excited when I see filmmakers make something that is subtle and feels real. It is really tough to do right.

I like a naturalism to my dialogue and my comedy. I would rather have a few jokes sail by that might be more subtle than have every single joke hit hard. I would rather the comedy come out of character as opposed to feeling forced. Even if you're giving some laughs up for it.

I just like to keep things small and subtle and authentic, and ground everything in reality. So that is something that I feel is my strength as a director and I try to achieve as an actor.

You can't hold back. You can't think of the subtleties of playing. You just have to get out and really bare it all, and hopefully you don't fall off the plank. And if you do, hey, pick yourself up, dust yourself down, and start all over again.

I try to be careful how much I sing about the suburban house or whatever.

I came from the heart of the ghetto - there ain't no suburbia in me.

Suburbia is too close to the country to have anything real to do and too close to the city to admit you have nothing real to do.

How can I be a folk? I'm from the suburbs you know.

You can't fake the subway, and you can't fake friendships.

Don't settle for style. Succeed in substance.

We know there has been a history of needing to be closeted to succeed and be famous, especially in acting.

People relate to the spirit of the band, which is to live your way and succeed on your own terms. There's no hypocrisy in being successful and still railing against conformity.

Many of us have spent a lifetime trying to be what we're not, feeling lousy about ourselves when we fail and sometimes even when we succeed. We hide our differences when, by accepting and celebrating them, we could collaborate to make every effort more exciting, productive, enjoyable, and powerful. Personally, I think we should start right now.

People who succeed in my job are people who are not afraid to look silly.

Being genuinely humble and being myself has helped me succeed in my career.

I think there's a misconception about the industry, that you have to change who you are to look 'cool' in order to succeed, and that's just not true.

I admire writers who succeed at what I consider the first demand of art: that the artist vivisect himself without pity, without hesitation, determined to reveal whatever he might find.

It takes skill to be real. Time to heal each other

Watch for phonies, keep your enemies close nigga watch your homies

I'm not perfect. But I'll always be real

The realest people don't have a lot of friends.

Caring about their answers will put the other person at ease, but more importantly, it will often put you at ease too. It will get them—and you—into the mode of inquiry, the mode of curiosity, the mode of conversation, and the mode of learning. It will signal that you feel you can learn from them, and encourage them to feel comfortable responding in kind. Most importantly, it will take you out of the realm of the dull, obvious, phony job interview.