Quotes About Acting

I remember seeing the performance Samantha Morton did in 'Sweet and Low Down' where she didn't speak at all, and I loved it so much because she got to do so much work just by expressing herself in her body and her face. With expressions, it wasn't necessary to speak. I find that appealing.

In the past I've been very into the falling part, very into the swimming in the dark, deep emotional water. 'Rampart' I really went into it and it took me three times as long to get out of that depression as it did to just do the scenes. I had to learn to give it my all and then go home and laugh.

Basically, I get paid to be crazy. I get paid to believe I'm someone else, live in a completely false reality, and believe it's real. And that's a little scary. And I do it to the best of my ability. But it's kind of like swimming out to sea. You have to leave enough energy to swim back, and sometimes you get scared you swam too far.

'Swimming Pool' was a very important moment for me because the character was written for me.

It feels like I'm in a swimming pool, and I am constantly trying to stay above water. Sometimes I feel like I'm slipping, and you try to come up for air, and that's how it is when looking for the next role.

I was a swimsuit model, and I got bored. Acting was challenging. It was very hard and intimidating. We choose to do things in life sometimes that scare the crap outta us. Performing in front of people was my challenge.

I want to be remembered for Swiss Family Robinson and Old Yeller. I think Swiss is probably my favorite film.

I use this method to bring emotion into my performance. I recite my lines in English first, and then switch back to the original lines when shooting begins.

You have to be completely in the character, and that's so hard to do. That's why, when they call, 'Cut!,' you often feel yourself shift. Unless you're Daniel Day Lewis, who stays in character all the time, there's a switch that happens.

I feel that one of the hardest things in acting is the way you need to switch your emotions.

There's a lot of actors that I admire because they can just switch one second into the character. Then, they go back to jokes, and then they're doing something really dramatic. I can't do that. I have to really focus.

I don't really have to switch on and switch off because I enjoy the process of enacting a role on the sets, all those mad hours of shoot and then heading home after work. I don't divide it like normal and abnormal life. For me, the entire process of doing my work and heading home is normal.

Between takes I find it difficult to switch off and then try and re-emerge myself in the part, so I try to stay in that frame of mine all day. It can be exhausting and you lose a sense of self, but it is the method that works best for me.

I'm sorry to bang on about it because I know everyone is, but Bryan Cranston in 'Breaking Bad' is remarkable. To see him switch from 'Malcolm in the Middle' to suddenly become Walter White is incredible. It's a) nice to see an actor given that chance, and b) great to see him really take full advantage of it.

If you look at my movie career, I do switch it up a lot. I'm always looking for a lot of different parts. It's been a while since I've been in a situation that was romantic.

People either think Hodor is a very easy character to play or a very difficult one; there's no in between. But it's a lot of fun having to completely switch personalities inside four seconds, with no words. That's a joy for an actor to get to show all that complex emotion in such a short space of time.

I don't do many films at the same time, as I don't like to switch between characters. At a given point, I would like to get into the skin of whatever character I am playing.

'Shivalinga' was a tough project - I did my own stunts in the film. I actually enjoyed it, as I play a character with many layers. It was challenging to switch between the many phases of the character.

As an actor, it's your job to switch on and off from the character.

It's not that easy, but the moment the camera is switched on, I have to mould myself to breathe life into the characters I portray.

I'm beyond excited to join the cast of 'Switched At Birth' and to be part of such a great show on a great network.

I'm a very simple and calm man, but when the camera is switched on, acting begins.

With movies, you can do a lot more roles a lot faster. My favorite thing about acting is taking on new characters. It's fun switching it up at times. No matter what, I feel so honored and blessed to be 16 and already living my dream. It's really special.

When I'm on set, I'm on set, and I focus and get the work done. Then when I'm done, I kind of have this button that I switch. I'm constantly switching this button and putting on different masks, and that kind of keeps me organized.