Quotes About Acting

I did my first play around four or five. I can't remember the first one, but I did 'Annie' when I was five.

I was working in Chicago, in theater and in commercials and anything that anybody would let me do. When I moved to L.A., I had made a choice to be a character actor, meaning that I wanted to become somebody else. That's what attracted me to becoming an actor in the first place.

What drew me to acting in the first place was disguise.

So what's so enticing about doing a play is that you get to do that thing that got you into acting in the first place... There's a real attraction to being able to play, to just play. And that's something that theater affords you.

One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself.

Usually, one of the first things I think about when I'm developing a character is what they're wearing. I mean, it sounds very cheesy and very actor-y, but it really does help me figure it out.

Acting is an expression of imagination. No firsthand knowledge is necessary.

I always say that I've grown little flaps on a stage and I've got these little gills that open, because on the stage I'm in my element and I'm like a fish that's come out when I'm on land, which is filming. I'm never quite as comfortable as I am on the stage.

Fishing is very meditative; you need to be able to give up control and cast out the line and then hope for the best, so in that way, it's quite like acting.

I get to be a real adventurer with my fishing work. The acting work is free, I always say I get paid for the waiting around.

After doing 'War and Peace,' I suddenly got lots of seductress roles. It's easy to put people into a category after you've seen them in one thing that you feel fits with them. But I'm trying to make a conscious decision to do different things.

I need to do more on stage. I've got to get my fix!

The irony is that, coming from a white-collar British background, I tend to play blue-collar Americans!

One of the skills you have to master in theater is the ability to make the audience believe that things that aren't there are there - just like when you're acting against CGI. Also, in a theater, the people in the back row can't see the whites of your eyes. Or your lips moving as you deliver dialogue.

There's something safe about playing a character, but then it's like, 'Who am I underneath it all?'

At least when you're acting you can be someone. In front of the camera you have to be yourself. And who am I?

It's tough when take 1 is technically okay and take 2 has better acting. Out here (Hollywood) they print the first one. That's the one where we all hit the mark on the floor and who cares about the acting.

Who cares about people's personal lives? I mean, honestly. How are you then able to disappear into a role?

When you are old enough to... play powerful parts, who cares if you are 45, 55 or 65?

When I was in college at UCLA, I took a playwriting course. I was all set to be a writer. But I had to take this acting class as a theater arts major. I had to do this scene in a one-act comedy. I just said this line, and then... this laugh happened. I thought, 'Whoa. This is a really good feeling. What have I been missing?'

Like, literally, when you get the script, you're like, 'Whoa, I hope the Black Hood isn't after me.' I guess we'll find out.

I thought, 'Oh, acting is going to be great - I get to play different parts.' And then these auditions started coming up for terrorist, terrorist, terrorist, and I'm going, 'Whoa, what's this about?'

Whoever portrays me on screen need not necessarily be a look alike. Any hero could play my part.

As an actress we don't beat one another. It's whoever's right for the part.