Quotes About Acting

My mum was a nurse, and her passion was geriatric care. I used to love listening to the old people's stories in her nursing home and picturing myself in their place. They'd say, 'I went to school in a horse and cart,' and I'd just think 'Wow!' I'd picture myself in their place - acting was a natural progression.

There are ways in which you can make sure that even if people come to the theatre because they know an actor or actress, by the end, they've forgotten that, and they leave going, 'Wow - what an amazing play.'

I walked onstage in a play at prep school, and with childish naivete, told myself, 'Wow, I'm an actor!'

I was in college, and I studied everything, but was really not good at anything until I found philosophy, and, then, political science. I thought, 'Wow, this is something I really enjoy.' I kind of got into that whole world of law and political science. I was really into it and enjoying it, and then I took an acting elective, and that was it.

I did an episode on the TV show 'Awake,' and I thought, 'Wow, that's really hard.' To do that so fast and to do that, if it's very successful, for nine months out of the year, for a bunch of good years, that's challenging. But, it was interesting. It's a good show. You'd have to have a very good character, I guess.

I've been told I've done a lot of flop movies. And I think, 'Wow, I've never considered them flops!' I've loved every character I played.

I started as a straight actor. I'd go onstage, and I'd think, 'Wow, this is the only thing I want to work really hard at. I will rehearse fifty times on a single scene; I don't care - I'll do it again.'

When I got the phone call that I was told I was Peter Pan, I freaked out, because I was like, 'Wow! How does that happen?' But pretty much, from there on, everyone's been so lovely.

It's hard when you play something that people are like, 'Wow that's really cool - you just did something really epic,' because you're not always going to be playing epic characters in a role.

I started in Shakespeare. I'm classically trained, which, how hilarious is that? Then one night, I saw Second City and thought, 'Wow, that's what I want to do.' But I never thought it would morph into screenplay writing.

Once I had started film, I suddenly said, 'Wow, I love it.' I moved there from New York. But I've always gone back to the theater, and it is more satisfying, really, because you get to give a continuous performance - no sequels.

When I did 'Clockers,' I didn't even think about having a career in acting, I just thought, 'Wow, this is cool. I get to do a little movie.'

There were points I wanted to stop acting. We got so busy and didn't get to see our friends a lot, and I was like, 'Wow, I'm kind of over this.' But then we started really having fun on 'The Suite Life.'

Every time I'm a good guy in a movie, which is the 'Marine,' people are like, 'Wow, you can play endearing. You can play kind and nice and sweet but yet hardcore.' And I'm like, 'Yeah. Just because The Miz is a jerk and an egotistical maniac doesn't mean that there isn't a softer side to Mike Mizanin.'

What's wonderful about acting is that you get to play different roles. For instance, in 'Amelie,' I played a young mother. Some of the photoshoots, you're playing a role. I like to be able to look at a photo and say, 'Wow - that isn't even me.' I enjoy being able to project.

You know in acting you have those moments in a movie where a character yells or breaks down crying and you're like, wow, that's acting?

Most people when they see me cry for a shot, say, 'Wow, what a natural!' But I actually do cry and break down.

When I rehearse, it ends up doing more harm than good. I think I work a little bit better when it's right off the bat. Mostly, I try to wrap my head around a role as much as I can without rehearsing and then kind of make it as fresh as possible on the day.

I love playing Jim. I love working with this cast and the opportunity to come back and work with them again was just way too appealing for me. Also, I think this is a great way to wrap up the franchise.

My mom suggested studying acting in college, but I was a bit scared to choose that path because I couldn't wrap my head around the drama school audition process.

I've played American characters so many times now, it's so natural to me. But when I play American, I stay in the American accent from the minute I get the job till the minute I wrap.

Being an actor can be a cruel experience because there is no cooling-down period. You can be involved in something that's incredibly intense, but then it's a wrap and you've finished and you go home. I find it difficult to complete a job and then return to reality and find my healthy place.

Acting is definitely an incredible pursuit, but on the other side, it's a business, and learning where art meets business was a huge lesson for me. The more you can wrap your mind around that idea - that yes, this is my art, but it's tied into business - the more it helps you understand and move past the failures.

To be quite honest, I find that it's easier to do parts that are wrapped up in different hair and wardrobe and eras, and different period behavior, than it is to play closer to the present.