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Matt Dillon

Matt Dillon Quotes

Actor

Matt Dillon is an American actor known for his versatile performances in films and television. Born on February 18, 1964, he has gained recognition for his roles in a variety of films, from independent to mainstream commercial movies, particularly during the 1990s and early 2000s.

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Famous Matt Dillon Quotes

“The growing pains of being an actor, that was a little frustrating at times because you feel like you have great capacity to do many things. And yet there seems to be a misunderstanding about who you are and what you're trying to do. And that requires patience, and people eventually will understand.”

People Feels Trying Littles Seems Pain Actors Growing Like You Capacity Who You Are Misunderstanding Frustrating Growing Pains

Author:Matt Dillon

“I think a lot of directors, they come out of film school, they don't know anything about acting. Or they're writers that don't know anything about the process. And I think they're afraid sometimes to talk to actors and be honest with actors.”

Thinking Knows Sometimes School Film Actors Process Acting Honest Directors Being Honest Film School

Author:Matt Dillon

“I think the reason I've survived that long is because I've taken my work so seriously. Maybe sometimes too seriously, but it's always been important for me to do my best regardless of the film. I think the biggest compliment I get is when people on the street stop me and say they've liked the choices I've made.”

People Thinking Long Made Important Sometimes Reason Film Choices Taken Streets Compliment Survived

Author:Matt Dillon

“It's tough when you started out as young as I did to look back and see how far I've come. I try to be easy on myself and go 'Look man, you were younger, you were learning; you learn, you grow.' But I'm not my best judge. I always feel like my best work is still ahead of me.”

Men Feels Trying Looks Stills Young Grows Easy Judging Tough Best Work How Far I've Come

Author:Matt Dillon

“I have always wanted to play different kinds of stuff, but it's hard, first to find good material, and then to change people's perception of you so they'll let you do it. I mean, I would really like to play a poet, but once they get this notion of you as a street guy, it's hard to change that.”

People Firsts Kind Mean Different Hard Play Wanted Guy Stuff Streets Poet Materials Perception Notion Different Kinds

Author:Matt Dillon

“It seems like a cliche, but you do grow up a lot faster when you travel a lot, go through things like this interview, spend time away from home and hang around with other actors. It's inevitable that you're not going to have a so-called normal childhood.”

Home Seems Actors Grows Growing Up Childhood Normal Faster Inevitable Interviews End Times Spend Time Cliche Away From Home Time Away

Author:Matt Dillon

“One of my greatest fears is not being able to change, to be caught in a never-ending cycle of sameness. Growth is so important.”

Important Able Growth Caught Cycles Never Ending Sameness Greatest Fear Never Ending Cycle

Author:Matt Dillon

“I like conflict, drama's conflict and if you don't have that in the character it's really not a worthwhile role to play for me.”

Ifs Play Character Roles Drama Conflict Worthwhile

Author:Matt Dillon

“Well I can tell you that for me generally speaking that I think things that I deal with are all to do with not accepting things, not excepting life on life's terms. My life becomes a lot easier when I'm willing to just accept. I don't have to like circumstances as they are, but I have to accept them and that's where I always seem to get thrown, when I try to will my way instead of accept things the way they are.”

Thinking Way Trying Wells I Can Seems Term Deals Accepting Willing Circumstances Easier My Way Thrown Accepting Things

Author:Matt Dillon

“Racism was just a tool to deal with frustration and pain and that people are in denial about the way we feel and desperately trying to control their environment the way their lives are. And ultimately their scapegoats aren't going to make them feel better, it's just going to increase hatred and the problem gets worse and worse.”

People Way Feels Trying Problem Pain Deals Environment Racism Tools Hatred Increase Denial Frustration Feel Better Scapegoat

Author:Matt Dillon

“I look for really great characters. I say great because as long as they're really good, there's something you can do. And really good storytelling. And when people ask me what the story is, I say it's really several stories really. They're intermeshed.”

People Looks Long Character Stories Asks Can Do Storytelling Ask Me Really Great Great Character Good Storytelling

Author:Matt Dillon

“It's really nice to be able to do something that you've never done. I think that's the gift of being an actor because I get to play a cop, a racist cop and I've never done that before. It's nice to inhabit these other worlds especially when you get to work with great actors.”

Thinking World Done Play Able Actors Nice Racist Cop Other Worlds Really Nice Great Actors

Author:Matt Dillon

“I think we're all actors. There's this friend of mine who's a great drummer, and he said, "I never thought I'd be a drummer, but I got really good at it. I always feel like I'm an actor playing the drums." His real calling was that he was going to be a magician. That's what he felt like he wanted to do. If you decide to act like a journalist, you'll probably be a better journalist than just being a journalist. What you're doing is, you're taking the executive role and stepping outside yourself so that you're able to make more objective decisions.”

Thinking Real Decision Journalist Magician Drummer

Author:Matt Dillon

“One of the things I've learned over the years is that you only do what you can do as an actor. You do the best job you can, but you have no control over so many elements that are going to determine the outcome of that film. I never pay attention to what happens after.”

Film Attention Determine Pay Attention

Author:Matt Dillon

“If people are reacting to films based on their degree of success or failure, then they're not really looking at the movie. I don't really care about that. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but at least base your opinion on the merit of the work itself.”

People Care Film Opinion Success Or Failure

Author:Matt Dillon

“It's a pretty good job being an actor, but it's work sometimes. And when I say work, I mean it's a job.”

Mean Sometimes Good Job

Author:Matt Dillon

“The worst thing I could be accused of is that I'm a one-way dude, only out for myself. But the worst thing a woman can do is not to say anything. Especially when you're starting a relationship.”

Way Can Do Worst Starting One Way Worst Things Say Anything Accused

Author:Matt Dillon

“When I was twenty-two it was a lot harder to get hurt by women. It was easier for me to, you know, cheat on a girlfriend. I can't lie like that anymore.”

Knows I Can Two Lying Hurt Easier Harder Twenties Girlfriend Cheating Cheat Twenty Two

Author:Matt Dillon

“I sometimes think love is God's way of hoodwinking people into having kids. You fall in love, and all that passion goes into procreating and wanting children. I've felt that need to want to raise a child. It's a creative urge.”

People Thinking Way Want Needs Children Sometimes Kids Fall Passion Felt Love Is Creative Raises Falling In Love Urges God Is Love Having Kids

Author:Matt Dillon

“The great, rewarding thing about directing is that you're overseeing the whole thing. When you're an actor, you're just one department.”

Whole Actors Just One Department Overseeing

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't like movies where everything happens fast. I like the buildup, the obstacles, the mystery.”

Happens Mystery Obstacles Things Happen

Author:Matt Dillon

“As an actor, you can't be off the market for too long.”

Author:Matt Dillon

“Acting is very competitive. There are few good scripts out there and the ones that are good are very competitive. You look at your options and often times they're not too appealing.”

Looks Acting Scripts

Author:Matt Dillon

“Obviously all religions get corrupted by man. The initial ideas are interesting but once they get organized they seem to become about politics and other things and they get misinterpreted. . . . Have faith but do the work. Live your life right. Dont expect things to happen. Thats why Im put off by magical realism.”

Men Ideas Seems Happens Interesting Organized Have Faith Realism Live Your Life Initials Magical Realism Misinterpreted

Author:Matt Dillon

“I only hear my own voice. When you start hearing other voices, then it's time to worry.”

Voice My Own Worry Hearing

Author:Matt Dillon

“It's important to air your concerns and fears with someone you trust. When you're honest about how you can change and grow, and where your weaknesses are, then you open the door for improvement and change.”

Important Grows Doors Air Honest Weakness Concern Improvement

Author:Matt Dillon

“These are people who haven't gone through the legal means to becoming citizens like our forefathers did. They want all the benefits but none of the responsibilities.”

People Want Mean Responsibility Gone Havens Becoming Citizens Benefits Forefathers

Author:Matt Dillon

“Actors don't generally go asking other actors for advice too much, but I'll take suggestions wherever I can.”

I Can Actors Too Much Advice Asking Suggestions

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't consider myself a Hollywood liberal, but I have my convictions and my beliefs.”

Belief Hollywood Conviction

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't hide out. If you build a wall around yourself, it draws people to invade it. Fear is the enemy.”

People Ifs Enemy Wall Draws

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't know why, but I like the saxophone.”

Knows Saxophone

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't like to give out advice. I make suggestions when I get to know somebody a little bit, but I don't know about advice.”

Knows Giving Littles Bits Advice Little Bit Suggestions

Author:Matt Dillon

“I don't worry about whether a character is likable, as long as the character is believable.”

Long Character Worry Believable

Author:Matt Dillon

“I grew up with the white picket fence. My dad went to work nine to five, and he had a station wagon.”

White Five Grew Dad Grew Up My Dad Nine Stations Fence Wagons Picket Fences

Author:Matt Dillon

“I had acting teachers, and one of the things that was encouraged was to keep it fresh, to be spontaneous. That's the magic of film often.”

Film Acting Teacher Magic Spontaneous Be Spontaneous Acting Teachers

Author:Matt Dillon

“I know this sounds kind of crazy, but I think we're all actors.”

Thinking Knows Kind Actors Sound Crazy

Author:Matt Dillon

“I like to do comedy, but I'll be perfectly honest, I prefer to do drama and more character-driven-based stuff, generally.”

Character Stuff Comedy Honest Drama Driven

Author:Matt Dillon

“I think anytime you can do something you haven't seen or done in a film before, it's always a great day as an actor.”

Thinking Done Film Actors Can Do Havens Can Do Something Great Day

Author:Matt Dillon

“I used to make fun of the kids in school who acted or went to dance class.”

Kids School Used Fun Class Dance Class

Author:Matt Dillon

“I'm not a Buddhist, or a card-carrying member of any religion.”

Members Cards Buddhist

Author:Matt Dillon

“I'm not the greatest boyfriend, but I'm not a creep. It's more like I'm... absent-minded.”

Absent Creeps Absent Minded

Author:Matt Dillon

“In politics there are so many holes, so many contradictions, you don't know what's happening.”

Knows Happenings Holes Contradiction

Author:Matt Dillon

“It was being young and sensitive and an actor. There was a lot of pressure, everything was a hurdle.”

Young Actors Pressure Sensitive Hurdle

Author:Matt Dillon

“It's a pretty good job being an actor, but it's work sometimes. And when I say work, I mean it's a job. You're going to a job.”

Mean Sometimes Jobs Actors Good Job

Author:Matt Dillon

“Love is messy. It's not something that's real clean.”

Real Love Is Clean Messy

Author:Matt Dillon

“My driving, I've been accused of not being the best, most safest driver.”

Driving Being The Best Drivers Accused

Author:Matt Dillon

“Of course, if you're gonna make movies, you gotta make movies, and I'm not gonna say no to a good role.”

Ifs Courses Roles

Author:Matt Dillon

“The first music I was ever exposed to was Irish folk music, like the Clancy Brothers. My father plays that and Christmas songs.”

Firsts Play Song Father Brother Folks Exposed Folk Music Christmas Song

Author:Matt Dillon

“I do get bottled up in interviews. You're thinking about what you're saying, and suddenly you get all tangled. So people think I'm sullen, or that I don't have much to say. But my friends will tell you: a lot of times I talk too much.”

People Thinking Too Much My Friends Interviews Tangled Sullen

Author:Matt Dillon

“I'm drawn to women who live in a world different from my own. I don't believe you have to marry someone from your own backyard. James Joyce married a woman who never read any of his books.”

World Believe Book Different My Own Married Don't Believe Backyards Joyce I Don't Believe You

Author:Matt Dillon

About the Author

Born: February 18, 1964
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 51

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