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Michael Shurtleff Quotes

Actor

Michael Shurtleff, born on July 3, 1920 in the United States, was a renowned actor. He had a rich performing experience in both film and television, known for his unique acting skills and profound acting foundation.

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All Acting Actors Scene Want Character Dream Ifs Needs Should Asks Fighting Firsts Theatre Thinking Way Acknowledge Alive Attitude Choices Competition

Famous Michael Shurtleff Quotes

“If we lived for reality, we'd be dead, every last one of us. Only dreams keep us going.”

Ifs Dream Reality Lasts Acting

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“Conflict is what creates drama. The more conflict actors find, the more interesting the performance.”

Actors Interesting Acting Drama Conflict Performances

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Creating relationship is the heart of acting. It is basic. It is essential.”

Heart Acting Essentials Creating

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“Listening is not merely hearing, it is receiving the message that is being sent to you. Listening is reacting. Listening is being affected by what you hear. Listening is letting it land before you react. Listening is letting your reaction make a difference. Listening is active.”

Acting Listening Hearing Active Affected Reacting

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Whatever you decide is your motivation in the scene, the opposite of that is also true and should be in it.”

Should Motivation Acting Scene Opposites

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“Humor [in a scene] is not jokes. It is that attitude toward being alive without which you would long ago have jumped off the 59th Street Bridge.”

Long Acting Attitude Alive Streets Scene Jokes Bridges Long Ago

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Every scene you will ever act begins in the middle, and it is up to you, the actor, to provide what comes before.”

Actors Acting Middle Scene Up To You

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“The first step to a better audition is to give up character and use yourself.”

Giving Firsts Character Use Acting Steps Giving Up First Steps Auditions Best Acting

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Competition [in a scene] is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to get along. And they are therefore not first-rate actors.”

Want Firsts Actors Acting Healthy Scene Competition Rate Refuse Acknowledge Peacefulness Healthy Competition

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Take nothing for granted. Make an emotional discovery as often as you can find one in every scene. Ask yourself: What is new?”

Asks Acting Emotional Scene Discovery Granted Take Nothing For Granted

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“There's only one reason why a character drinks: to seek confrontation. To fight for what they want in ways normally denied them.”

Way Want Reason Character Fighting Acting Drink Reason Why Denied Confrontation

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Acting in theatre or television or screen is only for the irrecoverably diseased, those so smitten with the need that there is no choice.”

Needs Choices Acting Television Theatre Screens Diseased Smitten

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“An actor is looking for conflict. Conflict is what creates drama. We are taught to avoid trouble [so] actors don't realize they must go looking for it. Plays are written about...the extraordinary, the unusual, the climaxes. The more conflict actors find, the more interesting the performance.”

Play Actors Realizing Interesting Acting Written Trouble Taught Drama Conflict Performances Extraordinary Unusual Climax

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“We don't live for realities, but for the fantasies, the dreams of what might be. If we lived for reality, we'd be dead, every last one of us. Only dreams keep us going...When you are acting, don't settle for anything less than the biggest dream for your character's future.”

Ifs Character Dream Reality Might Lasts Acting Fantasy Settling

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Competition is healthy. Competition is life. Yet most actors refuse to acknowledge this. They don't want to compete. They want to get along. And they are therefore not first-rate actors. The good actor is the one who competes, willingly, who enjoys competing. An actor must compete, or die...Peacefulness and the avoidance of trouble won't help in his acting. It is just the opposite he must seek.”

Want Firsts Helping Dies Actors Enjoy Acting Trouble Healthy Opposites Competition Rate Refuse Acknowledge Competing Avoidance Good Actors Peacefulness Healthy Competition

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Consistency is the death of good acting.”

Acting Consistency Good Acting

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

“An actor must make his needs (goals, wants, objectives) so strong that he is willing to interfere with the other actor in order to get what he needs. Interfering means getting in their way so that what you want is stronger than what they want.”

Way Want Needs Mean Order Actors Strong Goal Acting Willing Stronger What You Want Objectives Interfere

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“An expression of feeling isn't worth anything unless it interferes with what the other actor in the scene wants.”

Want Feelings Actors Acting Expression Scene Interfere Expression Of Feeling

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“Often actors ask me if I think they should go on trying to be an actor. I have the same answer for everyone who asks: If you have a choice and could reasonably be happy doing something else, by all means go at once and do something else. Acting or writing or directing in the theatre or television or screen is only for the irrecoverably diseased, those who are so smitten with the need that there is no choice.”

Ifs Thinking Needs Should Writing Trying Mean Choices Actors Asks Answers Acting Television Goes On Theatre Screens Ask Me Diseased Smitten

Author:Michael Shurtleff

“To go into acting is like asking for admission to an insane asylum. Anyone may apply, but only the certifiably insane are admitted.”

May Funny Acting Humorous Theater Asking Theatre Insane Comparison Application Admitting Asylums Admission Insane Asylum

Book:Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

Source: Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the Part

About the Author

Born: July 3, 1920
Died: January 28, 2007
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 30

Books & Sources

Audition: Everything an Actor Needs to Know to Get the PartRelated source material

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