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Terry O'Quinn

Terry O'Quinn Quotes

Actor

Terry O'Quinn (born July 15, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as John Locke on the television series Lost, for which he won an Emmy Award. Born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, he began his acting career in the 1980s, appearing in films like Blade Runner and TV series such as The X-Files. His performance style is noted for its depth and subtlety, often portraying complex characters. O'Quinn's work has earned him critical acclaim and a lasting legacy in television.

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Famous Terry O'Quinn Quotes

“I can relate to somebody wanting to have something to believe in.”

Believe I Can Relate

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I like New York in the spring and in the fall. It's one of the best cities to walk that I've ever been in.”

Fall Walks Cities New York Spring

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, but I probably wouldn't say it's my favorite city.”

Cities My Favorite Los Angeles Favorite City

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I'll watch golf while I work out. I'm your average golf fan.”

Watches Fans Golf Average Work Out

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“Really, I think of fame as distracting; it's something you have to get around.”

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“When I find a golf course or a restaurant or a market that I like, that's pretty much exclusively where I go.”

Courses Golf Restaurants Golf Course

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I don't think I could play a character that I couldn't relate to somehow. I'm not unfamiliar with frustration, anger, shame, helplessness and a load of other emotions that make up our psycho-soup. I try to focus on that frustration, that sense of unfairness, and multiply it.”

Thinking Trying Play Character Emotion Focus Shame Relate Frustration Load Soup Helplessness Unfamiliar Psycho Unfairness

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I have done a few roles that I've never watched, and if I happen to be flicking through channels and one pops up, I quickly move on. It's hard enough to sustain some self confidence without being reminded of things we'd rather not revisit but, in the end, it comes with the territory.”

Ifs Ends Self Hard Done Enough Happens Moving Roles Pops Self Confidence Territory

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I have two concerns with my work: having good things to act, and getting paid. In that order. Although if you're not getting paid well, that order can change. But that's what I'm concerned about. Good scenes. Decent money.”

Ifs Wells Two Order Scene Concern Concerned Paid Good Things Decent

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I so rarely turned down a role, that I can't say I have any regrets in that regard. There were many roles that I would rather not have done, but having a home and family requires that we sometimes do things we would rather not.”

I Can Sometimes Done Home Roles Regret Regard Turned Down Home And Family

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“It's funny to be discovered by a lot of people who didn't know you before. People always used to say, 'Do you shop at Home Depot?' or 'Does your kid go to such and such school?' They want to know why they know me, even if they don't know my name. I don't think that's a bad thing, by the way; I think it's nice to be kind of anonymously famous.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Way Want Kind Doe Home Kids School Used Names Nice Shops Bad Things Be Kind Know Me

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“Yeah, I like working in television, a lot. I really enjoyed my time on 'Lost.' I like developing that hint of family with people. I mean, if you're on a happy set. If you're on a set where there's some sour apples, then I don't like working in television.”

People Ifs Mean Lost Television Yeah Enjoyed Developing My Time Apples Hints Sour

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“When you're convinced that you're right and you believe that you have the license to do anything because you're right, you can be bossy and you can be dangerous. You can be oppressive. You can be a tyrant.”

Believe Dangerous Convinced Tyrants License Bossy

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I think that you only occasionally have to play evil because everything you're doing is.”

Thinking Play Evil

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I'm not sure it's possible to stay in Hawaii. It's kind of impractical.”

Kind Not Sure Hawaii

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“It's easier to be healthy in Hawaii than it is, almost anywhere else I've lived. You spend a lot of time outside, in the ocean and on the beach.”

Easier Healthy Ocean Beach Hawaii

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“We all hope we have something else to do. We're going to be unemployed actors. It's a consistent state of being a professional actor, in my experience.”

States Actors Consistent Unemployed

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“I think sometimes you can grow up with faith, or if you're just the kind of animal who grabs onto it or doesn't grab onto it. I wasn't a big grabbing-onto-it kind of animal. I found my faith to be more about my belief, my spirituality, about nature.”

Ifs Thinking Kind Sometimes Bigs Spirituality Found Belief Grows Animal Growing Up Grabbing

Author:Terry O'Quinn

“The people I meet on the street satisfy my need to make contact with the fans. I love to meet them and I never say no to pictures. If an actor sees that as a curse, I think they need to go and be a roofer for a while. Or try out being a garbage man and seeing how they like it.”

People Thinking Men Trying Curse

Author:Terry O'Quinn

About the Author

Born: July 15, 1952
Known for: Actor
Quotes: 19

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