Home / Quotes / Quote by Alan Arkin

Quote by Alan Arkin

“TV has taken reflection out of the human condition. People didn't use to have a ready answer for everything, whether they knew something about it or not. People think they have to have an answer for everything because the guys on TV have an answer for everything. But it's bullsh**t! Reflection is crucial.”

Quote by Alan Arkin

Author

Alan Arkin is an American actor renowned for his performances in film and television. Born on March 26, 1934, he has had a career spanning over half a century, during which he has won numerous awards, including an Academy Award. more

You May Also Like

“Truth is always unfolding. It's not an absolute.”

Truth Truth Is Absolutes Unfolding Absolute Truth

Author:Alan Arkin

“I read somewhere that some people believe that the entire universe is a matrix of living thought. And I said, "Man, if that's not a definition of God, I don't know what is.”

People Ifs Knows Men Believe Said Universe Definitions

Author:Alan Arkin

“For many years my acting came from a place of surmounting some enormous obstacle, confronting some stern and faceless judge who would condemn me to a pit of hell if I didn't achieve the "zone," if even for a moment. Not a particularly happy place to work from.”

Ifs Years Moments Acting Hell Achieve Judging Obstacles Enormous Zone Pits Confronting Faceless Happy Place

Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir

Source: An Improvised Life: A Memoir

“Creativity means learning where the rules exist, and then breaking them! Saying, "It's better this way." But you have to know the rules in order to break them with any grace.”

Knows Way Mean Order Break Creativity Grace

Author:Alan Arkin

“Hollywood is a strange place. The class structure here is more rigid than almost anyplace I've ever experienced. It's made more difficult by the fact that it's constantly changing. You never know what class you belong to unless you're one of the two or three people that have been in the same echelon for a long, long time.”

People Knows Long Has Beens Made Two Facts Three Difficult Class Strange Long Time Hollywood Structure Strange Places

Author:Alan Arkin

“I'm an actor. My life as an actor depends on who sends me what. I'm just taking the best stuff that I can find that's sent my way, regardless of how big or little the paycheck is. I don't want to work for scale anymore. I'm at a point now where, no matter how good something is, I'm not going to kill myself and end up in the hole.”

Way Want Littles I Can Ends Matter Bigs Actors Stuff Depends Scales Holes My Way Paychecks

Author:Alan Arkin

“Is it possible to have an endless series of successes without falling on our faces? I suppose it is, but I think it would entail doing the same things over and over again without taking chances, without taking risks or exploring our limits, without finding out what we can and can't do.”

Thinking Faces Fall Chance Risk Limits Findings Series Endless Exploring Take A Chance Taking Risks

Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir

Source: An Improvised Life: A Memoir

“I gotta keep busy. I'm not happy unless I'm working on two, three things.”

Two Three Busy Three Things Not Happy Keep Busy

Author:Alan Arkin

“That's what we're all doing, all the time, whether we know it or not. Whether we like it or not. Creating something on the spur of the moment with the materials at hand. We might just as well let the rest of it go, join the party, and dance our hearts out.”

Knows Wells Heart Moments Hands Might Party Materials Creating Spurs Creating Something Spur Of The Moment

Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir

Source: An Improvised Life: A Memoir

“Improvisation sometimes seemed more like jazz than acting, like verbal jazz, with the actors playing a theme back and forth, and then introducing another theme, incorporating it, somehow trying to work their way all together to a meaning of some kind, or at least a conclusion.”

Way Trying Kind Sometimes Together Actors Acting Jazz Conclusion Theme Introducing Back And Forth Improvisation Incorporating

Author:Alan Arkin