Home / Quotes / Quote by Alan Arkin

Quote by 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.”

Quote by Alan Arkin

Book:An Improvised Life: A Memoir

Work

An Improvised Life: A Memoir

This memoir delves into the personal journey of an individual who faces life's unpredictability with a sense of humor and flexibility. The narrative takes readers through a series of transformative events, illustrating the power of improvisation in overcoming obstacles and embracing change. more

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

“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

“I don't think it does the audience any good to know what I do to prepare. It keeps it more of a surprise. I don't feel like it has to be a mystery.”

Thinking Knows Feels Doe Audience Mystery Surprise

Author:Alan Arkin

“I played guitar. I've always considered myself an actor, but I wasn't making a living as an actor. So I was in a couple of folk groups that managed to keep me in underwear and burritos.”

Actors Groups Couple Guitar Folks Underwear Making A Living Burritos

Author:Alan Arkin

“Two-thirds of American movies are extensions of commercials -- they tell you how to feel and they tell you how to think -- rather than letting you figure it out on your own.”

Thinking Feels Two Figures Thirds Extensions American Movie

Author:Alan Arkin