“In a theater you can fool everyone past the tenth row if you're good, but on the screen you can't really fool anyone for a second.” IfsPastActorsFoolTheaterScreens Author:Gloria Swanson
“The theater audience is the ultimate teacher, instructing the actor on the degree to which he has executed both the author's and the director's intent.” ActorsAudienceTeacherDirectorsDegreesUltimateTheater Author:Joan Fontaine
“My stage fright gets worse at every performance. During the overture I hope for a theater fire, typhoon, revolution in the Pentagon.” ActorsFireStageRevolutionPerformancesTheaterFrightPentagonStage FrightTyphoons Book:THE GIFT HORSE Source: THE GIFT HORSE
“The stage is actor's country. You have to get your passport stamped every so often or they take away your citizenship.” CountryActorsActingStageTheaterCitizenshipPassports Author:Vanessa Redgrave
“As actors, we need public relations to campaign for our next possible role, and any media promoting our work seems positive in nature; but whether in theater or on a film set, a bad unprofessional photograph at the wrong angle may not be as flattering to some actors, and may be considered a harmful exposure.” NeedsMaySeemsFilmNextActorsRolesMediaRelationTheaterPhotographCampaignsAngleExposurePromotingFlatteringPublic RelationsFilm Set Author:Carson Grant
“other artists - poets, painters, sculptors, musicians - produce something which lives after them and enshrines their memories in positive evidences of their divine mission; but we, - we strut and fret our hour upon the stage, and then the curtain falls and all is darkness and silence.” ArtistFallActorsHoursMemoriesSilenceDarknessStageProduceDivinePoetMusicianEvidenceTheaterMissionsPainterCurtainsSculptors Author:Charlotte Saunders Cushman
“Dustin Hoffman said this one time, that if he hadn't made it as a film star, he would still be happy as a character actor because he was a character actor because of his face from day one, so he would always work in the theater.” IfsMadeSaidStillsCharacterFilmFacesActorsStarsTheaterMade ItOne TimeCharacter ActorsFilm Stars Author:Denis Leary
“I'm not one of those actors who's very good at having a list of roles that I want to play someday - which is bad, because I really need to do it. I have people in theaters ask me what I want to do and I don't have an answer!” PeopleWantNeedsPlayActorsAsksAnswersRolesTheaterVery GoodListsAsk MeSomeday Author:Michael Cerveris
“Perhaps society should give actors the same sort of protection it gives to those who follow a religious life. Actor/priest was originally the same job. The theater is left wing magic and theology is right wing magic.” GivingShouldJobsActorsLeftReligiousMagicTheaterWingsProtectionTheologyPriestsRight WingLeft WingReligious Life Author:Jennifer Stone
“Statistically, it would be insanity to go into the theatre for money. According to the statistics, you should just stay home. The odds are just incredible.” ShouldHomeWould BeActorsTheaterIncrediblesTheatreInsanityStatisticsOdds Author:Maureen Stapleton
“Actors are as anxious about the state of audiences as aviators are over weather conditions.” StatesActorsAudienceConditionsTheaterWeatherAnxiousAviator Author:Katharine Cornell
“I'm sort of one of those weird actors who whenever I do a play, I think, "Oh, we should film this." As opposed to have to belt it out of ourselves in a theater auditorium.” ThinkingShouldPlayFilmActorsTheaterBeltsAuditoriums Author:Clive Owen
“When I was in theater I was forever trying to inhabit a space which puts yourself under the microscope as an actor and your personality and your take on life, but actually through another portal of a character.” TryingCharacterActorsSpaceForeverPersonalityTheaterMicroscopesPortal Author:Andy Serkis
“At the moment, my trajectory isn't to think about acting. I'm absolutely devoted to The Imaginarium, our projects and directing. And watching and enabling other actors do their thing in our studio is hugely rewarding. I expect at some point I'll probably want to go back on stage and do some theater, because I've not done theater in 10 years.” ThinkingWantYearsDoneMomentsActorsActingStageProjectsTheaterStudiosDevotedEnablingTrajectory Author:Andy Serkis
“Never stand still. Only stand still enough to learn, and once you stop learning in that stance, move off. Always keep yourself engaged, in theater, in whatever job you can get. If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take tickets. But be around actors because that is where you will primarily learn.” IfsStillsEnoughJobsMovingActorsActingTheaterEngagedTicketsStance Author:Ed Asner
“customary interruptions are not only gratifying and cheering, but they are also really necessary in order to gain breath and voice to carry one on through some violent exertions; though after all it must be confessed that silence is the most flattering applause an Actor can receive.” OrderActorsVoiceSilenceGainsTheaterBreathsViolentCheerSilence IsApplauseFlatteringExertionInterruptions Author:Sarah Siddons
“[To actors on opening night:] You have had good equipment to work with. You've had a theater with everything you needed, and you are involved with the play; but all the way through you have been handicapped. One essential has been denied you. Tonight the audience is there; now they are sitting out front; you have everything you need.” WayNeedsHas BeensPlayNightActorsAudienceFrontsNeededInvolvedEssentialsSittingTheaterOpeningTonightDeniedEquipmentHandicappedOpening Night Author:Hallie Flanagan
“In high school, theater was all I ever wanted to do. I didnt see that I was going to set it aside for so many years and take a right turn into television. Of course, wanting to do theater is something you hear a lot from actors. I think Ive been embarrassed to be in that big cliche.” ThinkingYearsBigsWantedSchoolTurnsCoursesActorsTelevisionHigh SchoolTheaterEmbarrassedCliche Author:Mare Winningham
“There is probably some great acting that goes on in movies from people who have never been on a stage, but if you are in for the long haul, you'd be missing an enormous part of what being an actor is if you're not part of theater.” PeopleIfsLongActorsActingStageMissingGoes OnTheaterEnormousHaulLong Haul Author:Justin Kirk
“I learned my business in the theater and in television, particularly working with the actors. You can learn much more in the theater than directing a movie, because then you have no time when you are shooting a movie to really work with the actors. You have to learn this craft somewhere else.” ActorsTelevisionTheaterCraftsShootingSomewhere Else Author:Michael Haneke
“When real actors are approaching their work, we could be on a little stage somewhere, doing community theater. It's all the same. They're just trying to make the scene work. They're just trying to do the best they can and figure it out.” TryingLittlesRealActorsCommunityStageFiguresSceneTheaterDo The Best Author:Kurt Fuller