Top 58 Quotes & Sayings by Ed Harris

I listen to National Public Radio, which, to me at least, presents the most rounded view of things.

I feel like my place in this industry is still progressing.

If I started worrying about how my constituents are going to react to every move I make, I wouldn't be able to do my job here. I'll do what I think is right and explain it later.

I love this country very much, and I'm proud to live here, but I think our current administration is extreme. These are not merely conservative people, these are extreme right-wing people.

I like to act with people that know what they're doing.

A lot of films come out before they're finished.

I feel fine about getting older because I'm in good shape. I'm 64 and I feel good.

Most of the best writing, the most creative writing, the most interesting, the most out-of-the-box kind of stuff, is being done on cable, you know, and on the computer. I mean, whatever it is, Amazon or Netflix or something. Because they're just willing to take chances, you know, and there's a market for it.

I bought the rights to this book, 'The Ploughmen,' by a Montana writer named Kim Zupan, and I've written the screenplay, and I really feel pretty strong about it. It's really hauntingly beautiful. It's got some suspense and great drama, but it's a real character thing.

I made career decisions that came from the part of me who wanted to shun the limelight.

If I'm daring at all, I guess it would be emotionally. I try to keep things interesting for myself and to do things that challenge me.

I was born in 1950, so there were tons of Westerns on TV by the time I was 6, 7, 8 years old. In terms of television, 'Maverick' and 'Have Gun - Will Travel.' But filmically, classics like 'High Noon' and 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' - that's one of my favorite films.

It's hard to see a film that's been made from a book that you really loved because it's such a different experience.

When I decided to direct, never having done that before, is something I'm very proud of.

You can't betray yourself too often, or you become somebody else.

I actually have a decent singing voice, and I've never been able to sing onscreen. I'd love to do a musical.

For The Truman Show, I worked for a few weeks, do my gig, then I was done.

You look at a guy like Lance Armstrong, and you have to be inspired. I sat next to Kirk Douglas the other day, and he's inspiring for fighting through his stroke.

I chose films made by people I wanted to work with, about subject matter I thought was intriguing.

Pollock said several times that he couldn't separate himself from his art. Not knowing much about modern art when I began to read about him, I was much more his persona - his struggles as a human being - that was interesting to me.

I think most families have a few secrets or some strange aspect to their history. We're all fascinated by family dynamics, but I'd much rather sit in an audience and watch someone else's problems!

I have a tight family group that's really important to me. I don't want to work all the time.

I had some really dear friends who died from AIDS-one in particular. His family wasn't around and he didn't have many friends. I spent a lot of time with him in his later days.

You get three hours' sleep and then you start all over again. Relentless. Pre-production was almost harder than filming. I was all over the city every day. It was really exhausting.

I'm not an activist per se, but I have strong feelings about things. People can jump on celebrities for being ill-informed or naive, but I've got a right to say what I believe.

I have some property. We have a few acres, so I like working on it, whether it's cutting stuff down, cleaning stuff up, building steps, or working with concrete, you know, brickwork.

I haven't directed a film since 'Appaloosa,' and I've been looking for something because I love the directing thing.

When Bush first got elected, the very first time there was talk of going to war with Iraq, the mainstream media gave his position total credibility. I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now.

There's, what, 300 films at the Telluride or Toronto or something. How many are those people gonna see? How many of those are actually gonna be in a theater, you know? You know, as an actor, I mean, I learned a long time ago that the fulfillment in this business is the doing of it because you can't rely on anything coming out.

I've always wanted to work with Paul Newman. I had a couple opportunities in the past, and I didn't take advantage of it, so it was really fun to be working with him.

I am not one of these guys who works job after job after job.

I think most people that are looked upon as doing something daring don't necessarily think of it that way-they do what they have to do.

If I've been an architect of my own career in any fashion, one thing that I've attempted to do is not get typecast, in order to be able to play all different kind of characters. I think I've done a pretty good job of that over the years.

There's always a reaction based on fear. People assume if you're criticizing a decision to go to war, then you're saying something against the soldiers-which is not the case.

I was concerned about filling my life up with something important to me. To me, it was just necessary.

Seeing what happens when you rip yourself open is what your job is all about.

You can mostly forget ethnic or religious differences. The competition for a bigger share of the oil proceeds is behind much of the fighting.

I enjoy acting, and I appreciate people who have passion about what they're doing and have a vision about the film they're trying to make.

In the past 10 years, I've looked at life as this Pollock stuff. And now I'm almost in the post Pollock phase.

I feel pretty comfortable with who I am. After a while, if you're not, it's like, what are you hoping for?

One of the first things I learned about acting was, the only person you compete against is yourself.

Hippy, you think everything is a conspiracy. Everything is!

I hope to direct a few more films before I leave the planet, so I hope I can find the material.

I havent even been drinking, but, at all, but, you know, being a man, Ive got to say that weve got this guy in the White House who thinks he is a man, you know, who projects himself as a man because he has a certain masculinity, and he's a good old boy, and he used to drink, and he knows how to shoot a gun and how to drive a pickup truck, etcetera like that. Thats not the definition of a man, God Dammit!

Seeing what happens when you rip yourself open is what your job is all about

I'm an actor who loves to direct film, if I find something that I'm compelled to do and want to spend three or four years doing. I really love the process, though. I might have to just say, "Yeah, I want to direct that," because I want to direct something, but that's just not the way my being is. It's got to be a necessity for me, otherwise I'll just keep acting.

There's always a reaction based on fear. People assume if you're criticizing a decision to go to war, then you're saying something against the soldiers-which is not the case

You look at a guy like Lance Armstrong, and you have to be inspired. I sat next to Kirk Douglas the other day, and he's inspiring for fighting through his stroke

We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.

I've always wanted to work with Paul Newman. I had a couple opportunities in the past, and I didn't take advantage of it, so it was really fun to be working with him

I was concerned about filling my life up with something important to me. To me, it was just necessary

When I decided to direct, never having done that before, is something I'm very proud of

It's hard to see a film that's been made from a book that you really loved because it's such a different experience

You have to be willing to expose yourself, at least to yourself, to get to some kind of truth about a character.

I'm not an activist per se, but I have strong feelings about things. People can jump on celebrities for being ill-informed or naive, but I've got a right to say what I believe

I can make a damn pork chop. My best dish is actually lasagna, which I do a couple times a year. My wife wishes I cooked a little bit more often, but I can put a frozen pizza in the oven and I make a good salad.

You can mostly forget ethnic or religious differences. The competition for a bigger share of the oil proceeds is behind much of the fighting

When Bush first got elected, the very first time there was talk of going to war with Iraq, the mainstream media gave his position total credibility. I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now