Top 202 Quotes & Sayings by Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Page 3

Most of what Hollywood puts out is crap anyway.

The chemistry and the comfort and trust between two people playing a love story l is key, and to have a friend that I could trust, and whose sensibilities I already understood, made it so much easier, and is a big part of why it all looks natural on screen.

He [Mark Webb] is very savvy, technically, he's shot so many videos, he knows how to get what he wants. The surprise, of course, is that he's also an extremely humanistic story-teller. He's obsessed with story and character, and not just making it look right, which is a double-thred that's rare in directors.

Today's a great time to be any creative type of person, I think, and in just about every aspect of creativity, this generation is going to blow away every generation ever. Because we're the first ones with the Internet. I can get together with some friends, shoot a movie, cut it on my laptop at home, and then put it online. We don't have to listen to anyone.

I have a lot of trouble getting turned on by girls who are turned on by celebrity.

As an actor, it's always important to understand what the director is after. That, to me, is my job. When I'm acting, I like to ask a lot of questions and understand exactly why the director is doing what they're doing, so that I can provide him or her with the ingredients that they need to get the scene that they want. It's not to challenge them, in any way. It's just so that I can do my job best.

I don't buy into the glory days thing. I think every time has its great things to it. The '60s were such a glorious time but it's easy to forget that there was all sorts of bullshit too.

I have an eclectic taste in stuff whether it be movies or music or books or food or anything. Variety is interesting.

Our culture has a tendency to pigeonhole people and to try to tear down anybody who's breaking out of our comfort zone. That's why we get into these cultural ruts that end up being destructive prejudices. But breaking out of that comfort zone is the most rewarding thing you can do, in your life. I do my best to push myself, when I can.

You're gone. No mailing address. But I send you letters anyway.

I think the reason I was able to get the jobs I did is because I worked for some very strong, self-possessed filmmakers who wouldn't listen to the executive-suited wisdom, and they believed in me from director to actor. Not from salesman to commodity.

I collect flickering stars in old pickling jars, poking holes in the lids so they can breathe.

A man touched me: his hand... my thigh. I touched him too: my fist... his jaw.

I enjoy a challenge or provocation, something to think about, to talk about after it's done.

When I was a teenager I loved acting, but I really just loved it for myself. I didn't like the fact that anyone else saw the work I was doing

Hollywood can be an exclusive place. Who gets to be on TV, or who gets to make TV can be a small clique of an industry. There's so many talented, skilled people, all over the world, that might not have the connections or the opportunities to work in TV.

I think the way the media is going to work in the future is less something that the population consumes and more something that the population creates.

Don't we want to escape our real world and go into something larger than that, simpler than that, more beautiful or darker?

I don't have any training in dance. I can convince an audience that I know how to dance because I'm a convincing actor.

When you believe that you can do something that's when you can do it.

Even when I was really young, I hated doing commercials, because I would say, "That's not real acting." And it's not. It's embarrassing what they make little kids do in commercials.

The term 'popular culture' always used to mean what the people do - pop songs, folk songs, music in general used to live because people would sing these songs and tell these stories together. Then all of these new technologies came out and it became the work of professionals.

I just love to act. It's my favorite thing to do in the world, and what keeps it interesting, to me, is the creative challenge. So, different kinds of characters, that's what I just love to do.

I don't think action for action's sake is so fun, but when it helps tell the story, I love doing a good fight scene.

Genres give a vocabulary. They give a frame of reference for the audience to enter into a movie. Then, once they have their footing, that's when you can start doing things that they don't expect.

I tend to think having an impact on the world is a lot more complicated than government.

I don't think you necessarily have to be the most perfected performer, in order to express your feelings. It's really those feelings that an audience connects with, I think, at least as much as perfected technical skill.

If the inspiration is genuine and it's coming from the right place, that's what I like and want to be a part of.

The important thing is to find what's unique about yourself, find what's unique about someone else. And embrace everything in the moment, as opposed to constantly comparing yourself and your lover and your relationship to a static set of expectations.

Real life is not as simple as it is on a screen. I think real life is actually a lot more beautiful.

Singing doesn't have to mean that you sound like Stevie Wonder. I love to sing. I'm not the greatest singer in the world. But, a lot of my favorite singers aren't the greatest singers in the world.

Music belongs to everybody. Having a little clique of the industry tell us what our culture is... I don't think that's healthy. And the Internet is helping us get away from that.

I think there is something beautiful in reveling in sadness

I think acting is totally conducive to being a little kid, because kids are less inhibited and use their imagination.

His hands were weak and shaking from carrying far too many books from the bookshop. It was the best feeling.

I didn't really like doing commercials. You had to behave like you were on angel dust or something.

When I'm on set, I do whatever I can to find my focus. One thing that stays pretty consistent for all my jobs is, I listen to a lot of music while I'm working. Because when there's all this stuff going on, for me to be able to put on headphones and listen to music helps me keep my focus,. A big part of creating a character for me is finding the general palette for what kind of music I'm going to be listening to.

This overwhelming desire to be close to you directly conflicts with my intense fear of people.

When you become a ghost feel free to haunt me.

There seems to be a notion in Hollywood that if you want to make money, you have to sacrifice doing good work with integrity. And I think that's bullshit. I think that's an excuse, and it's what people say who are scared that they can't do good work.

If more people rode bikes and less people drove cars, the air would be in better shape and people would be in better shape.

It's nice to not feel like you're just re-enacting a preconceived moment, but there's room for an organic feeling to develop while the camera is rolling. Even amidst these enormous technical productions, Chris [ Nolan] always prioritized making sure that sort of spontaneous and organic feeling could happen at the moment.

The truth of actually working on a movie set is that you're in the midst of a logistical nightmare. There are so many things going on. There are many factors that keep your ideal scenario from ever happening. And you're rarely going to get that.

I think violence begets violence. I don't think a way to solve any sort of conflict is with violence because nothing ever ends up solved, that way.

It's HE-RO," the boy argued. "No," the girl insisted, "it's HER-O.

Well, look who I ran into," crowed Coincidence. "Please," flirted Fate, "this was meant to be.

Why am I doing the work I'm doing? Why am I friends with this person? Am I living the best life I possibly can? Questions are often looked upon as questions of doubt but I don't see it that way at all. I question things to stay present, to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.

If you look at all the movies that have made tons of money, almost all of them are great movies. Even Titanic. I think Titanic is a great movie.

"Music is something that professionals do and not something that I do." That's not natural. Music belongs to everybody.

I find the voice is what I look for first and foremost with just about every character I play.

I have a pretty eclectic taste in the movies that I like to watch, and also in the movies that I'm inspired to work on.

If you do or don't like something it's because of that thing and not because it has the right politics behind them or the right company or the right connections. It's really just about the thing itself.

That you can be whatever you want to be, whoever you want to be, regardless of your gender.

I'm ready for another adventure now, take me far away please! Ok one more... But then you have to read to me!

I'd been an actor my whole life, since I was a kid. And then, I quit for awhile and went to university. When I wanted to start acting again, I couldn't get a job, and that was really depressing. So, I realized, at that time, that I have to take responsibility for my own creativity.

What makes a good work of art is something that honors certain traditions and breaks with others.

That's what life is: repetitive routines. It's a matter of finding the balance between deviating from those patterns and knowing when to repeat them.

I've been hearing it a lot, especially in the last few years; people will say things to me like "Well, if only I was like you in that movie," or "If only I could be with someone like you in that movie." And, you know, it's very flattering to hear that.

But I would encourage anyone who has a crush on my character to watch it again and examine how selfish he is.

Making little videos that you know are going to be on tiny windows is a whole different thing. I don't know what it's going to lead to necessarily, but it's certainly fun.