Top 1200 Character Actors Quotes & Sayings - Page 2

I'm interested in what actors reveal about themselves through the structure of the character.

In a sense, all actors are character actors, because we're all playing different characters. But a lot of the time - and I don't know, because I'm not a writer - but writers a lot of times write second- and third-tier characters better than they write primary characters. I guess they're more fun.

Well, I've always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys. So it never surprises me. And if it's good writing, you can find your way into the part well enough.

I'm very fortunate that I get asked to do very different kinds of roles and I realize how much I enjoy that. I enjoy the challenge of transformation. There are actors who play one character, or a certain kind of character, the whole of their lives. I really relish the opportunity to have the challenge to totally transform.

There was never a moment where I was intentionally cribbing from another actor. More so, I grew up watching other actors design the character of The Joker to me, and obviously, the part was paying tribute to The Joker, and so I wanted to, you know, perform it to the best of my abilities in a way that it seemed to be paying homage to the character.

The dream would be to work with my two favorite actors, Daniel Day Lewis and Cate Blanchett. Or playing Joaquin Phoenix's brother in a film. Basically anything where I get to act opposite actors like these; ones who bring a certain caliber to their work and literally morph into the character they are playing.

Actors who say they can dive inside a character are either schizophrenic or lying.

Playing a drunk doesn't mean being a drunk, only bad actors try to be drunk. A real drunk tries to be sober, he wants another drink. How a character hides their feelings tells us who they are, no one shows their feelings except bad actors.

I am not of the vein of actors - and I will not pretend to be one - that takes my character home with me. I don't.

I could not be one of those actors who stays in character all day long. I'd go mad.

Actors need to learn when their character is front and center and when it's more in the background.

As actors we're supposed to be our character's advocate.

There are level-headed actors and outlandish actors and financially responsible actors and financially irresponsible actors.

Sam Jackson is a director's dream. Some actors hope to find their character during shooting. He knows his character before shooting. Sam's old-school. I just got out of his way. I never did more than two takes with Sam.-william friedkin

If you're gonna let the character be the story, you better set a tone that allows the actors to do the best work they can do.

Actors are always looking for ways to build a character.

Sometimes, as actors, we feel like we want to hold on and control where a character goes.

If there is something magic about the collaborations I have with actors it's because I put the character first.

My favorite character on Friends was Joey, because we're both actors. I always thought that was so cool.

I don't want to take shots at professional actors, because obviously the great ones are great. But I do think that given the kind of stories I've been telling in my films, it's hard for me to imagine how professional actors would have done better. And it's easy for me to imagine how they would have done worse. Because I think a lot of what an actor is trained to do and a lot of what an actor's instincts point toward is clarification, is always making it clear what's happening in the story, how the character fits into the scene, what the character wants.

If you're lucky, and not a lot of actors are these days, you get the chance to create a character

Most actors nowadays are models turned actors. That's why a lot of young actors are terrible. You have to learn how to act. It is not something that you can just do.

Character actors have a long shelf life.

I like to work with actors that have varied experiences. But I don't choose them because of their experience, I choose them because of qualities I think would make an interesting character and to me there is no one way to direct actors, there is only one way to collaborate with one person.

Actors sometimes immerse themselves into it so deeply that the line between who they are and their character can become blurred. For me, I think it's just about getting clearer on my whole life and who I am in order to make it possible for me to play whatever character is presented to me at a particular time.

I'm an actor. I'll take a lead if it's offered. The really good actors can fill a character, no matter what the role is. A good leading man is a character actor; a good character actor can be a leading man.

If you're lucky, and not a lot of actors are these days, you get the chance to create a character.

People forget that we are character actors and we can do other things.

Some actors are brilliant character guys. They submerge.

A lot of the time you find that elements of a character are brought out by the actors playing them.

Some actors come to casting and ask me, "Didn't you see my previous roles?" We do not work with actors like this. Their previous roles do not matter; I need the actual work with an actor in this particular character that has been written in our script. What matters is flexibility, believability and efficiency of an actor.

When the actors look your character, half the problems are solved.

With most British actors, it's amazing. I think they start with the character on the outside and work in.

I pray to be of service to the playwright, the audience, the other actors and my character.

Like De Niro. He's one of the best character actors we have ever had.

You can think of Hollywood as high school. TV actors are freshmen, comedy actors are maybe juniors, and dramatic actors - they're the cool seniors.

William Hartnell was one of the great unsung character actors of his time

We are actors. We can adapt to any different look for the sake of the story and the character.

Character actors aren't a brand in the same way that high-profile leading men are.

We as actors ought to breathe life into a character and do it seamlessly to connect with the audiences.

I really admire actors who have time, because time is really the greatest luxury for an actor to live with a character, to develop a walk and a talk, or to listen to tape if you're playing a real character. But without time you're really just forced to make quick choices and move on and hope that the spaghetti sticks against the wall.

I believe that music videos give us an opportunity as actors to play a different character.

Playing what Hollywood determines is a hero, it immediately sets actors up to feel like they just can't explore the dark parts of themselves - the character has to be likeable, has to be fuckable, has to be redemptive on all fronts. When you're playing a character that's just inherently destructive or messed up, you're given this beautiful permission to try things. There's a license to fail.

As a director, you have to know what actors are doing. You're the one telling them what to do. The actors' job is to come prepared to the set, but sometimes, if they're beginning actors or people who are non-actors, you have to teach them how to act.

I love actors, both my parents were actors, and the work with actors is the most enjoyable part of making a film. It's important that they feel protected and are confident they won't be betrayed. When you create that atmosphere of trust, it's in the bag - the actors will do everything to satisfy you.

The endless teen franchises that come out of Hollywood... more often than not, the central character doesn't have any discernible character traits. They're just the young, good-looking guy who goes on this journey. They're always played by fantastic young actors, but ultimately, they're not very interesting characters.

I was kind of scared at first to do that [vice-over] because when you're on set, a lot of the things going on around you - the environment and playing off other actors - and that's what makes it easier and helps you to be in your character. So, realizing you're not going to have that and you're going to be secluded in this booth, it's like, "How am I going to be a character when I'm just in these walls?"

I think the best dramatic actors know how to tap into their character's humor.

I try not to write for actors because A, they're not the character, and B, it's really depressing when you don't get them.

It's down to the actors to show the writers the potential of the character.

There should always be that leeway because if you think of your character as sort of absolutely fixed, then you just try and find actors to come and do exactly that thing, then you're not gonna be working with that actor's own set of internal impulses and who they are, so the best work is always a coming together of the actor and the character.

My influences were Peter Sellers and the great British character actors.

Some actors - myself included - like to know where your character's going: you like to know what the arc is for the character so that you can plan where you're going to give beats for this, that, and the other and give the audience what they want. But on 'Homeland,' you do the opposite.

I've just always had a soft spot for character actors.

With movies, you come and go as an actor, especially if you are not the lead, from week to week. You don't really have a lot of time to get to know anyone, and then on to the next thing. I know a lot of actors who find fulfillment in playing an entirely new character. I like to stick with one character and create a family with the people around me.

There's an inherent responsibility actors feel when portraying something that actually exists in the world. It's arguably something that not all actors would agree on because this is a craft, but for me, it's the emotion of what a character is going through that makes the performance what it is. We have a responsibility to bring those emotions to light.

Between New York and L.A., and all of us who are actors, I feel like we're just one big, cast repertory company, all running back and forth between the coasts and between different shows. There is a wealth of great character actors, who show up, here and there, on different shows. I love the fact that we're allowed to do that.

I'd love to perform with other actors and act with actors, true actors. I would like to be in a movie and have full room for acting.

I hear about actors being exterior actors and actors being instinctual actors and I always think it's crap. Anybody who knows anything about it knows that good actors do both - they do inside-outward and they do outside-inward. You can't not do both.

Stars can never replace strong character actors in roles that demand histrionics.