David Duchovny Quotes

The actors make the film. They're the ones that take this theoretical movie that's in your head and make it real. The success of a film is entirely on their shoulders. I admire them, because acting is such a difficult thing to do, and I personally can't understand it.

An actor only has his own understanding and experience to work with.

I love actors, and I'm passionate about the creative process of acting and filmmaking.

Acting is like sex. You should just do it and not talk about it.

I'm the kind of person who if I was playing the role of someone who got shot, I'd probably want to get shot so I knew what it felt like.

The worst acting is about imitation.

What is important to me as an actor is that, even if I have to spread my arms, take my shirt off on a mountain top with my heroine in a chiffon sari, it still has to be me and my twist or my funny take on it.

It's not a pleasure torturing actors, although some of them enjoy it.

Actors walk around wearing these little tool-belts of acting skills. And I just don't find that interesting to watch. I never want to see someone who clearly can cry at the drop of a hat. That's so uninteresting.

This acting's serious! And I really respect those actors. It's a tough business to be able to be something you're not and be natural and convince people on camera.

I think actors are attracted to the idea of other identities and concealing themselves behind some other identity.

Character acting is a much braver pursuit than a guy who runs around and intermittently clenches his jaw muscles.

You always hear actresses talk about how unromantic it is to act a love scene or a sex scene - which it is. You're doing it with all these lights on and cameras flying around and people on the set.

I used to be a dancer, and for me it was a really good combination of dance and acting.

In acting, you draw so much on your private life.

People think that my favorite roles to do are villains, but I find comedy to be the most challenging and rewarding.

The actor should be able to create the universe in the palm of his hand.

Being an actor really, really strengthens me as a director. There's just a certain type of understanding that comes from having been there and knowing how much is really being asked of actors that helps me.

Sometimes fake laughing is hard once you've done a scene 18 times. I don't want to brag, but I have a reputation for being very, very good at that. It's funny finding what's challenging about acting as you go.

That's what acting is about - for me, at least - tackling different personas and characters.

Playing Juliet in 'Heavenly Creatures' changed my life, and the role of Clementine in' Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' opened many new doors creatively.

One of the things you learn as an actor is that human beings are capable of almost anything. I'm sort of in the business of illustrating that fact.

I feel that nudity is sort of what we do as actors.

I think I'm sort of method in a sense, and I enjoy, you know, trying to find that reality in fake emotion.

'End of Watch' was 98-percent written, and I work really hard to make it look like it's the first time I'm saying it.