Sean Bean Quotes

I still think of myself as a stage actor. When I do film and television I try to implement what I was taught to do in theatre, to try to stretch into characters that are far from myself.

When I act, a part of me goes into the character I am playing.

To disappear your complete self into a character is quite difficult. I've tried it 85 times, and I've succeeded two or three times.

Actors pull from their own experiences to bring reality to the characters. I wouldn't want to play someone who's a lot like me. There would be no turning it on or off.

I don't believe actors who say they don't bleed into their characters. It's absolutely impossible not to.

I just play him as myself, I don't ease myself into any role really. I stick a beard on and play me.

Some actors can distance themselves from the parts they play, but I fall into the category who use bits of themselves.

All of the actors that have served to me as inspiration over the years have been those more associated with dramatic work who have, in turn, been able to embody their characters and lose themselves in those characters that they create.

Some actors are brilliant character guys. They submerge.

I wouldn't say I'm a Method actor, but there are times where a role will require you to live in their world.

When you see my performances, even people that you might have known, like Nicky Barnes in 'American Gangster,' you have to get over the fact that I look like Cuba Gooding, Jr. But once you find truth in the performance, if I'm doing my job right, you believe everything.

I was blown away watching Michael Keaton act because he was such a maniacal, evil person on set. He takes on a totally different life, and it was so amazing to watch him work.

I am trained in theatre, and so I take time to study and get into the skin of a character.

I am a known actor who wants to challenge himself in difficult roles. I am not a star but an actor, so I am always looking for strong scripts and strong roles.

As an actor, I think it's always important to separate yourself from your characters because, when you include yourself in a character, you're taking a liberty that you don't really have unless you're life is that incredibly close to the character.

What attracted me to acting, from the start, was playing different characters. I'm not a massive fan of just playing myself on screen.

I love acting... I really do. I love crawling into another character's skin. That's something that I've always, always, always, always wanted.

I never act my characters - I am them.

A lot of male actors are method actors and they become the characters which they both were.

You take what you know, and you put it through your own prism. If I play characters that break down or cry, it's Gary Oldman crying; it's not the character crying.

You have to be completely in the character, and that's so hard to do. That's why, when they call, 'Cut!,' you often feel yourself shift. Unless you're Daniel Day Lewis, who stays in character all the time, there's a switch that happens.

In terms of jumping into a character's skin, I try to immerse myself in the role as much as possible to bring me closer to them. All I do is what's required to achieve what I want to achieve.

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

I don't even draw on my life experiences when I'm acting. I just try and make it feel like I'm living through that person's skin.

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