Viola Davis Quotes

A good actor must never be in love with anyone but himself.

If the director's a communist, whatever, he's a communist. All I care is that he directs. For the actor, the same thing. All you really care is that he comes in and performs.

I don't approach my acting as just saying a few lines and then going off-screen. It's a craft. I really invest in trying to make it a craft.

I want to be an actor who always tries the best regardless of roles.

Actors - we're selfish, but we can't think about the work in that kind of selfish manner. I think that you have to step away from yourself, if you're going to do it. Otherwise don't do it; otherwise why do it?

Don't let your ego get too close to your position, so that if your position gets shot down, your ego doesn't go with it.

I don't feel like I've ever kissed any of the people I have done for acting. That moment didn't exist for you; it existed for that person.

I know what I want, and I know what needs to be done to make my performance better. So I do these little askings, about the lights and costumes. It's not the diva speaking. It's the artist who knows how it has to be done.

No actor who's any good can say truthfully to themselves, 'Yeah, I'm good; I've got this sorted.'

I think a lot of actors take on fun roles and then they're lazy or flippant with them. I just can't do that.

I've worked on shows where the lead actor doesn't know their lines, doesn't care, and it affects everybody - the crew, the director, the other actors. It's definitely a responsibility.

I find actors a little bit too self-conscious.

Actors talking about themselves. Nothing better!

It's so rare, actors who are not vain.

To pay attention to flattery or criticism is a waste of time for artists.

Actors are adults playing hide-and-ego-seek.

I'd be pretty saddened to hear anyone say, 'Yeah, listen to this... God, I'm awesome, the way this all sits together,' about their own work.

Hollywood is, of course, loaded with egos, but it's amazing to see how, despite the egos, those collaborators pull together and focus on telling a story rather than butt heads and sabotage what is extremely hard work and investment just because their ego apparently demands it.

It is a great help for a man to be in love with himself. For an actor, however, it is absolutely essential.

You can say something that can really help and actor and you can say something that can really get in the way of an actor's performance, kind of cut them off from their instincts and really get into their heads. And every actor's different. Every actor requires something different. Being an actor, for me, was the greatest training to be a writer and director.

When you shoot a scene, you remember every moment. You remember when your head went down, your head went up. You don't see little quirks, little eye movements, little lip movements. Once again, you become completely vain when you're watching it in a way that you weren't when you were shooting it. And the vanity, what it makes you focus on are everything that has nothing to do with the scene and everything to do with your own ego.

I'm a fan of movies and television shows, and I don't expect anything from actors and actresses, or anyone, but good work. What they do. I don't feel like I deserve a piece of their personal life, or even what they think about the work they do.

Film acting would be about 80 percent better than it has been lately if actors did their homework, if they didn't have egos that took the size of their talent for granted.

I think you have to be schizoid three different ways to be an actor ... You have to be a human being. Then you have to be the character you're playing. And on top of that you've got to be the guy sitting out there in Row 10, watching yourself and judging yourself. That's why most of us are crazy to start with, or go nuts once we get into it.

I forget about the relationship between myself and any actress when working with her.