Colm Meaney Quotes

I demanded two weeks of rehearsal because to me as an actor, that's the most important time.

I'm not a method actor, but I'm a big research kind of actor.

Basically, the way you get into any role is just doing research on the type of character you're playing.

I like to have something to base a role on.

Obviously, in theatre, you work chronologically, so you kind of know where your emotions are supposed to be, and you're always on top of things, and as an actor, you always know what's coming next.

There's no set rule, but when you look at the script, you start thinking about this person and how to create this human being on screen. You dig deeper into a script.

I do not use any set methods, not even The Method. The character after all is in the lines.

In choosing any role, I ask the same questions: what kind of part is it? is the role challenging? does the director have a vision? is the story moving? etc.

You try to get to know your character as best as you can before you start filming - what's written and not written.

What I mostly do is take the script, analyse the hell out of it, see what's in there, see what kind of person I'm dealing with, and then forget I'm playing a father and just play a person who exemplifies all those things.

I don't really prepare for each role the same way.

In the work that I normally do, you have a whole script, a whole arc, that you play. And I do believe a good actor will play every bit of information they're given.

I mean, a lot of time rehearsals are taken up with other things other than preparing a character.

Part of an actor's job is to draw up a back story.

I like to rehearse with the actors scenes that are not in the script and will not be in the film because what we're really doing is trying to establish their character, and good acting to me is about reacting.

I read the script and try not to bring anything personal into it. I make notes, talk to the director and we decide what kinds of shades should be in the character.

In every film, whether it's a fictional character or not, you create an idea of the character and for me I always do a bad impersonation to start with.

For me the rehearsal period is the part I most enjoy. It's the creating of the story.

As an actor, your first priority is the work - immersing yourself in the role, backstory, and bringing that to screen.

As an actor, I know it is my job to shape myself for a role - any role.

In acting, one should look at the film in totality. Improvisations should only be made keeping in mind the limits of a character. Always believe in team work.

I rarely do any back story. I often get a thick bible of back story, but I can't use it. The back story is a tool of the writer. But I can only act what's in the scene.

There's pre-production, and the second part is when you start rehearsal. Pre-production was a very large learning curve for me.

When you play guest parts, you play your story in a very urgent kind of way.

I'm not the kind of actor who goes into exhaustive research for each role.