Naseeruddin Shah Quotes

I don't know why all these actors think going to a gym or riding horses or learning how to fight are the steps to becoming an actor.

I recommend doing some sort of acting class, something that can eventually get you in front of an agent or a manager, and practice is very important.

I'm not an idiot: I know that I can sing and I know that I can act.

As an actor, you need to be versatile. You need to challenge yourself.

All good actors are very bright. You can't be stupid and a good actor. You may be inarticulate, you may not be highly educated, but all good actors are quick-witted, some of them dazzlingly so. All you do is guide them.

You can't learn how to act; you can only really learn it through experience and practice and really finding what your voice is and what you want to be as an actor.

I don't think I am really awesome. I think I have basic qualification to be an actor.

You have to have a lot of skills when you act; you might not have it when you start, but you definitely end up with a few skills along the way.

To get on a show where you're acting day in and day out for many, many hours - 15-16 hours sometimes - it hones your endurance, your ability to memorize, your ability to follow your instincts, because you don't have time to fret about your choices afterward.

I always hate it when I hear actors talking about the process of what they do, so I'll keep my thoughts to myself.

The life of an actor is not filled with limousines and talk-show interviews. I've moved crates of beer; I've been a bartender, personal assistant, butler. But all those skills have helped me in the business aspect of what I do.

I have had a lot of training as an actor, but it's very different than being on set.

Practice makes an actor excel. It is like cycling and motor driving. It is an art, which can be learnt and practised.

I got into acting classes. I didn't want to just go by luck.

My acting range has always been something between the two extremes of 'raises left eyebrow' and 'raises right eyebrow.'

Having done a lot of theater, I'm used to sustaining characters over long periods of time.

I would absolutely recommend for actors to start in the theater because it establishes a foundation in your craft that you can build off of.

Everyone brings their own particular skill set to the job, and acting training can work for a lot of actors, and it can't. I've seen a lot of really good actors go into acting schools and then come out a little bit corrupted.

It's very good for me to remember what actors go through.

Some scenes you juggle two balls, some scenes you juggle three balls, some scenes you can juggle five balls. The key is always to speak in your own voice. Speak the truth. That's Acting 101. Then you start putting layers on top of that.

'Hollyoaks' is where I learnt a lot of the craft, being in front of a camera six days a week. That's certainly an experience you don't get in drama school. It invites you to be comfortable in front of the camera.

The trick to acting is not to show off; it's to think the thoughts of the character. I was lucky because when I started acting, it was doing jobs above pubs. I learned to act in anonymity, so by the time people saw me, I knew what I was doing. I was crap for years, but no one saw me being crap. It's a trade you learn.

The first time I thought I should be an actor was in school. I thought, 'At least this is something for which I won't have to study.' But I've realised that an actor needs to be constantly unsure about what he's doing and about what's going on around him. The moment you think you've nailed it, you're dead.

A lot of people are surprised to hear that an actor studied for two or three years. They take the craft for granted and wanna just wake up and be an actor.

Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.