Jim Parsons Quotes

Movie making is such a long process, and they only use that one take, although you do it over and over about 30 times. Live theatre is that one time and one time only.

On stage, the audience watches from a fixed viewpoint and the director cannot retake something he doesn't like. It has to work straight through.

I think what's different about working on stage is that you have another chance to portray it again. If you don't get something right on film, you can do another take, but on stage, once it's done, it's done. You can't go back.

I love the stage, I love the process of acting in theatre, but unfortunately, it doesn't pay the bills.

On television, you have an intimate moment with the camera. In theater, you are making something live with people there. My brain doesn't understand that you don't get another take ever. I'm finally learning on TV that you can do something over if you make a mistake.

If I had my druthers, I would do only stage work.

Acting is ephemeral. You can't hang it on a wall. You can't throw it off. And you can't bring it out of a closet. It's there one night and it's gone the next, at least with stage acting anyhow.

In the theatre you can change things ever so slightly; it's an organic thing. Whereas in film you only have that chance on the day, and you have no control over it at all.

I really enjoyed multicamera comedy. You film in front of a live audience, and it's kind of the best of both worlds. It's like doing a one-act play every week, but if you screw your lines up, you get to do it over.

Theatre is more exciting in the sense that you can actually see the audience in the eye. You know there are no takes and retakes. You have one chance to do your job... and you better do it well!

Those differences are what color the performance, but in the movies you don't get a chance to rehearse.

On a soap opera, you'll do an episode and a half a day, and in prime time television, you're hustling to get an episode done in eight days. That's a little bit frustrating sometimes. But there's also something exhilarating about it. It's kind of like live theater in a way, where you get one crack at it.

I come out of TV, where you never reshoot, because you don't have time. If you do reshoot, it's because someone really screwed up.

In the studio, you can redo things. In concert, you only have one shot at it, so you have to try to be as perfect as possible.

If you miss something in the theater, you are working through it; you'll get it tomorrow. It's easy to forgive yourself in the theater. On television, you do one shot. All you've done rehearsal-wise is be blocked. There is all this pressure to get it right then.

There are certainly things in live broadcasts that I've done that I wish I could have gone back to edit and make better. It's hard, because you want it to be perfect, and it just isn't. Even in the edited ones, it's not everything you want it to be - but it's closer.

If you drop a line in the theatre, you can usually find a way round it. But you can't do that as easily on television - you're in the hands of too many people.

When I got the job on 'Cursed Child,' I was doing another show in the West End, and I was playing a part that Marlon Brando had played.

In theater acting, you leave that night and what it was is what it was.

You'd need to polish your skills as you only get one chance. In cinema, retakes are possible but in theatre, there are none.

I like the fact that in the theatre nothing is ever finished because you're going to do it all over again tomorrow, whereas in telly once it's wrapped and in the can, that's it.

My shows have room for a bit of improvisation. In a film, you can't have that risk; you can't have someone taking 10 seconds longer.

Theatre's a whole different beast to film. It requires a lot more of you.

I studied performing arts at college and wanted to act.

I've done theater most of my career, and I get to see the reaction of the audience right after the show.