Bette Davis Quotes

Like any other actor, I draw on life experience.

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.

Movie acting is about covering the machinery. Stage acting is about exposing the machinery. In cinema, you should think the actor is playing himself, if he's that good. It looks very easy. It should. But it's not, I assure you.

You cannot study acting in books. Do it, do it, do it. And watch good actors. See what they are doing and how they are doing it. You have to practically participate, I think, in order to develop yourself.

I love acting classes. I think they're great. It's like working out in the gym. It's a great place to figure out everything that's working and what isn't working.

As an actor just learning the craft, you literally do a scene with Jimmy Gandolfini, and you walk away a better actor.

In order to be a good actor, I'm a firm believer that you need to bring something to the table.

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.

Good actors, you always know what they're thinking. That's why they're good actors.

And at NYU, I went to the Atlantic Theater Company, and they have two main points. One of them is to always be active in something instead of just feeling it. And the other is figuring out your character.

As an actor, your life experience is just as important as studying.

To me, a lot of what makes a good actor is not what a teacher tells you to do but how you respond when you're on your own.

Your imagination is your most important tool as an actor, as cheesy as that sounds.

For an actor, if you're not doing a job, you can't just practice acting. Your instrument is your whole person.

I thought acting was all about natural instinct but I've realised, through working with so many talented actors on 'Wild Swans' and 'Run,' that I can see the training. That's why I am back at drama school.

Good acting is good acting, however you learn it. Some people who haven't studied are amazing. Some people like Leonardo DiCaprio are naturally gifted - he's learned technique by working with people early on.

It's not like every actor needs to train, but an actor will either develop their process through training or through working.

Bad actors try to cry, and good actors try not to. Bad actors try to laugh, and good actors try not to.

I had the benefit of watching good people show me what it really is to be an actor - the day in and day out of it.

I have to evolve as an actor.

The better the actor I am acting with, the better my performance gets.

It's not just about looking shocked if the scene demands it. It's about feeling that emotion. You can't lie to the camera, because it captures everything. This is what I have learnt over the years.

I think with every part you do, you become a better actor. I've learned from my experiences on that.

I am not from a film family. I don't know much, but I definitely knew that if I want to be a good enough actor, I should be able to do any sort of role.

There's so much hocus-pocus about acting styles; there's too much mysticism attached to it. But it's a craft like any other - it's something you have to work hard at.