Nick Nolte Quotes

The word got out that I can ad-lib very well.

I don't worry too much about the script, I just ad lib, like Pearl Bailey.

You kind of half-prepare a speech in your head, and then you get up there and then you end up saying nothing that was in your head before you went up there. It's a very weird thing. I never do award speeches too well.

When I go onstage, I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't know what's going to come out of my mouth. It's one of those questions where any and everything is possible. I literally could be talking about somebody I was hanging out with two seconds ago or something from the news. Literally, there's really no rhyme or reason for it. I want to be free flowing like that.

I'm used to being in front of camera and knowing what to think. But if you're asking me to be me, I get very self-conscious. My job isn't to be me. Being an actor, people think you can do a eulogy at a funeral, a speech at a wedding. I find all that very nerve-racking.

When I give a lot of speeches, they're always on the fly. I mean, I know what I'm going to say roughly, but I do not - will not read.

Most of the time I'm thinking, I'm glad that scene was improvised.

I've never been good at improvising.

I don't like a lot of rehearsing.

Essentially, I'm untrained, so I just go with my imagination and try to put myself as solidly as I can into the shoes of whatever person I'm going to be playing.

I'm very bad with improvisation. I hate it.

I don't really plan what comes out of my mouth, and that's what makes most of my lyrics entertaining.

Woody Allen asked me to improv once. I said no.

Many times I'll improvise it, which isn't done a lot in movies or commercials. But a lot of my commercials are improvised.

When I did 'Guffman,' it was terrifying. I didn't know what to say. I started talking, and it just came out.

I ad lib most of my dialogue. If I did remember my lines, it would be too bad for me.

I don't think there's an improvised word in the movie. I hope not because I admire writing. Improvising is kind of gambling. It's just that you're standing up.

Even when I was in school shows, in elementary school doing plays, I'd always go off book and start improvising.

I've definitely always had a passion for entertaining.

When they came to you for your line, you had to be ready and you had to get it in one.

I've always believed acting is an improvisational art form, even when not a single line is changed. I mean, the behavior should always be improvised. My favorite moments in any performance are when I'm just along for the ride; when I'm surprising myself. I know when I'm done and I think to myself, 'Gee, I didn't see that coming,' I've done well.

I don't like improvising on camera, particularly, but very often, a scene will not be working, and you rehearse it once or twice, and you realize something's missing. So I'll play with it until it makes sense.

Well, I love acting, and I love acting quick.

When I do a take, I very often try things that I haven't planned to try to see if I can pull it off.

I like to improvise.