Aisling Bea Quotes

I used to be afraid of looking at the audience.

I conquered my stage fright a long time ago. In my line of work, it's kind of a pre-requisite that you not feel bad about looking stupid in front of a lot of people.

Take a microphone out of my hands, and I'm just plain folks.

I never used to speak to the audience at all. I never really knew what to say onstage.

I've never not appeared in front of a live audience for any longer period than a month or two.

I played shows in front of like 25, 50 people, and it's a lot harder to do your thing in front of a crowd that's small.

Getting up in front of an audience is my biggest motivation.

It took me forever to get comfortable. When I first started NXT, we had promo classes, and I used to get so upset because I couldn't get in front of a crowd and talk. I was terrified.

I've never been good at playing live in front of people.

It feels like the more I'm out there in the public eye, the more criticism I get. You need to have confidence - that's what it takes to walk out there and sing a song in front of a huge group of people.

I always felt like my future was at stake every time I stepped on stage and that was kind of hair-raising. At some point I just went, don't be frightened, you can't do anything wrong, it's your show.

If I was going onstage, of course I would talk about it. How could I not?

I don't think that just because you go on stage you are an exhibitionist.

I don't get stage fright, I actually love the energy, I love the spontaneity, I love the adrenaline you get in front of a live audience, it actually really works for me.

When I first played live, I would shake with fear, and my voice would tremble. But I do it for the love of it. There's nothing I love more than playing live.

I was probably more scared of my high school exams than I was of the Oscars. At the time you think it's everything and if you don't do well, your life's over. Opportunities are gone. So the more you do it, the less the fear is present.

When you are new to the business, you think if you give a really bad performance, that's one they will print. You will be judged. You just have to be brave.

I always said put me in front of 40 or 50,000 people and play hockey, I'm comfortable there. Put me in front of 50 people to talk or get in front of, and that's where I'm probably the least comfortable.

I am always scared before going on stage; this is the fear which makes me do well.

I don't feel nervous or fearful when I'm on stage.

Being on stage makes me come to life. When all eyes are on you, they're watching every move you make.

I am not a good cue card reader.

Performing live in front of an audience is such a matter of will - all of those things you can do just fine in your basement, suddenly you have to do them in front of hundreds or thousands of people, and it becomes a different matter entirely.

An 'OMG' of mine would probably be speaking on stage and performing in front of thousands of people!

Sometimes, the most daunting thing about performing is making eye contact with your audience, so just look above them and at the corners of the room. Soon, you'll totally forget they're there.