Terry O'Quinn Quotes

Fortunately, now I've got myself in a position where things are about story and not money. In my earlier career, it was more about getting my foot in the door and to get enough money to live, to be perfectly honest.

I had been making films for almost ten years, and the head men at RKO thought of me only in terms of musicals. I found no fault with that, except I just couldn't stand being typed or pigeonholed as only a singing and dancing girl. I wanted to extend my range.

I feel 100% sure that I have the career that I have today because of independent filmmaking.

I love making money, but you can't live your life waiting to get rich in a job that no longer feeds you artistically.

Work means independence. It allowed me to shape my life on so many levels.

You don't pass up roles that give you the opportunity to stretch and to grow.

My bar for being successful is being able to do movies that really mean something to me and being able to make a living off of that.

Don't be afraid to take time to learn. It's good to work for other people. I worked for others for 20 years. They paid me to learn.

For years, I did whatever I could just to pay the bills and gain experience and work with as many different people as I could.

My first five or six years in L.A., I was just trying to get two cents together to stay here. Playing Jason Stackhouse on 'True Blood' put me in a position, financially, to make decisions based on creativity, to choose roles based on whether I connected with them. I love the Jason Stackhouse character... But I also love stepping out of his shoes.

My collaboration with Sally Potter on a small movie, 'Yes,' was very special to me. It helped my growth as an actor.

I have a growing resume, but it's because I'm very selective. There are a lot of actors in my position that are like me: they have an opportunity to make a lot of money early in their career, and they do that, and after that, there's nothing to sustain that. There's no art or interest in your craft from the people that want to see you.

Every actor evolves over a period of time.

I have no qualms approaching directors who I know will help me grow as an actor.

When I did 'Kaaka Muttai,' I was a very raw actor. Director Manikandan brought out the best in me.

I'm actually in a funny place now where I'm more secure than I've ever been. My career is more stable than it's ever been and that's nice, but it's put this thought in my mind where I'm like, "I have more to lose now." I still have to remind myself that I can't be quiet and back away from the things that have got me here, which is kind of doing it my way and not necessarily caring what the consequences are. A lot of that comes back to music.

I know I haven't done it. I've done a couple of films, which were intended to go straight up. Thankfully they didn't. So now, I think that's what I need to do. I just need to grow as an actor.

I kept turning down roles because I knew I just wasn't ready for them.

Every film I've done, I've tried to pick ones where I can learn.

When you work for someone, you never realise how much you are learning. It is only when you leave and you reflect back on life.

The best thing about my job is meeting people who are able to express their creativity in a way that suits them and gives them purpose.

I want to evolve and improve as a professional.

I'm just doing all type of music that I like. I'm not so worried about the money like I used to be. I got money now. I don't have to worry about that.

My first love is acting, but the reality is that I just don't get too many opportunities to stretch, and grow, and inspire myself as an actor, certainly not in terms of where I make money. Yeah, I can go off and do a play, but the reality is as a profession, directing is exponentially more satisfying.

Works of Art can only be produc'd in Perfection where the Man is either in Affluence or is Above the Care of it.