Keira Knightley Quotes

I don't get much studio stuff. I'm usually on location, and I know that some people think that acting is so glamorous, but believe me, it's not!

The great thing as an actor is that I don't know what my agent is going to call me with next.

Films are really cool because, every couple months, or however many times you can get a job because there's a lot of luck involved in that, you're playing a different character.

When you're first reading the script and thinking about playing the part, it's slightly daunting. It's easy to question, 'Is an audience going to like me? And is that my job?'

You always kind of feel like you're rolling the dice as an actor.

When you start out as an actor, you read a script thinking of it at its best. But that's not usually the case in general, and usually what you have to do is you have to read a script and think of it at its worst. You read it going, "OK, how bad could this be?" first and foremost. You cannot make a good film out of a bad script. You can make a bad film out of a good script, but you can't make a good film out of a bad script.

I don't think any actors love taking their clothes off on film, unless you're an exhibitionist, which I'm certainly not. Those are the scenes that you actually dread doing. But, so much more goes into this role. As an actress, it's all about reality, and I'm not a prude. I'm not someone who judges other people for taking their clothes off for roles. I'm not going to show everything, but nudity here or there doesn't faze me.

The bad thing about being with an actor is that the role he's in stays with him all the time. The good thing about being with an actor - well, I can't think of any good thing.

I feel very lucky because I don't think there's any part I can't play. There are parts that scare me more than others.

I think kissing scenes always feel awkward but there's just no way around it. But it's a part of the job.

I get some acting jobs. I like it other than the constant slipping in and out of character.

It certainly helps, I think, with some actors to understand the process of acting. You see what extraordinary pressure they're under, there's a huge circus dedicated to a particular moment and they're got to deliver and it can help that you, even if empathetically alone, understand what they're doing.

My problem with the traditional acting method was that I never understood what you were supposed to be thinking about when you're onstage.

After directing the first film it feels kind of tricky being back to being in front of the camera, because I've always got one eye over there, kind of thinking of what they are doing, and how the shot is being composed. I think it takes a couple of films to just get back to just being an actor.

You can't be trying to be funny. As an adult actor, sometimes I'll muddle it up by over-thinking things.

I don't think a Hollywood actor is safe from acting in the rain: it all depends on the film.

I like doing horror films. I think it's helped me as an actress because you have to run and scream and cry for so long and do ridiculous things in front of strangers, you sort of break down any barriers, you can't be embarrassed.

I think all actors have a sadomasochistic streak, because acting is kind of brutal, you know.

Just when you think you're hitting your stride someone will shout "cut" and ask you to move your head to the left. It's such an awkward process. You try to make it passionate but it ends up being mechanical.

I think the only thing harder for a parent is having to sit down and watch you do a dying scene. I've died in three films, and my mom begs me, "Just tell me you don't die at the end."

It's very difficult to find the time or the money for people to organize rehearsals for some movies. It staggers me how little preparation often goes into these scenes which are difficult and complicated. You think, "God, it's crazy. I've never met this person before and here I am having to work at how to do a whole performance on the set." It was great to have a few days of just talking to Michael [Caine] and Daniel [Barber] and thinking about the characters and the relationship between them before we started shooting.

I’ve stopped thinking about it. I don’t have time to have a girlfriend. I have like a full-time job Learning How to Be Blind.

Making movies in France is different, but it's still acting, you know. You still have doubts and you're scared, always, but I really love doing films in America, because I love to speak English. But I think there's something very entertaining about American films. But I also like the intimacy of French films.

I think doing love scenes is never easy without a strong emotional background.

A painter paints, a musician plays, a writer writes - but a movie actor waits.