Laurie Metcalf Quotes

I was never that comfortable in front of the camera, it always terrified me.

I don't like seeing myself on screen. Whenever I see or hear myself, I think, 'What is that eejet doing now?' I'm in the wrong business. I don't like the limelight.

I hate watching myself on TV, I know a lot of actors say that, but it's true for me. It makes me sweat, I have to hide behind a cushion.

I was never that good on stage with live improv. I was much better on film or writing something and then thinking about it. I was too in my head when I was on stage.

For years, I was often afraid to speak up when I didn't fully understand a script. I'd tie myself in knots.

When you first are in front of the camera as a young person, you'd be surprised at all the insecurities you can get.

I can't watch myself on screen without dying a little bit inside. And there are lots of moments when I think, 'What am I doing as an actor? I can't act!'

When the attention is on me, off-camera, I get uncomfortable - sort of shy and at a loss for words, as you can probably tell?

I mean, sometimes I hate interviews because I always feel like I sound stupid.

I feel most free onstage. The audience, it's an abstraction. You don't really see anyone out there, but you feel the audience inside you.

I can't even tell you the anxiety I get from being around those cameras!

I find it weird to use my own voice on TV.

I overthink everything. I'm just like, 'Wait, why do they want to hear me?' I start doubting myself. Other times, I'll just get so emotional during a song. Sometimes I'll cry while I'm singing. It's so weird. I'm such a baby.

I have never been able to sing in the shower, much less in front of anybody.

That's the thing: when I'm on stage, I don't care; there could be ten people there, there could be ten million people there. But if I'm offstage, I'm, like, counting the people. I know exactly where everyone's standing, how far they are from me.

I am literally horrible at speaking to a camera.

I find it very, very difficult to watch myself on TV.

I hate watching myself on camera. I guess a lot of people feel that way, though.

There was an open mic night when I was about 11 years old and I went and I played the songs that I'd written in my bedroom and it was the first night where I felt like I was myself at school.

I've never quite felt totally comfortable up on stage. I've gotten more comfortable, but drinking wine is a crutch that gives me a little courage. It helps me lose a little bit of the self-consciousness and the awareness of how awkward it is standing on a stage with lights and a bunch of people looking at you while you sing love songs.

Whenever there's a camera in my face, that's when I feel vulnerable, and then it turns into a little bit of being self-conscious, which I think is the worst kind of vulnerability.

The one thing I cannot stand is when I do interviews, when I interview people, and I listen to the tapes and I hear myself talking and sort of stumble and stammer, or I hear the horrible sound of my own voice, or God forbid I see myself on video, there is that complete revulsion with seeing how I occur in the world.

All I kept thinking about was, "Man, he's so relaxed onstage! I'm never going to be that relaxed! I'm clearly not meant to be in front of the camera. I'm really not meant for anything but behind the camera."

I really dislike watching myself on screen. I am very insecure about my acting. We are our own biggest critics. I have to sit in another room to my parents when they watch it.

Singing in front of people. It's like having your heart beat outside of you.