Tim Matheson Quotes

I was spending a lot of time in trailers, you know, on film sets surrounded by film people.

Crewing and being on film sets is kind of like being in the carnival, with carnie folks.

I know every actor says this, but the people behind the camera are great. They always have answers.

I am just a journeyman actor. Most often I take what's offered me, and I've been able to work year after year. I was in 'Scarface.' Some people think this must have done me a world of good. Truth to tell, six months after 'Scarface' I had to take a job with a real estate development friend for a few months just to get by.

I acted for so many years and sat on a million sets and worked with a million different directors so that is to me some of the best training you can get.

For me, I've always taken being on a set as my school, because I've been working since I was ten.

My heroes are the camera crew and the electricians. They work such long hours.

I was the singing voice of a cartoon character. I did dog food commercials. I did a lot of commercials, actually, and helped pay my rent and my classes. Then I'd get one good line or two good scenes. I was building my career and building my own experience and learning technically what it was like to be on a set and all of those things.

I didn't want people to think I'm just in the movies, where you make money and wait around for 13 hours before you get to do 20 minutes of work.

It's always strange being a kid on the set, because you're treated like an equal when you're working. But then when you break, the other actors go back to their trailers to take naps and drink beer, and I have to, like, go do school.

When I was 16, I was working on 'Arrested Development.' My memories of being 16 were just trying to keep up with school while doing the show and trying to be around all those people on the show, as much as I could.

I have been working since I was 11 on everything including period dramas.

The little boy, Spencer Breslin, it was just so great to have a kid on set. He is talented, he's a pro. He's been doing this for years, I think he started when he was four or five.

In my early days I was a contract player at Universal and I had a wonderful mentor named Monique James, who was head of talent there, and she used to drag me on sets to do parts.

When I was little, I didn't know you got paid for acting. My parents put the money in the bank for me, but I just thought it was this fun thing that I was so excited to do. You got to be on the set and get a little bit of makeup and be on camera.

As an actor on sets, I've always clocked how hard the crew works, how much longer their days are, how much lesser their glory is - and the fact that their commitment to the work and project is unwavering, no matter the budget.

My first paying job was guest starring in 'Touched By An Angel' when I was 12. It was very exciting. I couldn't believe you got free food all day and people were so nice to you.

I'm the journeyman actor that you saw in one scene here, two scenes there. I've been eking out a living doing theater - Broadway, Off Broadway - film supporting roles, that I'm just excited to be a part of the conversation.

I love the industry that I'm in. I love what I do, and I've sort of grown from being an actor and being on set. I take it all in, and I talk to the grips and the Best Boys and talk to lighting guys. I talk to everybody and see what they do and pay close attention.

Growing up on set, the director is the person that, as a child, you admire and gives you validation.

Everyone's so used to taking care of actors and directors, but people in the crew are there the longest and working the hardest.

I spent most of my time as an actor in television, so directors in television - it's such a machine that's already in place that I don't think you notice the direction as much on the set.

It's not just the actor in front of the camera. And it's important to have respect for all those people that work behind the camera.

I was very conscious of the film industry - a lot of people, neighbors, worked in it. I actually grew up doing a bit of extra work myself. I was homeschooled, and it was a way that I could make money. My parents let us do these jobs, and I never got very far, but I was much more interested in what everybody else was doing, and I liked being on set.

Well, I tried being in front of the camera as a student and that was terrifying. But the press stuff about me growing up on his [film] sets has been exaggerated. I was an extra as a kid and I was also a PA [production assistant] on one of his movies, so I was lucky to get production experience. But I was nowhere near him.