Lee Child Quotes

When I was younger, I didn't know television presenting was a thing, which is how I totally got my foot in the door. But I didn't really know that was a job. I never really had a TV or watched TV, and I really just wanted to be an actor.

I got a degree in broadcast journalism at Northwestern but was running a sketch-comedy group and then went to Second City. When the writers' strike happened in 2007-2008, I went to work at E! because I had that background.

I kind of got into TV when I went to visit a show my brother was working on. Soon I got the second lead in a TV show.

An interesting insight into the ruthlessness of studio executives: I was having a conversation with Alex Gansa, a creator of 'Homeland,' and I said, 'So you guys must have seen 'Life' and liked me in it, right? That's the most recent thing I've done over here.' And he went, 'No, Damian. You actually nearly didn't get the job because of 'Life.'

I do come from theater. I didn't spend a lot of time there 'cause once I started in television, I just kind of stayed there.

When I graduated, I was really lucky because I got hired immediately by CBS as a production assistant.

To get a job in TV is just amazing.

I didn't always have research jobs.

After I finished university and started going to auditions again, and I also did a bunch of other jobs. I worked in the insurance industry, the digital media industry; I worked in a financial services company for three years.

I've never really had a real job. When I was young doing stand-up, I'd get 50 bucks a week here or 100 bucks a week there. You know, sometimes for headlining one of the rooms, or MC-ing, or something like that. So yeah, I've never had like a normal job.

I wish I knew what was next. I got this movie without planning to. I'm really excited to be continuing in film because it's a great job but I have my portfolio and resume for any other opportunity.

I want to work, so I'm going where the work is.

I wasn't looking to get into TV. My family was in the movie business, so I was never interested in that world.

The person who gives you your first job is so important in any industry.

My father was a television director, and I always knew I wanted to be in the industry, but I had thought my role was behind the camera as opposed to in front.

I learned to take the first job that you have in the business that you want to get into. It doesn't matter what that job is, you get your foot in the door.

Sure, I'd love to be on primetime, but if I'm blessed enough to be picked up by another soap, thank God! It's so hard out there. And when you're not working, you feel horrible. You don't know when you'll get the next job. You don't know how long the soap genre will be around. I want to help keep these shows on the air and keep everybody working!

I used to be a rabid reader, but now it's scripts or nothing - network television is quite relentless, and you can't drop the ball.

Film people are coming into TV, because they can't get any work.

As I slowly managed to take what I had learned into a transition from contestant to announcer and warm-up, I first had to prove myself on pilots. And as you know, many pilots are taped for each show that is lucky enough to breakthrough to being a series.

I knew I wanted to work in television because some friends of mine, when I went to high school - their fathers worked for, as a matter of fact, for NBC Sports at the time.

I tried a few grad school programs because I didn't know how to make it... Eventually, I was desperate for a job, and there was a new newspaper opening up in Washington, D.C., called 'The Hill.' Even though my interest in politics wasn't huge, they gave me a job as a copy editor.

I'm not that interested in going and doing a network show but, like everybody else, trying to find something good.

I moved out after college, and I started working right away, and I've been working ever since.

I started off in comedy, but that's just where I got my work. I've always been an actor.