Viggo Mortensen Quotes

I'm the sort of actor who likes to talk about what we're going to do.

I think that different actors go about their preparation differently, but when it comes to acting, I use my imagination.

I am not a method actor, though I studied for a year with Lee Strasburg.

I am a natural actor. I try to keep it spontaneous as far as possible. That is my mantra.

I'm not the kind of actor who goes into exhaustive research for each role.

My mentor Jon Simmons introduced me to the Stanislavski system, which is so heavy on back-story. So you write and write and write these back stories about a character and then you throw it away. So then on set, if it doesn't come, then you didn't do your work.

When you drop your guard in films, the acting process compensates. You get lazy and you start acting.

So from an actor's perspective, you really have no idea how you're acting.

I joined the Actors Studio and began to work with Lee Strasberg, and that changed my work.

I've never tried to learn the art of acting. I have been in the business for years but I still can't tell what acting is or how it's done.

I think it is very important to be a method actor.

I'm a method actor.

Every actor turns everything round to their character.

I like to prepare for my roles well, so you can call me a method actor to an extent.

My acting technique is a combination of a lot of different ones. A lot of it is Meisner.

For the actor, The Lee Strasberg Notes are an indispensable companion.

An actor will use every piece of information at their disposal, or a good actor will.

For any role, I pretty much always go to the script, first and foremost.

In 'There Will Be Blood,' my character was someone who was an actor himself almost. He had a rehearsed quality about him. He was a performance artist in a way.

The worst acting is about imitation.

I guess I'm probably a Method actor; I don't know... I just think of it as staying in the zone.

All actors do that. Should do that and do that. For the most part. I say all actors. I'm exaggerating, but you know who does and who doesn't. Vince is a wonderful young actor who knows his work and did a beautiful job on this film.

As an actor, the training I received was that I walk through the world as an observer of life and of people. My job is to actually be looking out all the time and watching people.

I'm not a method actor; I hope you know that!

I'm not what you'd call a Method actor.