Paul Rudd Quotes

I laugh a lot, especially between shots, and it's tough for me to control. There have been so many instances where my director had to request me to stop laughing and come into the mood of the scene.

In a drama, you don't make a fool of yourself.

The biggest similarity between me and my character is that we've both played clubs for 20 years. In real life, the clubs aren't quite as controlled - and my hair isn't quite as in place as it is on 'Ally McBeal.'

I know how to play comedy when it's needed. So even when it's really not there, my facial expressions are really great. I have a lot of facial expressions in my face, you know.

I sort of consider myself a comedic actress, not a comedienne. I think it's different. You know, I'm not a stand-up or anything, but playing into comedic situations is sort of where, I think, my strength lies.

In the happy scenes there were really fun times. Sean would say really funny stuff because he likes to improv. I would want to laugh, but you are not allowed to do that during the take.

When I was younger, I was nervous and didn't have a huge amount of confidence as an actor. Comedy is something - you know when you're getting it right because you can hear. And you can hear if you're not getting it right! I like to create interesting, weird characters, and they're often best in comedies.

I really fancied myself a comedic actress.

What I love to do requires portraying different characters, and you have to separate your life from the role.

Soaps are the best. They really are. If you can do a soap, well, you can do anything. You have to learn pages of dialogue very quickly.

I was very serene, and I still am, until I start talking in another voice, then suddenly I have a lot of volume and I'm frantic. But I didn't want to be one of those people who's always talking in accents in real life, so I started doing sketch comedy.

I do love comedy, I have to say. That's one of the greatest things about being an actor: You get to try new things and play around in different genres.

I have, I think to do a play a year is very good if you can afford the time and the energy because it's difficult to do, it's really the actors medium of course, because you're really out there and nobody's yelling cut so, yeah I have.

It was hard doing scenes with Bobby Cannavale because I would break up laughing because he's so funny.

I studied theater in college, and I really wanted to be an actress and play a lot of different roles. Then I made landing on a television comedy my main focus.

There is nothing better than playing a scene with John Cleese or Maggie Smith. It's electric. But I don't think I'm the sort of person who needs to have an outer ego in order to produce something. I realised that through the travel programmes.

Even in college I tended to get cast in the comedies more. It was what I liked doing.

Onstage I'm the one in control - I'm not at the mercy of how an editor chooses to put the scene together later. I can do things onstage that I would never do in real life. It's very freeing.

I'd always wanted to be an actress, and suddenly I knew that learning to control my facial muscles was one of the best assets I could have as a performer.

I think the hardest thing I've had to learn is that just because people might speak a certain way in real life doesn't mean it's engaging in the theater.

We did a thing that we would call we call 'hirstories.' H - I - R - S - T - O - R - Y. I would enact a young Mort. And that always felt - it was so funny - it felt more difficult than playing Maura.

I do sometimes wonder if people think, 'Oh we'll have her because she cries well.' The odd thing is I don't really know where it comes from. If the script is good, I find I can usually cry without too much trouble - in fact, the hard thing is trying to get me to stop. But I'm not really a crier in real life. I'm not a dramatic person, you see.

As an actor, you need to smile all the time, which is not easy.

On screen, I may hate a co-star, have a stomach ache, but I have to convince you of that emotion that is demanded on cue. There are times when I feel like dancing, but on 'action,' I'll have to cry.

One of the most difficult things I find as an actor is to laugh on cue. It is way harder than crying or other emotions. It's sometimes harder than yawning on cue.