Jennifer Jason Leigh Quotes

As an actor, you can have your own backstory and prepare all the details that you need to know for your character.

I'm not an actor who approaches films doing a lot of research. I do zero research, unless it's a film where I'm playing a mock version of someone who already existed. Then, you've got to do a lot of research.

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

One of the joys about acting is researching.

Part of the fun of acting is the research, finding out about other people.

I like to do a lot of research for my films and live my character.

The way I prepare is through script analysts and back story. I create back story for a character based on script analysts, filling in as many details as possible. I also do a lot of research.

As an actor, you're used to putting on characters, taking them off, becoming someone else, doing your research, and working on that.

I think when you're playing a character in any film it's so crucial to have the costume that makes you feel like you're going to be that character.

I do as much research as is physically possible when I'm playing a real person, be they alive or dead.

The cool thing about doing films and being different characters is that it's new everyday and new every project. So, you're always learning something different and you get to do research.

Everything can inspire me. I know that sounds like a cop-out answer, but I find inspiration in literally just about everything. As an actor, I have to watch people and observe their behaviors - this is how I create characters. My daily surroundings feed my work, whether it's something I'm working on right now or it's something down the road. Music, art, landscape - these are all things I draw inspiration from.

As an actor, anything that you have to help get you into character is helpful.

I enjoy so many different art forms; I don't just want to focus on acting. I love music. I love writing stories. And you need solitude to figure out your next step.

Seriously, my music really does help my acting, and, like, getting in and out of a character from a different lifestyle and writing a song about it. Likewise, my acting inspires the music because I can write a theme that I wouldn't necessarily approach at all in life.

I'm an actor, and I keep observing people and their reactions to figure out what they are thinking. There's only so much you can do on your own, so you have to keep learning. Art imitates life.

Acting is a question of absorbing other people's personalities and adding some of your own experience.

I really do literally put myself into a character's shoes.

When I research a role it does get a little crazy and maybe even a little stupid.

Every once in a while I go off to do a movie or a television series and I take my art with me. I can stay in character when I paint.

I was Aladdin, and then I was Captain Von Trapp from 'Sound Of Music' when I was 7 or 8, and then King Arthur. I was always the lead. I've always enjoyed being onstage, acting obnoxious, being someone that wasn't me, hiding behind a character.

I love doing characters that challenge me. I'd love to do something that requires me to change physically or learn a skill.

The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and playing him as if it were a normal day in the life of that character.

Preparation is definitely important, but it depends on the kinds of roles I do. Like, I completely identify with my character in 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani.' I had to be myself and I didn't have to actually prepare for it.

If I have an audition, I go to the audition in character. I'm in character when I walk in the room. I mean, I'm still sweet to everyone, but I'm very much the character.