Suzanne Farrell Quotes

I want a part where I can use my own hair, my own voice, and maybe even be literate.

Being an artist means ceasing to take seriously that very serious person we are when we are not an artist.

Growing up, I wasn't an athlete or anything like that. The only place I felt like I belonged was in the theater.

As long as I can wear a wig I can be any character, and in real life I can be myself.

'Rebel' is not a word I would describe for myself, but I feel like I was a total rebel being an actor. It made me feel like there was something in me, a passion, a love - and that I didn't just squelch it.

After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great

On stage I just have to be myself. In acting you have to be so many other people.

I used to have to downplay my sexuality because I wanted to be taken so seriously as a thespian and as an artist and as an actor, so I'd play crack heads and down trotting women and disguise myself, and I think as I've gotten older, I become more comfortable with who I really am and all parts of me knowing that my physical self doesn't diminish me in any way or my talent.

I wanted to be an actor. Maybe a comic actor, but an actor. That's what got me into acting was putting on an act, because in life, I wasn't funny and I felt on stage or in the movies, I could do whatever I wanted to. I was free.

Being another character is more interesting than being yourself.

I must be allowed to be as I am.

Personally, coming out was one of the most important things I've ever done, lifting from my shoulders the millstone of lies that I hadn't even realized I was carrying.

When I discover who I am, I'll be free.

I like to pretend that my art has nothing to do with me.

Through theater and acting school, I found a way to articulate myself.

I feel, as an artist, I should be able to express who I am and the things I come from, and the places I want to also be.

I needed freedom to really express myself. That's really what Justified is about.

Acting was a godsend. I found myself because I loved acting.

My writing was liberated once I abandoned acting.

If you have to change something about you to be in a part, I don't think it's easy to do. You should just pick the part where you can just be yourself.

Like, that was weird in 'Hamlet 2,' because I played myself there, fully myself, but then I realized, 'Oh, I'm not playing myself. I'm some weird version of myself.' So as an actress, you're always playing something, I don't even know who I am, how could I become me? I don't know what that is.

Singing and acting suit me. I made a vow to myself to do everything that I can do with this life that I have, and I have to find the time to do this. Sometimes I need to be an actress. Sometimes I don't need to be Jill. However, everyone is always looking for the Jill in everything.

I can't take the theater side out of myself.

The theater, for me, has always been a place where I'm free to be more creative, a place to sharpen my tools.

To be able to pretend to be something that I'm frankly not is very liberating and exciting.