Nick Nolte Quotes

I'm actually pretty shy in real life. But I guess in front of the camera, I focus.

In real life I'm very low-key. A wallflower. One of the reasons I went into comedy and acting was that I was sick of being shy.

I'm very shy, and I shy away from people. But the moment I hit the stage, it's a different feeling I get nerve from somewhere; maybe it's because it's something I love to do.

When you were on stage, you could be absolutely open about your emotions and indulge them and express yourself in a way that - in real life - I wasn't doing.

Growing up, I was so shy, but it was weird because I was the complete opposite on stage. I was just free to be myself.

I adopted this feeling that the stage is my home, so just keep my coat on and not wear anything else.

One place that I really feel comfortable is being a comedienne. I'm very socially inept. There's so many things that I can not do in life, and this is, like, the one thing that I have mastery over. It's my world. And anybody who's coming to the show, it's like they're coming because they know that this is my world.

I'm quite surprised at how out of control I can be on stage because, actually, I find I like to be in control in life. It's quite freeing, really.

Strangely enough I'm better on a stage. I love that I feel like I blossom in front of a whole bunch of people.

I was always an exhibitionist. I liked it when everyone laughed. But I didn't do plays in high school. I was too nervous.

I love playing in front of people. I feel powerful, 'cause I don't have to really say anything - I'm just singing.

I can do everything with ease on the stage, whereas in real life I feel too big and clumsy. So I didn't choose acting. It chose me.

I think maybe even one of the reasons I became an actor was actually to hide. I mean, it sounds paradoxical because, of course, people are standing up in a public place and encouraging other people to look at them. So that's not the conventional definition of hiding.

When I'm on stage, I get real happy there. Maybe that's the only time in my adult life I feel like myself.

In social situations, when I'm surrounded by people, I become very shy. But if there's a camera in front of me, I feel free.

In front of a big group of people, in front of cameras, to be in my body and be in that moment, I feel the way that I've always wanted to feel - like a real pop star who is not holding anything back.

I didn't grow up jumping in front of the class and performing, but I definitely had a hunger to be creative.

For me, to be on television and not be afraid of making a mistake is freeing.

There is something about being on stage that's a release for me. It gets my mental energy out.

I feel like I grow wings on stage.

I was terribly shy, but I was always in harmony when I was dancing.

The minute I stop singing, I'm back to being shy. I'm soft-spoken because I never really talked to people. I didn't learn to do it.

I like jokes and one-liners. I enjoy entertaining and making people laugh, being the funny man. But when I'm launched into unfamiliar environments I shut down, and as I relax then my character emerges.

I don't really understand it: in real life, I'm often so shy - paralysingly so - but when I'm performing, it's totally different. I feel free.

The more comfortable I got onstage, the more comfortable I got expressing myself in a physical manner. And it almost shocked people - 'Oh, is there something happening?'