Giancarlo Esposito Quotes

I think it's important as an actor to stay really ignorant.

I personally take cues directly from the script, then I like to surprise the other actors. But you must maintain control on a level and see how far you can go up, down or out emotionally. You have to balance the craft with spontaneity.

All good actors are unpredictable, and a little crazy in a good way, because they feel more secure playing other people than themselves.

The thing about Brando was that I'd make these directions, and he'd walk away. He'd heard enough... to get the machine going.

That's what I love about acting, is playing different roles. I want to work for the character, and not make it work for me.

First of all, the actor needs to get out of the character's way. You follow the character without judgment or prejudice or preconceived ideas.

Unless it's a specific accent, or something about physicality you have to change, I am generally not such a conscious actor.

I really think that studying theater early on really helped me to be able to identify how to get into a character, because it's such a mysterious thing. Learning objective acting in the beginning of my career was the best thing I could have ever done.

I don't chart out the life histories of the people I play. If I did, I'd be in trouble. I work with my heart and my head, and naturally emotions follow.

In every film, whether it's a fictional character or not, you create an idea of the character and for me I always do a bad impersonation to start with.

As an actor you make choices that are either right or wrong, and you find the ones that are right for you. As an understudy, the choices have been made, so you have to make those choices right. Going into the role, you can't really question it.

I have a hard time watching films and not thinking how I would play any part, whether it's a man or a woman.

One of the first things I was taught as an actor was, 'Don't judge the character.'

Auditioning is so different than doing the work in some ways. It's very much about solving the scene, I think, and coming in with a strong take, but not having it set in stone.

It's part of the actor's job to show up with a head full of steam, to have their own take on this. So that way, you're not relying on, 'OK, tell me how to do it.'

I'm not really a guy who draws on things from my own past. I think if you're a competent actor with a good imagination, and if it's on the page, it makes your job a lot easier. If it's well written, it allows your imagination to run wild and draw inspiration from that.

As an actor, I know it is my job to shape myself for a role - any role.

Any actor would love to just pick up a script and be like, 'I can connect to this person, and I can see myself playing him.'

I always bring at least 15 to 20 percent of Tiffany to every character that I do. Like when I read 'Girls Trip,' I was like, 'Who been partying with me? Somebody been hanging out with me and done stole some stuff.'

I think always as an actor. I go in knowing how I'm going to play it. That's about it.

It kind of varies. I don’t have a method yet. It depends on the script and the character I think I need. I’ve worked with acting coaches, researched roles, and channeled different parts of myself. It’s on a case-by-case for me, right now.

When I work, I really try to get absorbed in the character. Unless I want to do something playful with the camera, I'm not too worried about where the camera is or positions.

As the actor, you can't go in saying, 'I'm the bad guy.' You've got to think your reasons for doing what you're doing are good.

Actors usually respond to minor aspects of their own character or things that even feel disparate from themselves.

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.