Abi Morgan Quotes

Since I've worked in film and television for so long, I've acquired the ability to let the version of the characters that lives in my mind make way for the living, breathing humans who are going to play them on screen. If you cast it right - and casting is about 80% of directing - they will eventually replace or exceed the imaginary image.

Fonda and Gary Cooper had the best sense of timing of all the actors I knew.

I always used to say, as a director, that I could make anybody good in a movie if you found the right part. It all comes down to casting.

In terms of the character itself, I can't really say that I find anything really difficult. I enjoy the character so much I don't perceive difficulty in trying to be him. It's just a matter of how do we get there.

When I played Leonardo DiCaprio's mother, they liked that Leo had very hooded eyes and a rounded nose with a ball. They said, They look like they could be mother and son.

If you cast the picture correctly, you have a whole lot of leeway. You can make mistakes in other aspects but pull it off with the right actors.

I was the last one to screen test for The Hardy Boys. I'd like to play that's not as clean-cut as Frank Hardy. I play him as straight as possible.

One of the tricky things about running a TV show is that you just never know how good the guest stars you cast on a weekly basis, how good they're going to be in the episode. Sometimes they surprise you in good ways and sometimes they surprise you in disappointing ways.

Many times, when a director reads a script and wants somebody who says 'Far out', then they let me do what I want with it and that's usually more interesting for an actor.

Not one role that I've played has been written specifically for me.

With acting, you are a small part of the creative process, and sometimes it is hard to feel like you are making an impact.

As a director, it became important to hear that specific role read by that specific actor, and you hear the chemistry, or you don't hear the chemistry. So I'm not so bothered by the audition process anymore; in fact, I use it. It's a time for the actor to actually get to the know the director and the producers a little bit, too.

Starting with 'Thirteen,' my known technique is to cast the lead, then find someone with whom they have incredible chemistry.

To me, casting is all about finding a character within the actor off the screen as much as on the screen.

Character is plot, and casting is character.

When I'm reading a script and I see the word 'lumbering' I go, 'Oh, that's probably the part they want me to read for.'

Every character is challenging because, at the end of the day, you have to make something out of it.

I strongly believe that when you are cast in a role, there will be similarity in the character and you - why else would you be chosen for the character?

I go by the content of the script and not the length of the role.

I feel that when it comes to acting, Shahid and I approach roles differently.

I'm not a critic. I'm an actor. I see the role I get given on the page. I try to bring it to life as best as I can.

To me, no matter who you're casting for what role, if something's authentic, usually you can mine something good there.

But today I felt different, today I forgot how long it takes to get into the skin of a character and I remembered it, because today I actually got into that skin and it felt so different.

To be a great actor you just need to comprehend, so that's why I became a writer.

How I'm portrayed in films has more to do with the filmmaking and what they need in the story than anything else. I'm the same person I've always been, I just get used in different ways according to the filmmakers' needs - which is fine with me; it makes for great films.