Sam Elliott Quotes

Emerging actors know there's a whole lot to learn each time they are spending with someone who's done a lot.

I had an acting coach while I was doing the show and every week I could see my work improving. I really liked working on the show because I was learning new things every day.

I'm an actor. I was trained by Stella Adler, one of the greatest teachers of the world. I was 19 years old, and she frightened me to death. I was her houseboy for a while.

I've always been an improviser. I was one before I knew even what the word was... And acting, that I've been doing since I was 5.

Of course, in later years, I'd studied acting more than ever before - mostly with the late Stella Adler, who was marvelous! - but in my earlier years, I couldn't afford to do this.

You always like to learn from people as a young actor. I think every young actor says that, but it's true.

I'm constantly learning with each new job, especially about people, which is important for playing characters.

For me, it was much more important to continue to learn my craft as an actor and get a bit of flesh on the bones.

Young people ask me for advice, and I tell them to do what I didn't do. Get some training. I took jobs that required talents I didn't have.

The caliber of actors I'm getting to work with and learn from on a daily basis is phenomenal for me as a developing actor.

I always learn something from every actor I've ever worked with. I always pick something from them.

I feel like whatever you've done in your career, good or bad, it's nothing but preparation for the big events to come.

I got into acting classes. I didn't want to just go by luck.

It was a wonderful experience to work with Sylvia. She pushed me to be more powerful with my acting, and she told me scores of the most incredible stories I've ever heard. She is amazing.

In the acting world, you can really only become good by practicing and doing it, and I just think every time you walk onto a set you just become better and better. I think I'm in a totally different space than I was back then on that first movie set.

I've made a lot of career mistakes. A lot. Actually, a lot of personal ones, too.

I would love to work with someone like Kevin Spacey as he could pass on what I need to learn.

'Hollyoaks' is where I learnt a lot of the craft, being in front of a camera six days a week. That's certainly an experience you don't get in drama school. It invites you to be comfortable in front of the camera.

Some of the regrets I've had about my own career are things I have not done that I should have done. More than some of the things that I've done.

I was so naive when I began acting, professionally.

Every actor you learn from, take something from everyone - big actor or not. Whether they're big movie stars or not doesn't really matter.

I started to respect older actors when I was young and then contemporary actors later on. Then I learned respect for comedy. When I was first doing theatre, I thought of it as just a means to become Sarah Bernhardt or someone like that. But acting with young people has been a great learning experience.

My first offer was when I was 12, and it was for a soap opera. And I turned it down because I knew that I was an unformed actor, and I didn't want to develop bad habits.

Most actors nowadays are models turned actors. That's why a lot of young actors are terrible. You have to learn how to act. It is not something that you can just do.

One person who has taught me a lot and inspired me a lot was Peter Falk. I was fortunate enough to have worked with him in this movie called 'Vig.' He brought my work to a place where it literally shouldn't have been for another two or three years.