Joel McCrea Quotes

Any song I don't feel good about, I shelve. Anything you ever hear me sing, it's because I want to.

I still reject lead roles, as I don't accept any role if I don't find it challenging enough. I am very careful while making selections.

I have made a lot of movies, but I don't see any point in talking about films I don't think are terribly good. I have been in a few. I don't know any actor that hasn't.

I'm not jumping into anything fast. I'm an actor that likes to choose my work and there's an element of good taste to my work.

I would only take a role that I know I'm comfortable in and I can do. I've turned down plenty of things because I'd feel it's not me, and I wouldn't want to come on someone's project and flip that.

Right around 2004 when 'Ray' came out, I made a conscious decision to be more discerning because I thought to myself, 'After something like this, I really have to try to be strong enough to turn stuff down.'

I've been offered starring roles in horrible movies, but I just didn't want to do it. I don't see why you would.

I'll tell you something, and this is true: I've never been able to write a film which I didn't respect. I just can't do it. I'm very happy about all the films I haven't done.

I'm not exactly in a position where I get to be super-picky about the roles I get. But I would also never want to be a part of something that I think is poor in taste or doesn't align with what I believe in.

If I'm not happy with the quality of something I'm working on, I won't put it out. That does not mean that others won't question the quality.

I think I probably think about myself as an actor, which is the way most people do. I think I'm good, I don't think I'm great. I think I would hire somebody else to play me in the movie about me.

Going back to my film education, I always have that voice in my head that's always screaming, 'Sell out!' And that's good: you want that, because it keeps you on your toes, and it's important to remember what's actually important.

I've never made a record that I'm ashamed of.

I don't pay much attention to the press. My films always get good reviews and bad reviews. I just try to make the best film I can.

I'd much rather turn down a starring role in a bad picture and do a small role in a very good picture.

When I originally came from 'Cheetah Girls,' I was making music that was real to me but not believable. I think there was a disconnect there. I am a grown woman, and I've been through a lot. The most important thing about my music is that we don't jump the gun and throw anything out there.

I'd rather say no and have said no and do say no often. I walk away from projects if it doesn't feel right; if it's not the right team of people pulling in together or if the script isn't right. It could be a great idea but the script doesn't work.

I think I am a pretty good judge of character in general and try to surround myself with the best people I can.

One of the reasons I moved to New York was because I thought it would be easier to say no to dreadful scripts. I wouldn't be tempted to fly back and do them. There are some things even I won't do.

I think it helps to have a good old-fashioned trajectory, plodding along. Obviously one has an ego and it's really easy to have that ego tickled, but what helps me get through the night is if I concentrate on just quality of work so that I don't panic about my profile.

I think that fame only goes to your head if you are not a real artist. If you are a real artist and a good person who loves what they are doing, you are going to be the same person.

I do turn down things that I feel aren't right for me, like when it's some kind of adolescent thing that might typecast me, but I'm not worried about it.

I still take work if I think it's good. If I like the script, I'll do it. If I don't, I won't.

I've done my best to work from a place of humility - always looking over your shoulder saying, 'Does this suck?' and I think that's a good way to work. The other way to work is where you start to think, 'I'm on fire, I'm amazing!' and I don't think that's the way to work.

You take the good with the bad and try not to listen to everything said about you because you know it's not good.