Lauren Bacall Quotes

Performing was terrifying.

I enjoyed doing Lipstick, but it scared me. I was very nervous. I couldn't wait for it to be over. It was very real, and I was just a kid.

I've never really been one to get what they call stage fright so much.

I'm not saying I look cool, but every single time I go onstage, it is a fail if I don't feel like I'm going to pass out at least twice.

To begin with, I don't have any stage fright.

I've got a lot of weaknesses. One of them is that I often get scared and tense when I'm working - and fear is one of the big threats to any good performance, because it closes you down and makes it harder for you to produce life in front of the camera.

Onstage was where I felt the most confident and in control and free, and as I've gotten older, it's gotten more and more daunting. And I think that's also part of my desire to keep confronting that and pushing through to find that childlike or youthful ignorance against fear and keep at it.

When I started on 'Strictly,' I was terrified. Live television seemed like the most daunting thing in the world.

You have to bury nerves, because they can either destroy you or give you that extra boost. You have to use your nerves in a good way. Don't let them destroy you.

When I walk out on to the court and everyone is staring, sometimes I wonder how my legs will carry me out there. That's forgotten as soon as I start playing.

I'm absolutely scared and I absolutely have reservations, but sometimes you need to find that deep down in you to bring out the best performance of yourself, to bring out the best version of yourself, but yep I'm nervous and I'm scared.

It's good to have butterflies. And they always go away. The camera starts rolling and they go away and it's all good.

Do you realize that you can't play the game of life with sweaty palms?

The way we can allow ourselves to do what we need to, no matter what others may say or do, is to choose love and defy fear.

I was this kid, and I was scared to death of all these pros around me... My head would shake, and my hands would shake, and I discovered if I kept my head down and looked up, my head would not shake, so I started to do that when I could, when it was appropriate in a scene.

I am always scared before going on stage; this is the fear which makes me do well.

Being nervous is not something you should be ashamed of. Nervous means you care, you really want to do well.

I still get really nervous, though, before each performance. It kind of hits about 15 minutes before we go onstage - sometimes I don't even want to go on. But once I'm onstage I'm fine.

What I find daunting always is to stand on a stage and talk to people, whether they agree with me or not.

Acting scares me.

I reached the stage where I was afraid to wiggle my leg, but then I thought 'why shouldn't I?' It's what I do and now I know how to turn an audience on again.

I get terrified the first day I'm on a film set. I get nervous walking down a red carpet. I find making speeches the most terrifying thing in the world.

It may take me a long time before I feel 'ready' to tour as a lead singer. I may never be ready... we'll just have to see.

I've never felt nervous in front of big crowds and in big stadiums.

The first night was awful because I was so afraid, and I was never more afraid because it was going out of my character to be outgoing and to be vulnerable and to be out there and onstage. My hands were sweaty and I couldn't swallow, and I drank a bottle of wine to calm my nerves.