Ali Fazal Quotes

I really enjoy doing films, but I also love television. I certainly would not be against doing some regular television work and being on a show that runs several years.

About a year after 'Bosom Buddies,' I was suddenly a regular on 'Newhart,' and I was there almost seven years. And then, somewhere in the mid-1990s, I ended up doing a TV series version of 'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.'

I did 'The Commish' and an episode of 'Neon Rider,' and then I got the series called 'Street Justice,' which I ended up doing about 18 episodes of.

It's been a pretty amazing experience, getting to go from 'Bosch' to 'The Vampire Diaries' back-to-back, with a little 'Castle' in between.

I would love to do films. It's just the way things happened for me - I ended up doing a lot of TV.

I was always interested in films and thought that was the path I should go down, but I didn't start pursuing acting until I was 17.

I started off first doing a TV series called 'Boston Common.' That was my first big job, and then I went on to do another half hour comedy show, and that was with Tom Arnold, called 'The Tom Show.'

I'll only work on TV shows that have a 'Sookie' on them! Those are the only shows that will cast me. And I've never even met a Sookie in my life. Sookie on 'Gilmore Girls' was played by Melissa McCarthy. And Sookie, played by Anna Paquin, is number one on the call sheet on 'True Blood.' Somebody should write another script with a Sookie in it.

I was blessed with a good character in 'Hollyoaks,' and I cut my teeth in 'Brookside' as well.

Ridley Scott was part of the production team on 'The Good Wife.' I auditioned on my iPhone, and it moved very quickly after that, as they thought I was right for the role, and pretty soon I was filming in Iceland for two months.

In the States, you have a little bit of freedom to audition for different kinds of roles.

I've played the leads in two British TV series. I've done a bunch of mini-series. Everybody in Australia is a bit in awe of BBC. I've worked for there, and that was a great experience.

Films are really cool because, every couple months, or however many times you can get a job because there's a lot of luck involved in that, you're playing a different character.

Stage work, that's all I have in my background. Wasteland was my first TV experience. Dawson's was my first long-term, I mean the entire season of 22 episodes.

My choices in projects have all been character or role-based, and on a financial level, it's obvious: as an actor on a TV series, I get a wonderful paycheck, and a consistent paycheck, which doesn't always happen when you're doing theater or movies.

I was on a sitcom called 'Gary Unmarried' for 37 episodes, and then I was in 'Bad Teacher' with Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake.

I auditioned for the role of Jamie Mitchell in 'EastEnders,' and it was between me and Jack Ryder, and he got it.

I don't think I've ever done a real mini-series, but I love doing film first and foremost.

If I had done some of the movies that I was offered as an actor - and very good movies, by the way, and some of them big moneymakers - I don't know that I ever would have taken what was the concentration or the time to do the movies that I produced. 'Reds' is a good example, but 'Shampoo' is also an example, and so was 'Heaven Can Wait.'

I loved doing 'Homeland.' I loved playing Brody.

Let's put it this way: if I were to direct a feature film, I would not be in it.

I've turned down a lot of roles. Some of them made stars out of the people. I have no regrets.

For a New York actor, there are two things you look forward to - getting your SAG card and being on 'Law and Order.'

People didn't stop me before for a guest spot that I did on 'Smallville.' Nothing against 'Smallville,' but people didn't freak out in traffic to tell me they love my show.

I was in a TV show called 'Lucky' on FX. The casting director from 'Lucky' was casting 'Dragon Wars'. She called me in to meet with the producer and audition, and I got it from there.