Tom Stoppard Quotes

Well, unless you've suffered from panic attacks and social anxiety disorders, which is what I was diagnosed as having, it's hard to explain it. But you go on stage knowing you're actually physically going to die. You will keel over and die.

I am honestly very intimidated when I meet new people and they expect me to be the onscreen Vir. On stage, I say a lot of things I might never say in real life; I am never the life of the party. People are quite surprised to see that I am more of a quiet artiste off stage.

When I was younger, the red carpet used to terrify me because it's not about playing a part: you're not in a film pretending to be someone - you are yourself. It's intimidating.

I have social anxiety. It's easier up on stage because there's security in being there. When I'm off stage I'm trying not to be a manic freak. I'm quite shy.

Oddly enough, I have really bad stage fright - getting up in front of people. And I made a living going on live television.

I don't know how to let loose when I'm dancing to the music and the people that made the music are watching me. I've never felt so much pressure in my life.

Some artists are nervous - most of them are, to tell you the truth, and they have different ways of exhibiting that. Some of them are boisterous, some are really quiet.

I have this absurd syndrome where I get these out-of-the-blue, pathetic panic attacks. It'll be in a very easy, simple scene when everything is going swimmingly, and then suddenly, bang, I'm shvitzing and can't remember my lines.

I always did music privately as a hobby, I think partly because I was nervous to do it in front of other people.

Put me in a room with a songwriter, and I just clam up. I get shy.

During my teen years, I just really started to get anxiety. I would get stage fright when I would do certain speaking engagements and I always would get through them, but it was a really nerve-racking and hard thing to do.

I get nervous around famous people.

I don't like going to movie theaters or festivals. I even get freaked out at other people's shows.

I have no problems with my eyes. It was because when I became big, I suddenly I found myself playing on stage with 200,000 people, and that is scary. I remember my manager told me just put on a pair of sunglasses, and that should mitigate the panic. So I tried it, and it worked.

I was very nervous as a child and had stage fright.

I was the kid in class who was afraid to get called on.

The fear of public speaking is a primal fear. You can train your body to not be crazy when you're doing it, but it truly is a primal fear.

I can go in front of thousands of people on stage and not be afraid, but when there's just a few people, that scares me.

I'm more comfortable performing in front of 50,000 people than five people - it's easier. When there's that many people, I feel like I'm alone. When I perform in front of only a few people, it's scary.

There's no worse feeling than being in front of a guy with six-pack abs, muscles popping out of his shoulders, veins popping out of his arms, and you know he's swinging for the fences, in front of all your friends and family, and you can't breathe. You can't breathe no matter how much moves you know. You start to panic. You start to feel a drowning sensation. It's the worst feeling in the world.

I'm not big with an audience; I get very nervous.

It's almost like it's my alter ego when I get on stage... I turn into this different person, seriously. Bipolar disorder. I'm tired of everybody touching me and things being plugged into my head.

I'm suffering from stage fright. I don't like making speeches. [...] I'm the kind of introvert actor who likes putting on other people's clothes and pretending to be somebody else, which is completely crazy choice of profession. So, I don't enjoy public speaking and I have every sympathy for anyone who has to do it and doesn't enjoy it.

I'm terrified of saying the wrong thing on stage with bell hooks.

I've noticed a surge when I go out somewhere, or if I'm doing stand-up.