Ingrid Bergman Quotes

I think if you're good and you can persuade people you're going to be able to do that role and ultimately the audience buys it, then it doesn't matter whether you were really a chimpanzee in disguise! You've done it.

That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.

That's precisely what we do as actors: try to convince the audience we are somebody else. And if you can do that, you are really doing something.

As an actor, we spend so much putting the mask on and trying to be someone you're not.

A large part of acting is just pretending. You get to work with these other great make-believers, all making believe as hard as they can.

Real emotion is good - or doing a good job of faking real emotion.

To be in front of an audience and pretending, and to lie, this is the principle of acting.

How do you play 'righteous'? Do you just kind of stand up straighter? What does that mean as an actor? You don't really play a quality.

I want people to believe me when I play a part and they are less apt to if they know a lot about me and have associations about me.

The eyes are the windows of your soul, and when you're acting, they're one of your most important instruments. Especially for close-ups!

I'm an actor. I can make anyone believe anything. I don't have to know what the hell I'm talking about.

That's the mark of a really great actor, when he can make you feel the emotion without having to search for it.

As an actor, I feel one should use his look to trick people.

Crying does not equal good acting.

For actors, the idea is that you convince people you're someone you're not.

Acting, in general, is something most people think they're incapable of, but they do it from morning to night. The subtlest acting I've ever seen is by ordinary people trying to show they feel something they don't, or trying to hide something. It's something everyone learns at an early age.

I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.

One thing that bugs me in comedy is when somebody does a fake cry, you know, like they fake cry in a comedy. But in a drama they'll really cry. That bugs me.

I was a terrific liar as a child, and I believe my lies. So it's a natural step into acting.

The worst acting is about imitation.

The point of acting is to pretend you're someone else and sell a story.

Some actors get by with behaving, not acting. You've got to sell the effect. I act more in the 'Nightmare' movies because it's not like me. I'm acting, not reacting.

If you can just actually let the character be for a bit, then you get the right sense.

I just don't believe you're capable of being an actor unless you have a desire to experience your emotions in a public way.

When you perform, you can convey emotions differently, and your look can reflect each of those emotions.