Annette Bening Quotes

If I'm going to be the best in what I do, I have to study what I'm doing, I have to see what I'm doing. I have to see it, I have to hear it. I'm just starting to appreciate myself - not starting, but appreciating myself in a way where I can look at myself back in a movie or listen to myself as much as I do now.

I've always liked to watch myself onscreen because that's how I learn.

I really don't like watching myself and for the most part I will never watch myself. I worked with Kevin Smith on Yoga Hosers and I really respected the way that he directed. He told me, "It's very important to watch yourself." So he would direct by going, "Hey come over to the screen and watch this scene." And so it was very uncomfortable for me to have to watch myself but then he talked me through the process of that and it was very helpful.

You have to attempt to be objective about yourself.

I'm not good at watching myself.

A mentor long departed told me that the greatest gift in political life, in any life, is to view yourself objectively, at arm's length, to make an assessment of yourself. So whom do I rely on? I rely on myself.

I don't really watch video of myself. Yeah, I don't really - I never really have.

At the end of each day, you should play back the tapes of your performance. The results should either applaud you or prod you.

When I watch myself in movies I go, 'My God.'

I struggle to watch myself in any scene, to be honest. What's done is done. I wish I was able to watch myself, as it would really help me develop as an actor. But I'm not brave enough. It's a difficult thing to do - looking at yourself as this utterly different person on a screen.

I have learned to watch myself and give myself constructive criticism. Although I have to cover my face and peek sometimes!

It's not like I sit around watching my movies again and again, but I've never quite believed actors when they say they don't watch themselves.

I don't like to come at my character from some really technical place.

The only real progress lies in learning to be wrong all alone.

To question your own process is a necessity. If you don't question yourself, it's impossible to improve.

Sometimes it's difficult directing yourself on film because you can't quite separate yourself from the subject.

There's nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.

It's difficult to see yourself up on screen without being a critic.

I don't cast somebody that I think is like my younger self.

When I watch myself on camera, in any capacity - being interviewed, performing, 20 years ago or yesterday - there's a part of me that really doesn't grasp that it's me.

I tried to draw people more realistically, but the figure I neglected to update was myself.

You should examine yourself daily. If you find faults, you should correct them. When you find none, you should try even harder.

I don't find it hard to direct myself. I can easily think of me as a horrible performer or a good performer. I work with actors who cannot stand watching or looking at themselves, which is not my case. I can have an eye and perspective on whether I'm terrible or good enough for me.

The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person.

If I see a movie on TV that I'm in, I usually will watch it for that reason: It's like I'm watching another person.