William Wyler Quotes

There are a lot of visual marks that have to be hit, and lines that need to be said in a right way - so there wasn't really any improvisation on the set when it came to the bulk of the script.

A lot of actors, we aren't that special; you get a well-written scene, and it's virtually actor-proof.

I look at actors very closely. It's not an accident when the actors excel.

When you get a good script, and the director gives you proper lines, half your job is done.

Every actor just wants good writing.

For any role, I pretty much always go to the script, first and foremost.

I think that different actors go about their preparation differently, but when it comes to acting, I use my imagination.

What really makes it fun for an actor is when the script is good.

As an actor, one's role is very much to respond and react to the situation within the context of the character and his world.

I think all great actors - and I don't classify myself as one of them, incidentally - but I think all great actors listen well and I've learned that from a lot of the very good actors with whom I've worked - to really listen to what people say.

I love an acting challenge, and I love getting to sit down with my script and do all my drama work.

All the things you can do to prepare for a role that free you, in the moment, are great. You have this muscle memory for things. You don't have to act it as much, once you've done it enough.

When I do film, I really take on roles and I take on characters.

I think acting really helps as a director. It's just no question, because you totally understand the acting process.

I'm more interested in knowing my cues than my lines. If you know what your cues are, then you know what your reaction is going to be to them. Acting is about reacting, and if I can kind of purely react, that's easier for me.

I think that I've still not been successful at playing the role of the retired actor, and I'd like to work on that.

Concept is what makes actors raise their game.

As an actor, it's my job to prepare myself for a role. If the character is realistic, one can't go wrong.

I walk into a scene, and I do the scene. That's my job. I don't have an objective. I have the words, and I have whoever I'm playing with.

I love to do very long and complicated scenes.

Britain produces great actors because they learn on stage so know their stuff when they get on a movie set.

A lot of actors and actresses pull from past experiences.

I think you get the most honest performances when an actor shows up to set with their lines memorized. That's a very important thing that a lot of people seem to forget. You have a pre-conceived notion of what you want the scene to be, but once you get there, that goes out the window and it turns out to be a way that you never imagined.

When you get to set, you don't try to play the plot; you just play the character.

If you're working opposite an actor who can act, then all you have to do is listen and respond.