Michael Shanks Quotes

The thing about being an actor is that you're acting. It's not that big of a deal of to play someone different from yourself.

When I was doing 'All in the Family,' half the time, I was looking at where the cameras were, where were the other actors in the scene, what the audience was doing.

As an actor, it's amazing to get to create different characters.

I play a crazy talk-show host, but that's not me. It's like an actor playing a role.

As an actor, I'm more interested in characters the longer I have lived with them.

Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid to be on a set, pretending to be other people is fun.

Usually most characters I play are quite realistic.

Having done a lot of theater, I'm used to sustaining characters over long periods of time.

The idea of transformation - playing something I'm not - is the bit I enjoy most about acting.

That's the great thing about being an actor, you get to try out lots of things for your roles.

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

It's been a lot of fun getting to work with Tracy Middendorf, who plays my mom. As an actor, it's always fun to have different parents and to create different familial dynamics than you have in your real life.

I'm so into playing different characters, even when I was on Nickelodeon. I just observe.

There's something about being any kind of entertainer that is acting. You have to put on a show. Things you wouldn't do in your life, you do on stage. You have to let go. And that's extra hard for rappers. We have a tendency to, quote unquote, keep it real. As an actor, you have to be able to humiliate yourself. Do whatever it takes.

I did some acting in high school, I knew I really liked it.

I love playing other people's work. I love acting.

I'd always dabbled in acting.

For me and for I'm sure any actor, each role is a different challenge to prepare for in a different way.

Frankly, acting doesn't scare me because I really enjoy it.

My favorite thing about acting is that I can play all kinds of different people. Frankly, I don't consider myself a very interesting person, so the characters I play are usually much more fun.

Some of the best times I've ever had in my life have been because of acting and through acting. But I'm not interested in the game of acting and being an actor and auditioning and all that stuff.

I'd played dumbasses a lot. On Mad About You, I played a very dumb waitress and they saw me.

I like the idea of acting. Of all these things I've done, sometimes I think I've done well, and sometimes I think I didn't do well, but they are more cameos, and I come in and be crazy.

I try to shy away from playing cranky people, but if it's just a funny next-door neighbor or business man, I'll say, 'Sure, why not?'

I've never acted, but I'm an entertainer. So I kind of used what I know from being onstage. I've done a thousand and two interviews, and I've been on camera a million times, so I'm not uncomfortable on camera, but it was interesting for me to be someone else.