Nia Vardalos Quotes

I love the stage, I love the process of acting in theatre, but unfortunately, it doesn't pay the bills.

To be frank, my career as an actor was not even taking care of my lifestyle. Doing two odd films a year wasn't making me financially secure.

Through all of this lovely interviewing, and nice things people say, and the rest of it, I have learned that I am an actor. That is my profession. That is my job. That is how I make a living. So I am just out there making a living.

You know, when you choose to make your living as an actor, it's all fine and good to look at it as some kind of artistic endeavor. At its best, it is that. But the fact is, most of the actors out there don't earn $3 million a picture and can't afford to take two years off between films and look for the right thing. Most of us are tradesmen.

I can't complain. I'm making a living out of what I do, which is really rare for a lot of actors. The hard part is staying confident and staying with it.

Most actors feel only one way. We're just grateful to have a job.

People have this belief that actors are able to go out there and say, 'Oh I choose this job,' but most of the time we're just taking the job we can get. We don't just get offered thousands of jobs; we might earn one job a year and that's the one we'll take because we've got to pay the rent.

The percentage of people that go to drama college in the U.K. is probably just like anywhere in the world. It's a very hard business to work in. They say that, at any one time, there's only 5% of actors in the world that are actually working and getting paid, which is a shocking percentage, really.

Coming off of 'Book of Mormon,' I had a lot of opportunities. I didn't want to do TV, actually. I really wanted to get paid nothing and keep doing theater at all costs.

Making a living out of acting sounded like science-fiction when I was growing up. I didn't know anyone around me who lived from anything related to art.

All I wanted to do was be a working actor.

The truth in acting is that we are all hired help. We are a commodity. There is no difference between being an actor and pork bellies.

When I first broke into the acting industry, I taught spinning classes to support myself.

Once I found out how much an Off-Off-Broadway actor makes, I was whoring myself out the next day.

For me, my 20s were all about reaching for the brass ring of work in theater, television, and film, surviving in between by waiting tables, painting houses, serving coffee, and temping.

You just suddenly think that there's something quite childish about acting. Basically, it's pretending, isn't it? It's good fun and I enjoy it, but it's a funny way of making a living, particularly when you make a very good wage, as I've been fortunate enough to do.

I'd like to be a steadily working actor and to do as many things as possible. I'm really enjoying the life.

It's really hard to make a living as an actor. I'm grateful as I drive to work every morning.

All I really wanted to be was a working actor.

My life is one that I've aimed for - I've always wanted to be an actor who worked in film and television and was able to provide for himself and his family.

I'll just put it this way: I've struggled enough as a working actor - and, most of the times, a not working actor - to know that anytime you are working is a blessing.

I have done a lot of television serials in order to make ends meet.

I've always considered myself an actor, but I wasn't making a living as an actor.

It's the life of an actor to always be questioning, always be wondering. There is no occupation in the world less dependable.

My friends are pretty used to me being an actor, and the ones who have known me for a long time don't make too big of a deal out of it.