Bette Midler Quotes

There are times when I don't take roles because I don't want to be perceived a certain way.

I've only gotten directly offered two or three movies, ever. I don't have the luxury of being able to say no a lot, and I don't really have the luxury of just getting to pick and choose certain things. If I did, I probably would choose even more different roles than I've played.

I like to play unpredictable characters, and I like to be unpredictable in what movie I'll do.

For me, choice is the most important thing because I'm going to be an adult actor pretty soon. So I've got to be choosing the right roles now so that by the time I get to that age there will be wide options available.

I do turn down things that I feel aren't right for me, like when it's some kind of adolescent thing that might typecast me, but I'm not worried about it.

I don't have an agenda where I do a comedy and say, 'I have to do a drama next,' or 'I am looking for an action movie now.'

I should be one of those actors who has a list. A lot of people do - 'I wanna do this and this and this' - but I don't. I enjoy being surprised - indeed, often ambushed - by a role.

I would rather do three or four small parts every year as opposed to some of the lower-hanging fruit that might get my name above the title.

I'm a working actress able to make choices based on characters rather than what I 'should' do for my career.

You know, back in acting school they always teach you, 'Make bold choices and look for activities that are interesting.'

I'm very passionate about art, music, drawing, acting, so I'd like to have the chance to get the larger choice regarding acting.

People have these ideas of what you're supposed to do to have a career, like play against type, or don't revisit a character. I'm just not that precious.

I think that the more success you have as an actor, I think, the greatest advantage of being successful as an actor or being in this business is that you have the chance to pick and choose, or you have people coming to you with a much more different variety of roles.

After I did Untamed Heart I wanted to do a film that was outrageous. I really wanted to do, you know, a performance. I don't want to allow my image to rule the choices that I make.

That's what I love about acting. There's never a set role. You can be a firefighter, you can be a baseball player, you can be whatever you want in the acting world. I think I've found my calling.

I never record anything like a demo, I just go for it.

I don't really differentiate between different genres: if there's a good part going, I'll go after it, and it's preferable to me if it's something I haven't done before.

My whole career strategy has been to build a base so that I could take the roles I want to play. I'd hate to think that a shorter part might not be available because I was worried about my billing.

I think that there's not much point to being an actor if you're not enjoying it, so I try to be picky about roles I do like to go out for.

I'm not auditioning to play convenience-store clerks. I don't see any benefit in that.

I'm not particularly a career-oriented guy. I'm lucky. I can make really interesting films much of the time with interesting people yet be anonymous, have a private life. But, I'd like to have the choice of the better roles.

I am completely open to doing a romantic comedy, but I will never do something just for the sake of doing a specific genre or because it's the time or place to do a different type of movie. I think that would be a huge mistake.

I love being able to change from big films to small films.

My first five or six years in L.A., I was just trying to get two cents together to stay here. Playing Jason Stackhouse on 'True Blood' put me in a position, financially, to make decisions based on creativity, to choose roles based on whether I connected with them. I love the Jason Stackhouse character... But I also love stepping out of his shoes.

Actors have far fewer choices than the public thinks they do.