Olivier Theyskens Quotes

The general public thinks all little people are in circuses or sideshows. We have doctors, nurses, just about every field covered.

I understand people have preconceived notions of who I am or what I do. But I do find it a bit bizarre that people find it bizarre that I've grown up.

Everyone still thinks I'm Scottish - that's totally wicked.

A lot of gay men are in delusion if they think they're super macho.

People in France are very intrusive when they recognize you. In New York, they are very polite, with quick words, so it's great.

I would literally have to go meet people so they could see I didn't have big red hair and wear high heels constantly. It was just really ingrained in people.

We put stereotypes on ourselves. Everybody does that. But I think it's just a little harder for black kids to just be who they are.

One thing I noticed when I moved to America, people don't really know about me, so a lot of them question why I look like a boy or dress like a boy, or why I didn't have longer hair, or what's with the tattoos.

Russians call me German, Germans call me Russian, Jews call me a Christian, Christians a Jew.

They just think I'm a white dude. Every once in a while someone thinks I'm Jewish. I get a lot of stuff, but never Latino.

We know that misidentification is a major issue for us.

People like to put people in little boxes and if you don't fit you're odd. But they don't really know anything about me.

Having been an actor in Hollywood for a certain amount of time, I always felt a pressure to be sort of a neutral person. 'Don't do anything to your hair. Don't tell them your age. Don't tell them you're gay. Don't tell them anything that could limit you, specify you as a person.' I always hated that, actually moved out of L.A. because of that.

Most of us, when imagining an All-American, wouldn't picture a man who looked like me. Not even I would.

A lot of stuff has been said about me. People said I was a Malayali because I have Shivan in my name just like Santhosh Sivan does. But I'm a Tamilian.

If you call a Brazilian out publicly, you're going to be fighting that Brazilian. That's in their culture.

Just being thought of as a Christian is pretty annoying. Not that there's anything wrong with it. But just being told you're anything when you're not.

I am too inexperienced and ignorant to conduct myself with propriety in this town, where every thing is new to me, and many things are unaccountable and perplexing.

People think because I'm shaped this way, I'm scandalous

No man is inherently respectable, but all women are by nature.

If I say to my daughter, "Go say 'hi' to Aunt Gertrude," there is a reason there. I'm teaching her manners. I think the idea that she'll say 'hi' to Aunt Gertrude only if she wants to is the biggest crock of silliness I've ever heard. Yet I meet people everyday who were clearly brought up to think that if they didn't want to say "hi" to Aunt Gertrude, that was fine.

You're never going to get beyond other people's preconceptions of what you are and what you're about.

Out of respect, a man must veil his words when talking with a woman, but with a man he can frankly say whatever's on his mind.

Except for their genitals, I don't know what immutable differences exist between men and women. Perhaps there are some other unchangeable differences; probably there are a number of irrelevant differences. But it is clear that until social expectations for men and women are equal, until we provide equal respect for both sexes, answers to this question will simply reflect our prejudices.

As women, we're always in negotiation with how we're being perceived versus how we feel.