Stephen Sondheim Quotes

I get really self-conscious about people staring at me. It sounds so weird. As a performer, as an artist, these should be the things that I'm used to. But that's not the case. When people stare at me, I freak out.

I have a really difficult time watching myself on film. I literally cower in my seat and cover my face.

When I first began, the technicians, camera and makeup men made me feel so self-conscious that I began to have the biggest inferiority complex about my looks.

When the attention is on me, off-camera, I get uncomfortable - sort of shy and at a loss for words, as you can probably tell?

I went on television and I wouldn't say a word; I feel so stupid when I watch them again.

I still see myself on TV and think, 'Oh my God, I'm on a television, and there are millions of people watching,' and I get really nervous and embarrassed and insecure.

I don't like seeing myself on screen. Whenever I see or hear myself, I think, 'What is that eejet doing now?' I'm in the wrong business. I don't like the limelight.

It's frightening to be facing an audience. There is always the fear of what they think of you, what they are saying about you.

I have this fear of falling in front of large groups of people. That's why I tend not to wear heels.

I often don't see what I've done, or I cringe when I watch myself.

It feels like the more I'm out there in the public eye, the more criticism I get. You need to have confidence - that's what it takes to walk out there and sing a song in front of a huge group of people.

I didn't stutter when I was reading lines in a script. When I got away from myself, I didn't have that problem.

I think my worst nightmare is standing up in front of a group of people.

Before I look stupid and not know what a word means or how to pronounce it, I'll stop the whole production: 'Hey, real quick, guys. Define this word for me. Somebody.'

Performance is hard. I know this. I really enjoy it, but I have bombed, I have fluffed, and I have said the wrong thing.

I cannot sing karaoke because it's hard and weird. If I actually tried to sing, I would probably sound good, and I think that's weird and not fun.

All of my friends are really good dancers, which was initially why I never danced - we'd go out, and they would kill it, and I'd be like, 'Yeah, I'm just gonna sit at the bar.'

It probably says something really clinically terrible about my character that I need to get up on a stage and go 'Ra ra ra' in front of people.

I was never that good on stage with live improv. I was much better on film or writing something and then thinking about it. I was too in my head when I was on stage.

I get embarrassed a lot of times getting attention, but I like being onstage. Do you know what I mean? If I'm in a crowd of people and they're all looking at me, I will feel embarrassed. It's a strange dichotomy.

My first Top of the Pops I didn't want to do. I was terrified. I'd never done television before. Seeing the video afterwards was like watching myself die.

I tend to be hypercritical of my performances. That's why I hate watching them with people I know.

I am not comfortable telling people I am trying stand-up because to me that implies confidence. I'm - well, I'm not.

When you first are in front of the camera as a young person, you'd be surprised at all the insecurities you can get.

I never thought I'd go on a show like 'The X Factor,' simply because I didn't have enough confidence to do something like standing on a stage to have opinions thrown at me.