Ben Mendelsohn Quotes

An actor's job is about putting across the author's intention; I don't think of myself on the same level as a creator.

A lot of actors, whatever movie you're working on, you make up a back story just for your own, to work off, even if the audience doesn't have it revealed to them. I think it's important that the audience makes up their own mind.

I have only recently got interested in film, and it is a strange way of working in many ways. But actually, when it is at its best, it's quite an extraordinary way of working between a director and an actor, to really explore an inner life.

I do not use any set methods, not even The Method. The character after all is in the lines.

I had to focus and create a character in Bagger Vance, not just do my 'Will Smith' thing and get paid.

The luxury of television is that you get more than one shot at who you think the guy is that you're playing.

Creating a role is an interesting thing - each show or each situation is different.

Acting is like any other art form, in that you have the option to go very big or go very small.

Keep everything in context, and try to have each line doing more than one thing - not just giving exposition but also revealing character and history, etc.

It's such a gift when you know who you're writing for and you know that that actor is capable of so much that you can relax a bit.

I am a complete director's actor.

After 'Mulk,' I figured it's your voice that people are connecting with. So then my voice became of prime importance to me for my films.

I want to do content-driven film, powerful roles which I've never done before.

I always try to make my characters people, and yet I always want to entertain.

I need to react to a script, to feel strongly about it in some way. And I need it to be a complex character for sure. And also, I think a lot about what kind of audience there is for the film, what they're looking for and ways to connect with them in the playing of a character.

My first four roles were all nice guys, Raggedy Man being one of them.

I think I can speak with a degree of authority... today, the biggest driving force of movies is pace; God help you if you try to put in a scene that is about character and not plot.

How I work is I work from of very character-driven place. And I trust the writers.

If you write interesting roles, you get interesting people to play them. If you write roles that are full of nuance and contradiction and have interesting dialog, actors are drawn to that.

It's your job as an actor to fill out the blanks. I love doing that. To fill in the bones.

I love doing theater so much - being in front of an audience and seeing how a character grows and develops with every performance.

I don't have a favorite genre. I love to work and live vicariously through every character. It's all about trying to bring the character to life and get the story across in a way that resonates with the audience. It's always interesting and challenging in a gratifying and unique way.

I like roles that are on the extreme ends of the spectrum, and there's special appeal in exploring these slightly forgotten plays that people might think of as subjects for academic term papers instead of live theater.

There's no rule that we have to like the characters movies are about.

I am a professional actor, and I don't go about moralizing about what the character does. Otherwise, seriously, why be an actor? You're not making some kind of social statement. That's not what actors do.