Mark Goddard Quotes

I had an acting teacher tell me once that if you're playing a car salesman, you don't want to be an OK car salesman, you want to play the best car salesman.

The first thing I do when I read a part is see if I can identify emotionally with a character. If I make that connection, everything else is just working on knowing their life circumstances and manifesting those through practice and research.

I'm not the kind of actor that would know what my character had for breakfast last Tuesday.

There are always practical decisions to be made about any character you're playing.

Well, you know, with every character, if you're going to expose yourself, you've got to figure out every detail that you're going to play. So there's no character that you can just go put on his shirt and be fully prepared.

I don't approach a role by saying I'll be unsavory or unlikable.

When I start thinking about a role, I read the script a few times and then let it sink in - and then take some time to develop how that character is going to play out and what he's going to do.

For me, I always have to establish a reality for the character. In very actor-y terms, you just have to understand his reality.

I never really absorbed myself in a role like some actors do.

For me, as an actor, the challenge is mostly before the film starts when you have to get into the psychology of the character.

I like to prepare for my roles well, so you can call me a method actor to an extent.

I don't even know who my character is in 'Grey's.'

So much of movie acting is in the lighting. And in loving your characters. I try to know them, and with that intimacy comes love. And now, I love Voldemort.

I never really thought about what characters I play. I always just wanted different characters.

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

In choosing any role, I ask the same questions: what kind of part is it? is the role challenging? does the director have a vision? is the story moving? etc.

You try to get to know your character as best as you can before you start filming - what's written and not written.

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.

What I mostly do is take the script, analyse the hell out of it, see what's in there, see what kind of person I'm dealing with, and then forget I'm playing a father and just play a person who exemplifies all those things.

When preparing a role, I work first on the body language and physical aspects of the performance; the psychological dimension comes naturally once I'm in character.

Ultimately, the idea of acting is to understand the people you're playing, and then where they're coming from is not so mystifying. You've got to detox a bit after, though.

I don't really prepare for each role the same way.

I create a playlist for each and every character that I play.

Well, first of all, you read the script a million times. Because what the script gives you are given circumstances. Given circumstances are all the facts of your character.

I demanded two weeks of rehearsal because to me as an actor, that's the most important time.