Angela Carter Quotes

Every man has three characters - that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he has.

In photos, I don't know who the real me is - it's all pretend, just pretend. There's not much of myself in my work. If I'm looking in the mirror and I'm working, I'm looking at my make-up and my hair. It's not the same as looking at myself.

Like, that was weird in 'Hamlet 2,' because I played myself there, fully myself, but then I realized, 'Oh, I'm not playing myself. I'm some weird version of myself.' So as an actress, you're always playing something, I don't even know who I am, how could I become me? I don't know what that is.

At least when you're acting you can be someone. In front of the camera you have to be yourself. And who am I?

If a critic doesn't think I can act, it's because I'm not acting. That's me - and that's the way I act.

I play myself all the time, on camera and off. What else can I do?

I'm not an actor, I'm not good looking. It's not what I do, and I don't want to be one. Maybe if I watched myself I would then try to be one.

Sometimes I pose, but sometimes I pose as posing.

Be what you would seem to be - or, if you'd like it put more simply - never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.

You can't fool the mirror-what you see is what you are.

You're never really playing yourself. You're always acting. It's an illusion that you're really playing yourself. The only time I'm playing myself is when I'm at home!

In every character you play, as much as you hate to admit it as an actor, but there's an element of you that you bring to it.

I feel that I'm sort of playing me but more feminine, and to me more feminine means smarter.

Well, I think any actor can probably identify with being a professional liar. You don't always look at yourself that way, but I know a lot of days I do.

The trick is not to become somebody else. You become somebody else when you're in front of a camera or when you're on stage. There are some people who carry it all the time. That, to me, is not acting.

A man may not always be what he appears to be, but what he appears to be is always a significant part of what he is.

You can't get away from who you are I guess.

We are always on stage, even when we are stabbed in earnest at the end.

Dandyism is a lie which reveals the truth, and the truth is that we are what we pretend to be.

I don't think anyone can do any character that doesn't have at least some ounce of themselves in it. You are who you are, and your brain is drawing on things that you've experienced.

You know, most people really don't know me.

After this whole acting thing is over and done, you eventually have to be human. Some people are never human. It's very weird.

When I've got all the makeup on and all the spit, polish and glue together, I look fine. But I know what I really look like, and I'm still that same little kid under there. I don't think I look that great. I think I did a good job of creating Morgan Fairchild. But I created her.

However, I don't by any means suggest that I'm always playing myself.

Be as you wish to seem.