Chris Penn Quotes

You have to be sharp when the camera's rolling. I want to be totally unselfconscious, like a child playing. I do as much prep as possible so I can lose myself for those seconds.

I'm used to being in front of camera and knowing what to think. But if you're asking me to be me, I get very self-conscious. My job isn't to be me. Being an actor, people think you can do a eulogy at a funeral, a speech at a wedding. I find all that very nerve-racking.

I think that I need to work on being comfortable at being normal, everyday-ish on camera.

There's that great thing about acting - you're wearing your heart on your sleeve, and you're speaking off the cuff. You know, you're fearless about it, and - and it's great. And I love it.

A good trick I learnt early on is not to immediately look at playback because once you know the shot, you can see when the camera is on you. It's best to stay 'in it' all the time, and just if it's on you, it's on you, and if it's not, it's not. It's the easiest way.

I find that kid actors are great reminders of the simplicity of acting. As you get older, you can sometimes complicate things a little more. You can become too aware of, 'Okay, this is the scene emotionally. This is where we need to be. We've got the climax coming up.' You can start to analyze it too much.

I think it's still kind of weird to memorize a line, because you're supposed to 'be' this person, you know? So then its like, if I'm really this person, how can I be in the moment if I know there's just one line I'm supposed to say? It doesn't feel natural. I always just kind of want to say whatever comes up.

I'm comfortable in front of the camera, but I can't act.

I try not to intellectualise what I do.

So many actors are not open in front of the camera - they have a persona.

More of me comes out when I improvise.

When I was starting out, doing guest spots on TV, and even commercials, I would go in with a whole crazy wardrobe and some terrible accent. Obviously, I was doing too much. If you bring too much flavor to it, it's absurd. There's something to just being spontaneous.

If you are a good actor, then all you have to do is give your best shot every time when you are in front of the camera regardless of who else is around you.

I don't really overthink my characters. The camera comes on, and I am on.

I've always really been a fan of scenes in which you're able to be as natural as you want.

I can't act. I simply must be myself, do the things that seem natural to me. When I get with a director who wants me to act, I'll be lost.

It helps so much being on location. It's like the difference between performing for the rectangle of the camera versus a world being created and then the camera finds things within that. There's a huge difference in that, because what it takes away is performance. You don't feel like performing. You're just kind of doing it. You're existing.

If you become very self-conscious about what you are doing, you kill. You kill the character. Then it doesn't work. You have to come from a sincere place. And you don't think too much. I don't go to the hotel and I start thinking what am I going to say tomorrow and start writing things down.

It's only when I faced the camera that I realised how confident I was on screen!

When you go live, anything can happen. It excites me because it means I have to be on. When the camera's on, whatever happens happens.

Being a VJ, I never had an issue being in front of the camera. I'm totally at ease and that's my saviour.

A great thing about kids is they're just themselves and can't help it a lot of the times.

I can sit and write clever things, but that never quite works as well as when I'm just chatting about stupid things in the moment.

For the longest time, I was very conscious of the camera while doing a scene. It wouldn't seem natural. But gradually, I've become more comfortable.

It's hard to do a variety show. It's hard to do all that small talk and make it sound real.