Harry Connick Jr. Quotes

I didn't go to drama school or anything, and I learned on the job. And it's nice to have the chance to pretend to be other people. As a singer, though, I feel there's much more of me in that. I've written the songs, I'm singing them, I'm exposing my feelings.

I kind of keep my personality in my pocket a lot. When I start to do stand-up, that's not my true personality either. It's the personality of a guy who hasn't been able to say what he wanted to say.

Acting is a very important thing for me, and I love doing it. But when I'm acting, I spend 14 hours a day and months a time being someone else. When I'm singing, I just get to be me.

Nobody knows I sing. Even though I've done Broadway musicals. I would only pick it over acting because it's such a pure form of emotional expression.

Watching somebody sing reveals a lot about character.

Even moving around onstage seemed very artificial. But at the same time you have to make that effort in order to get back to who you are and even accept not moving, if that's who you are.

Playing characters allows me to do things I may not always do, while singing in concerts allows me to really find my own voice and grow.

I write songs from the heart, and I don't hold back.

Singing is about telling a story. When you are onstage, you get to be your own self... When acting, you're someone else.

I was putting forward too much of myself when I was singing.

The body cannot lie. You cannot be somebody else onstage, no matter how good of an actor or dancer or singer you are. When you open your arms, move your finger, the audience knows who you are, you know.

I don't wear a wig. I'd feel terrible onstage with a wig. I hate to be so 'Actors Studio'-ish, but I like to feel it's me out there.

I love to sing and I do think that my strength as a singer is... I think I have a voice that is certainly sufficient under most any circumstances... but I think my strength is that I really am an actor and I really do have to own what I am saying.

There's my personal life, my sensitive side, and then me as a performer, sexy and energised and fun.

There's a oneness to showing yourself to an audience. They feel that. It's healthy. That's what acting is all about.

When you're on stage, unless you surrender to the moment, you're not telling the truth. I look for people that tell me the truth.

I love to act and put on a show, but you're playing a character all the time. For music, it's really just me being myself.

This is what I believe about performing: There is no reason to be on stage - there is no reason to be there - if you're not going to put all your baggage somewhere else and just be honest. Whatever you're doing - screw it up, do great - just be there, and be honest. That's the most important thing.

Pain is pain, joy is joy - you can't avoid bringing pieces of yourself into a role.

Earlier on in my career I felt that I had to hide behind a lot of different masks, and showboat ways of performing. Now, that's a lie. The less I have to hide, the less I have to act.

Why should we change on stage? We're not trying to be something big and fancy, it's just us, doing what we do, we'd like to keep it that way.

Singing is the rawest thing. Having been naked in films or naked in photo shoots, it's nothing compared to singing. It's absolute nakedness. You are stripped bare! It's very strange. Acting seems much easier, in fact, because you are putting on a costume - whereas here, you are taking everything off.

I really enjoy singing, it's entirely different to acting because I'm just being myself.

I move on stage differently. The more you act, anyway, the more you live, your perception of life becomes more and more accurate.

Acting is not about dressing up. Acting is about stripping bare. The whole essence of learning lines is to forget them so you can make them sound like you thought of them that instant.