Claire Tomalin Quotes

When I used to teach writing, what I would tell my playwriting students is that while you're writing your plays, you're also writing the playwright. You're developing yourself as a persona, as a public persona. It's going to be partly exposed through the writing itself and partly created by all the paraphernalia that attaches itself to writing. But you aren't simply an invisible being or your own private being at work. You're kind of a public figure, as well.

Sometimes I want to just pull the off switch, but you can't because if you go outside, you have to give people your all. You can't say, 'Oh, you know what? I'm not feeling good today.' No. No one's trying to hear that. When a woman comes up to you and says, 'Hey, my daughter's your biggest fan. Can we have a picture?' - you can't say no.

I think maybe I might have to do what some other authors do, which is do a variation on my name, just to send readers the message that, 'Yep, this is me, but this is a different part of me. So brace yourself.'

My own life has been doubly disconnected, as I've written books under two different names. As an author, your name almost becomes a brand; readers know what to expect.

I don’t understand why Jackie O[nassis] thinks she’s so grand that she doesn’t owe it to the public to have another great marriage to somebody big. You’d think she’d want to scheme and connive to get into history again.

My public image is none of my business.

It's very easy to get caught up in the world of press and maintaining an image and maintaining this highlight reel that the world expects.

When I am making a movie, I am very casual; wearing chappals, and have my hair tied. However, when I am judging a show, I take care of myself and get the makeup and hair done.

When I go to work and when I'm in the public eye, I take much better care of myself. Because when I'm not working, I do indulge more.

There's stigmas attached to anything that makes you, in the public's eye, seem weak. So of course, you know, you're in a business where your image, and the way people perceive you, you are taught, is important.

If you're a comedian, it's a bit of a choice whether or not you want to be funny when you're not performing because it might feel disingenuous. In the same way, I don't show people magic tricks in social situations any more.

I was Mr. Olympia and everywhere I went I had to project this image. After some time you start wondering what part of that is really you and which bit you're doing because it's your job.

I am not necessarily a private person, but I am Charlotte Flair on camera, and that is playing a character.

You show up at high school, there's all these kids you don't know, and you're terrified that people will have some kind of wrong or unpleasant impression of you. You just don't want anything to ruin your public persona, because you actually have a public persona in high school.

It's funny, because people always say when they meet me, having read me - or they read me, having met me - that they are struck by how the tone is pretty similar, in real life and in the books.

Bappi Lahiri has an image that the public wants to see.

When you're an on-air broadcaster you have a personality to maintain. It's your job.

I've been in public life for long enough that I know you just have to live your life normally.

Being in front of the cameras is not my favorite thing to do. But it's a good problem to have.

Some writing programs are very much like, you come in, and you have a niche that becomes yours, and, you know, you're the dude from the streets. Or you're the woman who was in prison.

I'm a good manager, but a bad celebrity.

Once I established myself doing crazy things and being extreme, people want to see it all the time.

I'm teetotal and a vegetarian, which is sometimes a surprise to people who meet me expecting me to resemble one of the characters in my books.

I am intensely private and don't live out loud despite what I do for a living.

I see sometimes how guys may make a buffoon of themselves to sell a few more tickets. They create this image, and when it's all said and done, it's like everything falls out from under them. They have no stability. I never wanted to be one of those guys.