Acting Credibility Quotes

I played the mom in Spy Kids when I was, like, 27. So it was ridiculous. But [Robert Rodriguez] was like, "You know what? If we do our job right, no one will question it." And nobody did.

If you do an indie film, where it's like, "We don't have a lot of money to give you, but we'll really give you a lot of freedom," that's really a luxury to have in this business. At least for myself, because I'm still kind of earning my acting credibility.

'L.A. Law' has been a bit of a blessing and a curse. First of all, it was a very prestigious show that had a lot of intellect, and I was the pretty boy. I've had to battle that my whole career: 'Oh, you were the face guy. You didn't really have to act; you just had to wear the right suits.' I had to battle that.

Once you've been booked, people in Hollywood say, 'Oh he must be good.' All the while you're the same actor.

It's something that I think I'm going to have to fight against for most of my career, for people to take me seriously as an actor as opposed to a good-looking guy. It's not what I want to be known as.

Listen, I like great actors. You can be a movie star without being a great actor - this has been proved several times - and I like my casts to have great actors. Acting is more important to me than being a star.

If I look like a six-pack replete warrior in 'Tanu Weds Manu,' viewers are not going accept me.

I want people to believe me when I play a part and they are less apt to if they know a lot about me and have associations about me.

When a film doesn't do well, people start doubting you as an actor.

As an actor, the biggest compliment you can get, in my book is for someone to believe that you're the character.

I don't know - the whole leading man, I don't buy it.

The term 'serious actor' is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? Like 'Republican party' or 'airplane food.'

When the script for 'The Wrestler' kept coming to me I said, This movie is so good if you put me in the film as a wrestler people are going to say, 'No credibility, Hulk Hogan isn't a good actor,' whatever Hollywood thinks of me.

I'm not a media personality, I'm an actress. I want to protect that thing: the suspension of disbelief. The rest of it is just distraction.

I'm tryin' to get some acting credibility, get some other work.

Every little thing that people know about you as a person impedes your ability to achieve that kind of terrific suspension of disbelief that happens when an audience goes with an actor and character he's playing.

I don't want to be known as a sex symbol. There's a great stigma that goes with that tag. I want to be a Sam Elliott.

I get offered a lot of parts where I want to say, 'Why don't you just hire a model? Don't hire an actor.' I'm trying to convince people I'm a real actor, not some mannequin.

Another thing that's pathetic is this rule that you have to look ugly to get respect as an actress. Jessica Lange had to make herself look really bad to prove that she had amazing talent.

I think audiences are far too sophisticated now to have an English actor putting on a Russian accent - it feels fake.

What actor do you really take seriously who becomes a singer? It's kind of ridiculous. I can't think of anybody.

Any time you cast an actor, you don't just cast that actor; you cast all their other performances as well.

I don't need to convince anybody that I know kung fu, but maybe somebody needs to know that I really can act, without doing a Chinese accent or a funny walk.

An actor's off-screen persona should never overshadow his on-screen characters.

I'd always had the concern that being in commercials would affect my credibility when I was getting started as a TV and film actor.