Actor's Discretion Quotes

I don't have to do the lead. If I dig a part, I'll do it.

If I feel the role is not going to demand anything out of me, I don't do it. Either it has to be a terrific role, or the director has to be someone I am dying to work with. Or the costar has to be someone I really look up to.

I always try to stick to the script because I want to respect the writers, and I want to respect the director. But if the director and my fellow actors are okay with me playing with it a little bit, then I definitely want to play with it.

As a sensible actor, I can easily judge which scene looks vulgar and which will look aesthetic.

Acting is broad enough a church that you can pick your races, decide which way you want to go at different times.I think that the story and circumstance tends to dictate the most and then what you do with your own approach after that.

I have not done any film where my role didn't make sense.

When you play a character, there are choices you have to make about the past, the present, the future, etc. You have to make those choices on your own a lot.

As an actor, you can do what you want with your role. That's why they hire you; to take the role and make it real.

I've never taken a role where I don't like a person on the page. Sometimes there are changes that need to be made.

I choose roles according to my sensibilities.

If a great part comes up and the guy's meant to have an Eastern European accent, great; but if it's a bad part I won't take it.

The really cool thing about when you're playing a comic book character is that no one knows what he sounds like.

When you want to put something into your part that is not in the play, you must ask the author-or some other author-to lead up to the interpolation for you. Never forget that the effect of a line may depend not on its delivery, but on something said earlier in the play, either by somebody else or by yourself, and that if you change it, it may be necessary to change the whole first act as well.

Any changes that I made to my line, I asked if I could make them, which I do in every movie. So far everybody's been gracious enough to say yes. The only improvising I do is in the movies I do with Chris Guest, which is what we do.

Characterization in a play is like a blank check which the dramatist accords to the actor for him to fill in.

In some ways, what I learned is that you can take a character and breathe with them, and it's up to the audience to interpret rather than you putting moral stamp on the character.