Amateur Performers Quotes

There is a great supply of amateur undertakers in show business.

Night after night in the '50s, I traveled all over New York City. The promoter had 10 acts, and the winner each night would get five dollars; second place would get three dollars, and third place would get two dollars. He always put the best acts on last so the people wouldn't walk out, and the worst acts went on first. He always put me on first.

With the collapse of vaudeville new talent has no place to stink.

The biggest mistake in student films is that they are usually cast so badly, with friends and people the directors know. Actually you can cover a lot of bad direction with good acting.

The sporting fields where Australia's greats began their careers are built and rebuilt with Commonwealth help, as are the halls and community centres where our most of our well-known stars first felt the magic of the stage.

There was never any down side to casting friends over professionals. It was always fun seeing folks who never performed before stretching their wings.

We were all novices. We really were. We didn't know a goddamn thing about doing a show.

I'll tell you what I think in general about people who want to make their Broadway debut that are not trained stage actors. Don't they know, Broadway ain't for sissies? It is a tough gig. You are responsible, physically, mentally, emotionally, for eight shows a week, at the top of your game. It's not easy.

I don't have any money to hire actors. I just need to get people who are going to do a good job being themselves.

The British public has always had an unerring taste for ungifted amateurs.