I hung onto Hollywood by the skin of my teeth, and at first I fought over every piece of bread. Later, I got very small parts.
Much of the day I have busied myself making notes on the small parts in Shakespeare, often nameless, which are rewarding to the actor if only he'll not dismiss them as beneath his dignity. If I can work it up into a talk I might call it, 'Only a cough and a spit ' -the phrase so often used by actors to explain away a lack of opportunity.
Bit parts in Mediocre TV shows won't develop your acting chops.
Actually, I had a really nice part in that movie [Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains]. I mean, I have, like, one second in the final-cut version, where I say "You're fired" to Diane Lane. That's about all you see of me.
In 1983 I was still playing small to middling parts.
Sometimes the best parts are the leading men. But the little parts can be similarly gratifying.
I've just always had a soft spot for character actors.
Lead roles are fun, but I'm especially happy other, more colorful supporting stuff has come along.
Most men have no purpose but to exist, Abraham; to pass quietly through history as minor characters upon a stage they cannot even see
When I was a young actor I was in a lot of film doing one day work and two days' work, and they've included all those titles, which I don't even remember. I think I've played the lead in about 75 movies.
I was definitely in acting class in school, but I was never the princess of the play. I will always remember: they always gave me the part of the gypsy or the old man in the corner.
When I was younger in the theater, I didn't really feel like I got much recognition from the powers that be. I got a lot of small roles - I never got the standout roles.
The little words in the Republic of Letters, like the little folks in a nation, are the most useful and significant.
I'm often given parts that aren't as big as they are colorful, but people remember them. When it's a minor or supporting role, you learn to make the most of what you're given. I can make two lines seem like 'Hamlet'.
