professional humility Quotes

Actors don't generally go asking other actors for advice too much, but I'll take suggestions wherever I can.

It wasn't a mission to be a rock star. It wasn't a mission of mine to even be a movie star. I just intended to be a good actor.

I'm just a journalist. I shine a mirror to the culture. I give the cop-out answer.

Do not waste a minute - not a second - in trying to demonstrate to others the merits of your performance. If your work does not vindicate itself, you cannot vindicate it.

When I was a kid in the business, you always had in the back of your head this feeling that if I screw up, I might be fired. So you went out every night and tore your rear end up to make sure that you gave the best performance you can and learning constantly because you never had that idea of 'I'm so great, I'm never going to be fired.'

I'm competitive with myself, not at the expense of everything around me. I never wanted to be a movie star. I just wanted to act.

At the beginning, people laughed at me because I was using snappies. Sometimes, a celebrity would look at my camera and go, Oh, I've got one of those. I'd feel like handing it to them and saying, Well, you take the pictures then. But I like using snapshot cameras because they're idiot-proof. I have bad eyesight, and I'm no good at focusing big cameras.

When you're on set with Ed Asner or Melissa Peterman, you start to sort of exist in a different realm sometimes. You try not to let that get in your head, and you try not to let that overtake you.

Chefs aren't celebrities: they're chefs.

I'll do whatever I can do to remain employed. I'm just not precious about doing comedy or doing drama. I never want to do something in order to prove to other people what I can do.

It's not my business to think about the business; it's my business to think about the character. Sure, there have been times in my career where I wished I was more popular or more this or more that - but that's just stupid.

I don’t think there's ever been a point in my career where I've said, 'I've made it.' What does that mean, 'I've made it?' Made it to what? If you say, 'I've made it.' then are you finished? I don't want to be finished. I don't want to quit.

When the public doesn't want me any longer, I'll quit.

Some people, I think, think that because I don't take it as seriously as a lot of the girls do, that I frown upon modeling or think it's stupid. I don't at all. This is my life. I would be nothing without this. But I really don't take it seriously.

Journalists do not live by words alone, although sometimes they have to eat them.

I am happy that I'm a better novelist than a screenwriter.

No matter how big you are in the business, at the end of the day it's still work.

Quite frankly, I didn't become an actor to become a movie star. I have never dreamed about being the most famous person on the planet. I just want to do really good work.

I think self-criticism is sort of a given when you're an actor. It's also about being curious and not being flippant. Anyone who accepts being in this noble profession is automatically self-critical.

Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.

As a surgeon you have to have a controlled arrogance. If it's uncontrolled, you kill people, but you have to be pretty arrogant to saw through a person's chest, take out their heart and believe you can fix it. Then, when you succeed and the patient survives, you pray, because it's only by the grace of God that you get there.

I never think I am successful. If I am successful, then I should be retired. If I am not retired, then that means I should still be working hard, keeping the company running.

Good FBI officers are not noticeable. You would never look at them.

I would love to finish my career at Real Madrid. But I would not cause a scene if, one day, a coach were to come along and decide he doesn't need me. Only then would I look elsewhere. And I repeat: Real is my priority.

Film wise, I invariably look at my work and reckon I could have done it better. I'm also conscious that I'm in a profession where we get more praise than we should compared to the usefulness of what we do.