Theatrical Career Quotes

I've been on the stage my entire life as an actor.

I had been in 760 performances of 10 different Shakespeare plays by the time I was 17.

I don't consider myself an actor, for me it's employment. Like the actor who's a waiter a lot, I'm an actor when I'm not on tour, in that that's a job I can do.

I had to turn down a part in 'Empire of the Sun.' It would have paid £15,000, which was a year's earnings for me then, but I was offered a season at the 'National Theatre.'

My mom was always so supportive; she enabled me to pursue my dreams. I danced on Broadway as a kid, and she would never miss a show.

Throughout my career, even as a very young actor, people have always said to me that they would like to see my Othello. They could see something of him in me, I suppose.

I had a blind belief in myself and became a music director and an actor.

From the time I was twelve I was dancing for bread and butter, but in my heart I was always an actress.

...and there I suddenly found my articulate self in a dazzling land of smiling, jostling people wearing and not wearing all sorts of costumes and doing all sorts of clever things. And that's when I knew! What other life could there be but that of an actor?

Maybe if I completely shaved my head and get the frost out of my moustache, maybe I could get one of those serious acting jobs.

I started in theatre. I was at Cleveland and I went to London for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth.

I would love to work on Broadway, but I don't know that it would manifest itself in musical theater.... I have terrible stage fright that I'd have to get over.

We did a different show every night. We'd open a show, and then two weeks later we'd open the next show. And two weeks later we'd open the third show until we had all eight running. And it was just one of the richest experiences I'd ever had in my theatrical life.

I wanted at one point to act, which is a weird thing for men to want to do. It's a very vain profession.

If I hadn't decided to be a fashion designer, I would have loved to be a Broadway showgirl or a Rockette!

Eventually, before I die, I hope to have written about every part I've played.

I really love hanging out on the set, and I love the life, and all of that. But I don't think I could stick with this profession if it weren't for those 15 minutes a day when I get to act. That's the part I love. For some strange reason, it's the time that I'm the least self-conscious in my whole life.

I greatly admired Gypsy [Rose Lee] for being able to rise above her circumstances; I was terrified of her; I thought she was generous; I thought she was brilliant; I thought she was cruel.

My home has always been show business.

I figured as I got older, the good roles for women would be in the theatre. So 15 years ago I started building a Broadway career to try and develop the chops to be accepted as a great theatrical actress.

Will Truman will be on my epitaph, but as an actor, I have to challenge myself.

I signed up for the musical Tommy in the West End, where I met my husband.

I wanted to be a musical theatre actress - I wanted to play Sally Bowles, forever and ever always.

I was on a founding members of the Canadian theatre movement in the late 60's till the mid 70's and performed theatre from Halifax to Vancouver and all places in between.

Most famous stage actors tactfully fade away.