I'm one of those actors who likes to do it wrong nine ways before I come to the tenth way, which is the way I think it should be.
I love to be in the position of not knowing what I'm gonna do, but having rehearsed all of those so when something happens with the others actors I go with whatever that is I'm getting.
Have you ever talked to someone, and you're not even really talking to them? Actors are the worst for that.
The great difference between screen acting and theatre acting is that screen acting is about reacting - 75% of the time, great screen actors are great reactors.
Most good actors have a huge intelligence about the human condition and a real open heart to different kinds of people and behavior.
There are dumb actors. But there are dumb politicians and dumb bakers.
There's nothing more boring than unintelligent actors, because all they have to talk about is themselves and acting. There have to be other things.
What is it about actors? God knows I get bored with actors talking about themselves.
I had to wear that suit, so I put in my required time in the gym. But I'm not one of those actors who romanticizes his trials working out and brags that he can bench press a panda now.
I always thought that Bill Murray was one of the great actors that I've worked with. And I've worked with all kinds of people who are known primarily for their dramatic work.
Because we're actors we can pretend and fake it, but I'd rather the intimate investment was authentic.
I had just arrived in New York from California. I was nineteen years old and excited beyond belief. I was an art student and an acting student and behaved as most young actors did - meaning that there was no such thing as a good actor, 'cause you yourself hadn't shown up yet.
My cameraman and I devised a method, which we started using from my second film, which applies mainly to day scenes shot in the studio, where we used bounced light instead of direct light. We agreed with this thing of four or five shadows following the actors is dreadful.
Most of the top actors and actresses may be working in ten or twelve films at the same time, so they will give one director two hours and maybe shoot in Bombay in the morning and Madras in the evening. It happens.
In L.A., though, people get off busses calling themselves actors, so many are really not professionals.