Quotes by Elia Kazan

About Elia Kazan:

Elia Kazan was an American director, producer, writer and actor, described by The New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history".
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

I was not a collective person or a bohemian; I was an elitist.

Elia Kazan

I'm small, but I'm neither compliant nor agreeable.

Elia Kazan

The world was like a huge red carpet out ahead of me to be walked on. And it stretched on and on, no end.

Elia Kazan

I knew the exuberance of playing before an admiring audience and hearing my secret voice.

Elia Kazan

You can't just sit there and do the lines. You have to do something revealing or unusual.

Elia Kazan

I was even superior to the Communists and when they didn't go along with me, I quit them.

Elia Kazan

I may be getting old, but not foolish.

Elia Kazan

The motion pictures I have made and the plays I have chosen to direct represent my convictions.

Elia Kazan

Every fighter has one fight that makes or breaks him.

Elia Kazan

Every picture that is successful has one little miracle in it.

Elia Kazan

The makers of entertainment must try, in our field, to be honest and grown-up.

Elia Kazan

The more ambivalent you are and the more uncertain you are, then you can get something that you cannot anticipate.

Elia Kazan

The first thing you should do with an actor is not sign a contract with him. Take him to dinner. And take him for a walk afterwards.

Elia Kazan

I was taken in by what might be called the Hard Times version of the Communists' advertising or recruiting technique.

Elia Kazan

I was an outsider... but I was also sympathetic with people that were struggling to get up, because I struggled to get up.

Elia Kazan

When you know what an actor has, you can reach in and arouse it. If you don't know what he has, you don't know what the hell is going on.

Elia Kazan

The essence of the stage is concentration and penetration. Of the screen action, movement, sweep.

Elia Kazan

I think there should be collaboration, but under my thumb.

Elia Kazan

You have no idea how fragile an actor's self-worth is.

Elia Kazan

Anybody who informs on other people is doing something disturbing and even disgusting.

Elia Kazan

You have to remind people of their own struggles. It's a responsibility.

Elia Kazan

Author Bio

  • NameElia Kazan
  • DescriptionAmerican director
  • BornSeptember 7, 1909
  • DiedSeptember 28, 2003
  • CountryUnited States Of America
  • ProfessionFilm Director; Screenwriter; Film Producer; Writer; Actor
  • AwardsAcademy Award For Best Director; Directors Guild Of America Award