Quotes by Max von Sydow

About Max von Sydow:

Carl Adolf "Max" von Sydow is a Swedish-French actor. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more in many languages, including Swedish, Norwegian, English, Italian, German, Danish, French and Spanish. Von Sydow received the Royal Foundation of Sweden's Cultural Award in 1954, was made a Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 2005, and was named a Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur on 17 October 2012.
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

You cannot study acting in books. Do it, do it, do it. And watch good actors. See what they are doing and how they are doing it. You have to practically participate, I think, in order to develop yourself.

Max von Sydow

No doubt, the most important thing in my career was my time with Mr. Bergman, with whom I worked in so many films and also in so many stage productions, so it was a continuous working relationship and also a friendship, of course, that lasted for so ...

Max von Sydow

All my life I've been looking for diversity.

Max von Sydow

Playing the role of Christ was like being in a prison. It was the hardest part I've ever had to play in my life. I couldn't smoke or drink in public. I couldn't.

Max von Sydow

I've never been in a barroom brawl in my life. I just don't do such things.

Max von Sydow

Nobody told me there was any idea for a sequel to 'The Exorcist.' But my agent called me to tell me they were going to do it, and there was a part for me. I said, 'But I died in the first film.' 'Well,' he told me, 'this is from the early days of Fat...

Max von Sydow

It's not a matter of learning lines. It's a matter of getting into the ideas and the will of the person. It's a matter of, 'What does he want to do? What does he want to achieve?'

Max von Sydow

There are casting directors with lots of imagination, but also some with not as much imagination.

Max von Sydow

I don't believe in devils. Indifference and misunderstandings can create evil situations. Most of the time, people who appear to be evil are really victims of evil deeds.

Max von Sydow

It often disturbs me, when I see a film set in a historical time, that the people are too modern.

Max von Sydow

I've been the type of father who tries desperately to be perfect but doesn't succeed all the time.

Max von Sydow

It's very difficult being an actor and being away for a lot of time, but my sons haven't complained too much too often.

Max von Sydow

I don't have a philosophy for choosing roles. Sometimes, it's just, 'This might be interesting; that might be fun to do.' There might be interesting actors or directors in the project, even if the part is not important. And then sometimes, you need t...

Max von Sydow

To me, part of the fascinating profession of acting is to participate in all these strange situations, to try to understand all these interesting characters, fictitious or real, their human nature... It's extraordinarily fascinating.

Max von Sydow

It's important to me to work in my own language now and then. I love English, but you can never learn to master a foreign language if you're not brought up with it.

Max von Sydow

I would love to do parts I have never done before, but unfortunately, if you have had success in a particular type of character, the casting agents think, 'Oh! We'll have something exactly like that.' It's very boring.

Max von Sydow

Movies give me an opportunity to go places. I'm not only a Swede but an American, not just a man of my time, but I've been living 2,000 years ago-and not just in a new country, America, but in the Holy Land, too.

Max von Sydow

In a theater, the part is mine and I can control it as I want to. In the movies, I don't have direct contact, and I am fighting technical machinery.

Max von Sydow

I just feel I shouldn't work too much, because there are so many other things to do.

Max von Sydow

I'm not in retirement. I just don't want to work so much, and I don't get that many offers any more.

Max von Sydow

Film work can be very interesting, but it also can be awfully boring because who creates the film? The actors? No. It is the director. It's his piece of work.

Max von Sydow

Author Bio

  • NameMax von Sydow
  • DescriptionSwedish actor
  • BornApril 10, 1929
  • CountrySweden; France
  • ProfessionTelevision Actor; Film Director; Actor
  • AwardsKnight Of The Legion Of Honour; Donostia Award