That's one of the great privileges, being an actor, is that someone pays you and sends you off to learn about something that otherwise you'd never know about.
I would love to have a part opposite a great actor - like, say, Pacino or De Niro or Hoffman. And to work with a top director. That's my dream.
One thing that's great about being a character actor is that a movie doesn't rest on your shoulders. If it bombs, it won't hurt my career.
You find with the really great actors, the ones you really admire and look up to, very often they're very giving, generous, warm people.
The Old Vic has always been first and foremost an actors' theatre, a home for great talent and memorable performances.
In order for me to be successful... In order to be a great artist - musician, actor, painter, whatever - you must be able to be private in public at all times. That is what we do.
Mr. Bergman had a great imagination and saw the possibilities within every one of his actors, and he gave us great challenges. It was very inspiring.
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.
I think a lot of great male comic actors are introspective, quiet personalities, which I really admire. But they are really able to turn it up when the camera's on.
My advice has always been to study the craft of acting if you want to be an actor. There are many great schools that teach acting. NYU being one of them.
To be honest I don't think I was any great shakes as a theatre actor because everything I was doing was really small in size - intimate.
I am hoping that I can be known as a great writer and actor some day, rather than a sex symbol.
Having been a child actor, I remember how directors would trick me to get good performances out of me. I don't think you need to do that.
I want to do comedy films, serious films - I admire the actors who fly under the radar but get loads done, pop up in a lot of good films.
It's interesting - a lot of good actors are good mimes. But I'm terrible. If I tried to do an impression, nobody would know what I was doing.
Whether it's t-shirt and jeans or full monster suit, I'm still an actor underneath it all, and a good director is going to know that.
I'd say that I'm super proud of only four or five things I've done, but mostly I'd like to be remembered as a really good actor who people enjoyed watching.
I think when you have some success as a kid, your notion of being a good actor is pleasing the director, doing exactly what they tell you to do.
Gandalf's a good guy, and it's a good part. He says the right things, he believes the right things. An actor can have fun with it.
My goal was always to be recognized as a good actor but no one was interested in that, simply because society just wants to warm towards your appearance. This is the great blemish of society.
I have no issue with being a character actor. If you've been around enough that people are able to segregate you into that category, it means you're working. So that's good!