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Actor Quotes

The craft, nerves, and quiet discipline of acting.

These actor quotes capture the appeal of the work itself over the discomfort of interviews, the rehearsal room as the real proving ground, and the personal risk of choosing acting as a career in the first place. See Character for more on building a role.

I'm an actor and this is a role I'm playing. But people can get wacky.

Quotes by Dean Cain

Before I was an actor I was an apprentice jockey, and now I'm out there racing against boys, sort of the spokesperson for people over 50 that they can do it.

Quotes by Davy Jones

I went to Long Beach State, started out as an actor.

Quotes by David Twohy

Public perception is obviously important to an actor's career.

Quotes by David Walton

I had no idea how to make it as an actor. But I knew I wanted to.

Quotes by David Walton

I don't think I could be happy as an actor if there was a tyrant on the set.

Quotes by David Warner

I'm becoming a frustrated director, I think, in an actor's body.

Quotes by David Wenham

A successful swindler has to be a great salesman even more than a great actor.

Quotes by David Suchet

Inevitably, every part an actor plays contains some of himself.

Quotes by David Suchet

I was a young actor in my 20s, going out in Soho, having a wild time.

Quotes by David Thewlis

Like so many of us, I'm brokenhearted about the death of the remarkably talented actor Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Quotes by David Sheff

I was an accidental actor. I was never formally trained.

Quotes by David Soul

I am not a long-run actor. I admire actors who can do that.

Quotes by David Ogden Stiers

I like to think of myself as a physical actor.

Quotes by David Oyelowo

When you are an actor, rejection and disappointment are an occupational hazard.

Quotes by David Morrissey

I really was a terrible actor. I did it for years in my twenties because it was like being at university again.

Quotes by David Nicholls

For a two-hour movie on a 20-day shooting schedule, it's O.K. to have an actor who's a pain in the neck.

Quotes by David L. Wolper

My dad had been an actor... not only had my dad been an actor, but his dad had been an actor, and my great-grandfather had been an actor. And who knows before then?

Quotes by David Hyde Pierce

I needed to be an actor more than anything.

Quotes by David Jason

After leaving school, I worked as an electrician before becoming an actor.

Quotes by David Jason

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these quotes reveal about the life of an actor?
They touch on the simple joy of the work itself, the contrast between acting and being interviewed, the importance of rehearsal, and how big a personal shift becoming an actor can be. For more reflections on identity, see our Being quotes.
Is there a quote about enjoying the work of acting itself?
Yes — it says, "One of the things I enjoyed the most is just working as an actor."
Does one quote compare acting to being interviewed?
Yes. It says, "I believe it's easier to be an actor. Somehow, interviewing seems to be intrusive on people's lives." For more on the craft of acting, check out our Character quotes.
Is there a quote about the importance of rehearsal?
Yes — it states, "The rehearsal is where it all happens for an actor." If you enjoy quotes about dedication to a craft, our Always quotes are worth a look.
Does one quote describe becoming an actor as a big life change?
Yes, it says, "My becoming an actor was a massive shift for me, and a terrifying one." For more on embracing big life changes, see our Good quotes.

Browse Being or Good for more perspectives on performance and identity.