Paul Sparks Quotes

United States, Actor
October 16, 1971

Paul W. Sparks is an American actor. He is known for his roles as gangster Mickey Doyle in the HBO period drama series Boardwalk Empire, writer Thomas Yates in the Netflix political drama series House of Cards, and attorney David Tellis in the Starz anthology drama series The Girlfriend Experience.

When I got out of school, I just started doing plays of the off-off-Broadway route, and for many years, that's what I did, slowly doing work in tiny theaters, building relationships with people in the business. It's not a showy story.

Paul Sparks
As actors, we get used to disappointment. We go on a hundred job interviews a year and get two or three jobs.

Paul Sparks
- Actors
- Jobs
- Interviews

I think that's kind of nice that there's this kind of inherent respect between runners who do a marathon. People respect somebody who has done it, and I will do anything to get some respect because I don't get a lot respect in my life.

Paul Sparks
- Life
- Respect
- Get
There's a real art to telling a story in two hours, and that will always be something that people are very, very interested in.

Paul Sparks
- Art
- Story
- Interested
I sort of latch onto roles that have something to fight against.

Paul Sparks
- Fight
- Roles
- Latches
I think of myself as more additive than initially creative; I don't come up with the stories.

Paul Sparks
No, I'm not angling for huge fame. My career has been a very slow, arduous climb to the middle.

Paul Sparks
- Career
- Fame
- Slow
As far as the destiny of the character, I just play them until they're gone. I try not to get too involved.

Paul Sparks

I've always been of the mindset that you will be defined by the things you say 'no' to because it's so easy to say 'yes.'

Paul Sparks
- Things
- Say
- Define
If I was able to be omniscient and look at my career objectively, I'd be very happy.

Paul Sparks
- Happy
- Career
- Objectively
Death scenes are hard. Sex scenes are hard.

Paul Sparks
- Death
- Sex
- Scene