Stephen Lang Quotes

United States, Actor
July 11, 1952

Stephen Lang is an American screen and stage actor, and playwright. He is known for roles in films including Manhunter (1986), Gettysburg (1993), Gods and Generals (2003), Public Enemies (2009) and Don't Breathe (2016). He received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 1992 Broadway production of The Speed of Darkness and won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in James Cameron's Avatar (2009). From 2004 to 2006, he was co-artistic director of the Actors Studio.

I am very happy acting, and just have never gone at, or been bitten by the directing bug to the extent where I'm willing to put acting aside. If offered the opportunity, I think I could do a good job with the right material.

Stephen Lang
You can play anyone if you're open enough. It's a form of possession. Each time you work on something, you allow yourself to be possessed by creating the environment for it. Then you allow the possession to happen - but not at the expense of your sanity or of your identity.

Stephen Lang

In a rehearsal room, your real resource as an actor aren't the things around you; your resources are your imagination and your director and the other actors. In those close quarters, your imagination and your skills are what you turn to.

Stephen Lang
My philosophy is, 'Show up, shut up, and do your job,' and if you do it to the satisfaction of your director and the public, you're likely to be able to do it again.

Stephen Lang
I love the stage. It's terrifying in a way that film and television is not. When you're about to go out, and you're adrenaline just gets out of control, and that can be really daunting.

Stephen Lang
- Control
- Stage
- Adrenaline
Theater, because of the commitment, it has to be a great role and a great play to me. It takes a lot out of you.

Stephen Lang
- Commitment
- Theater
- Lot
Acting can be a very reactive profession. Acting is a fantastic thing, and it's my life, but writing is also part of me too, so I did it, and in so doing, took responsibility for my own life.

Stephen Lang
Your primary tools, as an actor, are observation and imagination. You can pretty much get everything you need from that, and you do. It brings back that element of pretend.

Stephen Lang
- Imagination
- Actor
- Tools

I wouldn't say 'Avatar' changed my life, but it definitely changed my career.

Stephen Lang
- Life
- Career
- Changed
You try to go where the great scripts are, if you can, or you go where the not great scripts are, because that's what's being offered to you.

Stephen Lang
- Scripts
- To Go
- Offered