William H. Macy Quotes
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What actors are good at doing is walking into a situation that should make you incredibly self-conscious and frightened and doing it anyway. That's the gig, pretending that you are comfortable.
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Yeah, I made it. It sneaks up on you. You're some schmuck and you wake up one day and you go, Good God, I'm the cheese.
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I'm drawn to a lot of first-time directors. One of the great common denominators in these small independent films is that there's a person, or two people, who have an absolutely monomaniacal passion to get these films made. That's what makes them happen. Sometimes, it takes years and years to finally get it done, but by never backing down, by never giving up, they get these films to the screen by hook or by crook.
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I love metaphor the way some people love junk food.
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Sometimes, directors are afraid to stop shooting, because the second you stop and say, "We got it," and move on, you'll never get another chance. And they're terrified to get in the cutting room and not be happy. So they just keep shooting.
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Women, in order to recharge their batteries, gather in groups. They can recharge their batteries with their sisters. I tend to recharge my batteries in solitude, therefore the motorcycle trips. I need to be alone. As a matter of fact, I have to be careful. I could turn into a hermit.
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A good director is very well prepared, and knows exactly how he's going to cut the film, so the shooting is as efficient as possible.
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When I was in New York, I was making a living. We had a summer house and a car that I could put in a garage. That's something for a stage actor.
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We thought sex was free. Sex is not free. There's a price to be paid emotionally, physically, even legally. Sex isn't a casual thing. It's a huge thing.
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I got an agent. He said, what do you wanna do, and I said, I want an Oscar nomination. That's your job, that's what I'm paying you for. And I got it.
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To a certain extent. I'm a fan of rehearsal on the day [of the shoot], more than getting together a week beforehand.
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I introduced myself to Scorsese and I said, "If you need someone to do craft services, I'm there."
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Stephen King writes a lot of things that are really charming and quirky, and that are more ironic than horror.
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I'm a big fan of rehearsal. I'm famous for pulling the cast together, not so much to formally rehearse, but just to run the lines. My theory of acting is that it takes all your attention just to stay in the moment, and keep your attention on the other person, and get him to do what you want him to do.
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Ultimately, a more experienced director realizes that you've got to stop sometime and just move on. They're braver about that.
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I'm really proud of the writing on Door to Door, and I think that's the Emmy that meant the most - the writing.
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I'm a firm believer that character is highly overrated. Character is a trick that we do with the audience's collusion.
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All that back-story stuff doesn't help. What you get paid for is to stand toe-to-toe with the other actor and get him to do your will.
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I love making movies, I love the differentness of it, I love writing. But I've always liked television. I grew up on television.
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Many times, I like to read the script before I even know who they want me to play, so I can read it and really enjoy it as an audience member. I think that's given me the ability to ferret out the really special scripts from all the rest.
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I feel like a lot of the young actors that are just coming up are really good. I think directors are directing better.
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Shameless is a rough show, and it’s not for everyone, but it’s also beautiful.
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Just learn the whole script before you start shooting. That makes shooting a joy. Even if they rewrite, it's easy.
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You should know the lines, be prepared, get sleep, and have the script analyzed so you're ready to rock and roll.