Annette Bening Quotes
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Most people are looking for something to give their life meaning.
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I think in the past, around the time that method acting became so prevalent, it used to be that American actors were thought to be the kind that would work more from the inside out, and that the English actors worked more from the outside in.
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I'm interested in writing that explores all sides of human beings.
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I think when you're at your best as an actor, it is cathartic.
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Sometimes you're reading something, and you don't know it will be important in your life. You're reading this script, and you start to get involved. It's not an intellectual experience.
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It's easier to see in someone else, another actor, how they kind of disappear and then this other persona appears. A great actor is a thing of mystery.
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Anyone who is drawn in broad strokes either negatively or positively is generally not very interesting to play.
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When I started in the theater, I'd do plays by Shakespeare or Ibsen or Chekhov, and they all created great women's roles.
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There are so many different kinds of relationships, so it's sort of difficult to define what is considered normal.
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If you're an actor, you have to find a way to make peace with all the media attention.
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I still remember the five points of salesmanship: attention, interest, conviction, desire and close.
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I think people have a right to their point of view.
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Acting is not about being famous, it's about exploring the human soul.
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I have huge chunks of time when I'm not working.
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What really motivates you to try to work things out as an actor is in large part fear, because you want to get into that narrative and bring the audience along.
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I love the luxury of the camera. The camera does so much for you. I like the secrets a camera can tell.
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I've played parts that were just likable people, and there's a certain pleasure in that. And that's that.
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A lot of directors in my experience are very receptive. They see what you do first, and then they want to find a place to put the camera, and they tweak you here and there.
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My sister and I fought a lot when we were kids. I was the little bratty sister, and she would kind of walk away, not wanting to be associated with me.
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There's so much of our psychological makeup which is impermissible for us to explore because it's inappropriate or perverse or scary. I'm interested in exploring that in myself. I try to be honest with myself about everything that I feel. I'm not saying I'm able to do that all the time, but it's something I'm interested in.
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My dad was in the life insurance business, so I learned about selling when I was about 14 because I started working as a secretary.
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I remember hearing someone say that good acting is more about taking off a mask than putting one on, and in movie acting, certainly that's true. With the camera so close, you can see right down into your soul, hopefully. So being able to do that in a way is terrifying, and in another way, truly liberating. And I like that about it.
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Find the story you want to tell. If you don't want to write it, find somebody to write it.
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It's hard to make a living in this business. Unions aren't as strong as they used to be. For a journeyman actor - someone who doesn't have a famous name but has consistent work in theater or film or TV - it has become harder to get through, harder to raise a family.