Wallace Shawn Quotes

United States, Actor
November 12, 1943

Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, playwright and essayist. His film roles have included those of Wally Shawn in the Louis Malle directed comedy-drama My Dinner with Andre (1981), Vizzini in The Princess Bride (1987), Mr. Wendell Hall in Clueless (1995) and providing the voice of Rex in the Toy Story franchise. He has also appeared in a variety of television series, including recurring roles as Grand Nagus Zek in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999) and Cyrus Rose in Gossip Girl (2008–2012).

Also known as Writer, Voice Actor, Playwright, Character Actor, Screenwriter, Film Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Essayist

I never grew up thinking, 'One day I will play so and so' because I wasn't expecting to be an actor at all.

Wallace Shawn
- Up
- Thinking
- Day
In my mind, the plays I was writing were extreme examples of art for art's sake. I didn't necessarily think that other people would love them, though I thought they probably would.

Wallace Shawn
- People
- Writing
- Mind

We're in an emergency situation. The United States has become an absolutely terrifying country, and I would hope that I could participate in some way in stopping the horror and the brutality.

Wallace Shawn
- Country
- Hope
- Situation
I'm a very lucky man. It's a beautiful thing for a writer, to see people allowing your words to enter their own unconscious and their souls.

Wallace Shawn
- People
- Beautiful
- Man
'The Princess Bride' is by far the most popular film I've ever done. I don't think I'll ever top it.

Wallace Shawn
- Done
- Think
- Popular
In terms of number of movies, I've been in an extraordinary amount. If you count only the minutes I'm onscreen, it's not so long.

Wallace Shawn
- Long
- You
- Movies
I don't happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don't know what's funny about a character... This happens to be a feature of my life generally.

Wallace Shawn
- Life
- Character
- Funny
After being in one movie, it didn't seem like that would be my life. I had done several jobs, briefly. I'd been a shipping clerk, I worked in a copy shop, I didn't think the acting was going to go on and on.

Wallace Shawn
- Life
- Done
- Movie

My personal life is lived as 'me,' but my professional life is lived as other people. In other words, when I go to the office, I lie down, dream, and become 'someone else.' That's my job.

Wallace Shawn
- People
- Life
- Job
Patriotism is considered to be an emotion a person ought to feel. But why? Why is it nobler to love your own country than to love someone else's?

Wallace Shawn
- Country
- Love
- Why
I spend most of my time thinking about things like laundry and buying stationery supplies.

Wallace Shawn
- Time
- Thinking
- Laundry
From being a writer of plays, it was not that surprising that somebody thought of giving me a job as an actor. After I played one part, others came along.

Wallace Shawn
- Job
- Giving
- Thought
In an amusement park, you can go on a roller coaster that carries you up and down, or you can go on another kind of ride that whirls you around in a circle. Similarly, there are different sorts of entertaining experiences in the theater.

Wallace Shawn
- Up
- Different
- Kind
You can go to a play that is enjoyable because it's funny, and then on the next night you can go to a play that's enjoyable because it's 'disturbing.'

Wallace Shawn
- Night
- Funny
- Play

In real life, every person is the leading man or woman. We don't think of ourselves as supporting or character actors.

Wallace Shawn
- Life
- Real
- Character
I have an enormous appetite to see life as I know it presented in front of my eyes.

Wallace Shawn
- Life
- Know
- Eyes