Famous Actor Quotes & Sayings

I suppose it's whether you want to be a famous person, or whether you want to be an actor. You have to decide what your priorities are. Great actor, huge star. Sometimes, the two walk hand in hand. Most of the time, they don't. — Anne-Marie Duff

My goal was never to be famous, but to be a consistently working actor. — Erin Cummings

I didn't become an actor to make money. And I didn't become an actor to be famous - though people always gasp if you say that, as if it's unfathomable that an actor doesn't want to be a star. — Ruth Negga

The director mentions the whispers about Clifton's sexual orientation, a supposed gig on a porn site years ago, a rumor about a very famous actor and a tryst in Santa Barbara and Clifton's denial in a Rolling Stone cover story about the very famous actor's new movie which Clifton had a small part in: 'We're so into girls it's ridiculous. — Bret Easton Ellis

I don't have any expectations as an actor, and being rich and famous is not my driving force. — James D'arcy

I watched a film with a very famous, great, great actor, I won't mention his name because everyone loves his memory, but I thought, "God he was acting a lot." Great actor, but nonstop acting. Wall to wall, fitted-carpet acting. — Anthony Hopkins

I became an actor, and because I had success as an actor, I became famous. I was acting for quite a while before I got famous; television made me famous. I guess that it's television that is responsible for everybody's desire to be famous. — Kelsey Grammer

I didn't become an actor to be famous. I genuinely love acting and never expected to make a penny at it. — Justin Chon

Ever since my mother sent me to Saturday morning grammar classes when I was 7, I wanted to become a famous actor. I loved the idea of captivating an audience and moving them truly through performance, but more importantly being recognized and heavily lauded for that talent. — Jack Gleeson

It was never my dream to be famous. I didn't start acting to be a movie star. I started in the theater and my desire was to get better at my craft. It's still my desire. I don't consider myself a movie star, nor do I really have the desire to be one. I'm just an entertainer ... An actor who works hard at his craft. Whatever labels people give me, that's not really me or part of my process. — Denzel Washington

A lot of people want to judge the fact that I'm an actor. That's ridiculous. No one knows what I was doing before I made my first movie. I just happened to do it as an actor all the while I've been doing music, but never with the intention to become a screaming famous pop star. — Taryn Manning

Sir Magnus Donners himself appeared to greet his guests at exactly the same moment. I wondered whether he had been watching at a peephole. It was like the stage entrance of a famous actor, the conscious modesty of which is designed, by its absolute ease and lack of emphasis, both to prevent the performance from being disturbed at some anti-climax of the play by too deafening a round of applause, at the same time to confirm
what everyone in the theater knows already
the complete mastery he possesses of his art. The manner in which Sir Magnus held out his hand also suggested brilliant miming of a distinguished man feeling a little uncomfortable about something. — Anthony Powell

When I was a child, I dreamt of being a big star. I truly believed that I would be world famous someday, but that doesn't seem so important. What's important to me is getting to live my life as an artist, and making my passion my work. I have never wanted to be anything other than an actor and performer, and each day that I get to do that is a day well spent. — Jinkx Monsoon

Life beats down and crushes our souls and theatre reminds us that we have one. At least the type of theatre that I'm interested in; that is, theatre that moves an audience. You have the opportunity to literally impact the lives of people if they work on material that has integrity. But today, most actors simply want to be famous. Well, being an actor was never supposed to be about fame and money. Being an actor is a religious calling because you've been given the ability, the gift to inspire humanity. Think about that on the way to your soap opera audition. — Sanford Meisner

Well, I knew I wanted to be an actor, and I didn't necessarily need or want to be famous or a celebrity actor. — Jenna Fischer

Keanu Reeves?" she asks in amazement. I nod. "What did he wish for?" "Isn't it obvious?" I say, waving a hand at the screen. "Fame." "That's why he's famous? Because of a wish?" "Have you seen his movies? Surely you didn't think he made it on his acting skills?" I grant wishes; I don't work miracles. Viola looks back at the screen, eyes screwed up in awe. "I guess that makes sense," she says faintly as my former master delivers a line poorly. "Wow. — Jackson Pearce

I think actors are divided into two groups: one that wants to be an actor to become famous and rich, and the other that wants to be an actor because they have to be. I'm more in the second group. — Franka Potente

Why would anyone want to be famous, certainly not me. My only goal in an acting career is to be able to work full time as an actor, filmmaker. When I get to that level, which I will, in this business where I can spend one hundred percent of my time honing my craft, then I will be complete. — Tim Holmes

Filmmakers tell actors to adjust their body language, and the famous presence of the actor is his or her body language. That is what makes them special and a movie star. An actor's capital is his body. — Wim Wenders

I don't feel I was ever a 'famous' child actor. I was just a working actor who happened to be a kid. I was never really in a hit show until I was a teenager with West Wing playing First Daughter Zoey Bartlet. In a way, that was my saving grace - not being a star on a hit show. It kept me working and kept me grounded. — Elisabeth Moss

Who is your famous crush? If a super-hot Hollywood actor who also happened to be a great person wanted to take you home - and the lights stayed on during the deed - what would you do? I mean, not in theory. Honestly, what would you do?" Claire looked at me for a long moment then asked, "Would I get a heads up a few months ahead of time? So I could eat low carb and start working out?" "No." "Then, honestly, I'd run the other way. — Penny Reid

It's not my goal to be a famous actor. — Gavin DeGraw

Me being an actor was an accident, and not something I wanted to do, because I knew what happened eventually. Yeah, maybe you'd get famous, but then you wouldn't be famous anymore. Then you'd have to scramble to get back to where you were, and chances are, you wouldn't. — Carrie Fisher

I wanted to be a musician but I didn't have the talent for it, so I decided I wanted to be famous, so I became an actor. — Anthony Hopkins

My dad's always been a famous actor, so I've grown up with that, and with the lifestyle. In a way, I think I thrive on the insecurity that comes with it. Not in my private life - I like to believe that my friendships and my relationships are strong. — Alice Eve

One of my earliest memories is of being about three and a half, climbing through the legs of a man who I didn't know was the famous actor, Patrick Magee. — Samantha Bond

I have actor friends, but they're not famous. I feel like if you're an actor or - famous, you have to overly prove that you're a normal, cool person. — Amanda Bynes

When you're doing characters from famous novels, you have a responsibility as an actor to make it what the writer intended. And then you add and expand from there to create a three-dimensional performance. — David Suchet

I don't have any regrets," a famous movie actor said in an interview I recently witnessed. "I'd live everything over exactly the same way."
"That's really pathetic," the talk show host said. "Are you seeking help?"
"Yeah. My shrink says we're making progress. Before, I wouldn't even admit that I would live it all over," the actor said, starting to choke up. "I thought one life was satisfying enough."
"My God," the host said, cupping his hand to his mouth.
"The first breakthrough was when I said I would live it over, but only in my dreams. Nocturnal recurrence."
"You're like the character in that one movie of yours. What's it called? You know, the one where you eat yourself."
"The Silence of Sam."
"That's it. Can you do the scene?"
The actor lifts up his foot to stick it in his mouth. I reach over from my seat and help him to fit it into his bulging cheeks. The audience goes wild. — Benson Bruno

I'm really in no danger of being perceived as a famous movie actor! — Lyle Lovett

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. — Annette Bening

As you become famous you lose some of your anonymity, which is wonderful for an actor to have because you can observe people and also people don't have such a strong sense of who you are and that sort of thing. — Jeff Bridges

You can't be a good actor if you get too affected by fame. Because then you're not real, and you're not really wanting more. You look at a lot of actors who, before they were famous, did a lot of amazing work, and once they got too big, it just got off. — Ansel Elgort

My goal was just to work regularly. I didn't ever expect to be rich or famous. I wanted to be a working character actor. — Harrison Ford

~Does it bother you that you didn't become a famous actor? That you didn't get a break?~

~David, there aren't any guarantees in life. Not for your friends who want to be all of sorts of things. Not for you. The only thing we can do every single day we wake up is try to do the things that we can do the best; enjoy the things we get, and pay attention to when and why we're happy. I didn't know what I really wanted until I held you in my arms. In that minute, the very first minute they brought you to me wrapped in that blanket, I knew my little dream about myself was nothing in comparison.~ — Dan Skinner

Its only when you are a great actor and are recognised for your good work that you become famous. Unless you are in the news for the wrong reasons! — Christine Lahti

Few things rival the torment of the once-famous actor, the fallen politician or, as Tocqueville might have remarked, the unsuccessful American. — Alain De Botton

Decide very early on: do you want to be an actor or do you want to be famous? Because they're very different routes. — James Purefoy

I'm not a popular actor. I don't necessarily want to be famous. I want to be known for great work. I want to be known to surprise audiences. — Idris Elba

Mum worked as a secretary for Orson Welles for what sounded like a very miserable year. Her brother was the actor Jeremy Brett, who became famous for playing Sherlock Holmes. He was an absolutely lovely man. Very exciting and glamorous, he'd always make me feel amazing and full of confidence, like I'd picked the right thing to do in life. — Martin Clunes

I always wanted to be an actor. It's something I always secretly wanted. You know, I had the experience of being picked on as a child, and I would tell people, 'You're gonna be sorry when I'm famous!' And then I learned after they kicked the stuffing out me that you don't say that out loud. — DJ Qualls

I want to become actor not because I want money and become more famous. No I don't want that. It is not that l want stardom, I want to contribute to good cinema. — Terence Lewis

You know, be an actor because you love to act. Don't be an actor because you think you're going to get famous, because that's luck. — Whoopi Goldberg

As much as it's nice to step into that massive world of Hollywood and be a big, famous actor, I prefer the career of actors that have really chosen smartly and done really amazing performances. Maybe they're not as known, but their careers are a bit more interesting. — Idris Elba

I was never famous as a kid. That's the biggest difference between me and any other kid actor is that I wasn't famous as a kid. — Seth Green

Wanting to be an actor and wanting to be famous are different. — Blake Lively

Quite frankly, I didn't become an actor to become a movie star. I have never dreamed about being the most famous person on the planet. I just want to do really good work. — Anne Hathaway

A famous actor told me once - I don't want to name names, I hate that sort of thing - but I was at his house and he said, 'Are you on Twitter?' I said, 'Yes, I am.' And he said, 'There'll be one day when you'll have, like, five friends. And in the same day it'll go to five thousand.' — Sam Claflin

Politicians were famous for double-speak and were consummate liars. That's why George W. Bush had to be their favorite president. It's easier to commit a fraud when the actor believes his lie to the point of a conviction — Kenneth Eade

Jason Lee is the most famous actor from Hawaii I can think of. — Tia Carrere

This whole celebrity racket, it's not really my bag. I don't really do that stuff, and I am not looking to get famous myself. I would love it if my characters get famous, my work was well known and appreciated. But I'm an actor, not a spokes model or a celebrity or whatever that is. I don't know how to be that. — John C. Reilly

When you reach a certain status in Hollywood, you have to play a lot of games to stay in the limelight. It becomes more about being famous than being an actor. — Jason Lee

If you don't get famous when you're a kid, it makes the transition to adult actor easier. — Tom Guiry

I'm not particularly good at 'celebrity'; I don't think it was something I was born to do. I think I can get by as an actor, but I've never been one for the red carpet and don't put a lot of stock in celebrities that are famous for being famous. — Sean Maguire

I never wanted to become an actor to be famous. I just wanted to be a good actor. It served me pretty well. — Rocky Carroll

A famous actor, Edmund Kean, on his deathbed, was reported to have said, "Dying is easy. Comedy is hard." — Melvin Helitzer

Here's the funny thing about the response I've been aware of to my dating famous people: It's been very negative. I'm either not good-looking enough, not a good enough actor or not successful enough for these people. — Dax Shepard

It's not a matter of becoming a superstar. Fame and money aren't the purpose of all this. No actor's going to say, 'I don't want to be famous.' But the main purpose for doing what I'm doing is the passion in the work. — Christopher Lambert

If I meet someone at a bus stop, I want to really meet that person. I don't want to be 'Hugh Jackman, the famous actor.' — Hugh Jackman

Needed the very famous actor to know that you could be ordinary and attempt something extraordinary, without being able to explain it in a logical way. But — Rachel Joyce

In the famous Darley and Batson Good Samaritan study in the early 1970s, a large number of seminary students were subjected to a time constraint and told to walk past a person who was writhing in pain and needed help. The victim was actually a paid actor who had been strategically positioned to participate in the experiment. They found that students' willingness to stop and help the victim strongly correlated to the perceived urgency of the time constraint - low hurry, 63 percent stopped to help; medium hurry, 45 percent stopped; and in the high-hurry scenario only 10 percent offered any form of assistance at all. Only an average of 40 percent of seminary students stopped to help. — Don Johnson

I wasn't like, 'I want to be famous.' I just wanted to be an actor. I wasn't chasing anything. I was never stressed or worried. I never had any fear of rejection or not making it, anything like that. — Sean Harris

There is less pressure as a character actor. It generally means that you will be acting for all of your life, which is my intention. It is not my intention to just be a rich and famous person, that would be pretty boring. — Tim Roth

I definitely wanted to be an actor. I didn't want to be on TV, I didn't want to be famous, I didn't want to be anyone in particular; I just wanted to do it. I see young people now who look at magazines, or American Idol and their goal is to have that lifestyle - to have good handbags, or go out with cute guys from shows, or whatever. But I definitely wanted to be an actor. — Lauren Graham

Rutger Hauer is a very famous Dutch actor who did quite a lot internationally. Another Dutch actress who is working a lot is called Famke Janssen. There's a few more. — Michiel Huisman

I'm not a famous director yet, and I'm not into fame. I like to just work. As a director, as an actor, whatever people consider me is fine with me. — Tommy Wiseau

It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As opposed to it just being an expression, they're actually saying what's on their mind, and that's something that Tennessee Williams is really famous for. Shakespeare does that and Tennessee Williams does that. You crave that, when you're an actor, for sure. — Bryce Dallas Howard

the famous American actor Richard Mansfield — Patricia Cornwell

I was suddenly really famous, and I didn't know how to cope. I didn't know myself well enough as a person, number one, and as an actor, number two. I wanted to escape. — Kate Winslet

When you work with actors, what you're hoping to absorb is good ways to be an actor as opposed to how to handle being famous. — Domhnall Gleeson