Christopher Walken Quotes

It is definitely a challenge to play Nathan, but the more different he is from myself, the more interesting the character becomes for me.

Every actor has to love and loathe the character he plays.

I love playing characters, so I'm always telling my agents, 'Don't worry if the character description is something you think I'm not. Let me try to be that person.'

In theater, you're playing characters. You believe you're somebody else, and you're acting.

If I'm doing my job as an actor, the audience knows everything I know about the character.

I'm an actor and I've created a lasting and memorable character named Frasier, who is not me, but who most people think is. So when I have a chance to play something that's different, I embrace it because it's fun; also in this case, he's a memorable character.

Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.

It's absolutely true that it's almost impossible to play a character without having any affection for him.

I've played a lot of really smarmy people in film, and it can be real fun, don't get me wrong. But it can be characters I'm not as excited to explore.

I think when you play a role, you always have to be a defense attorney for that character.

You draw on whatever's relevant to the part you're playing; it makes it more personal.

As an actor, it's exciting to play a role that's so far from what you are and to have people respond to it like a real human being!

I wouldn't put myself forward to do a film like 'Changeling' if I thought I couldn't pull people into a story because of all the other ways people see me.

For an actor to have the chance to go and play something that's far away from yourself, physically and also in terms of personality, character, is so much fun.

Sometimes it's hard to play someone so similar to you, because you can muddy the character. Often, it's easier to play someone further away from you, because it's clearer who they are.

I really like to play these complicated characters, and I really like to transform.

I learned to understand the distance a character can be from yourself and how important rehearsal can be to creating a person that feels like a person that isn't you.

It's very important that I'm approaching a character that I've either not played before, or I can give it a different take.

I've played several real characters, and I've always found it very difficult because you don't want to do an impersonation.

Once you're playing someone, you shouldn't be judging them in any way. That's what being an actor is - it's having empathy for people that are different from yourself. Once you've committed to that person, your responsibility is to tell that story.

Playing characters I don't relate to are a big challenge for me.

'Dogfight' is my favorite thing I've ever worked on. It's such a special piece, and I'm so close to the character of Rose. I loved doing it every night.

I think, for every actor, the most challenging part of playing a character, specially a real-life character, is to convince yourself that you are the character.

As an actor, it's very interesting to make the audience love you while you are doing horrendous things.

When you play a daily soap character that character lives with you for a really long time.