Edward Albee Quotes

I personally think J-Cole is a better rapper than me; that's how I feel.

I'm really bad at knowing if something I've done is any good. I can't work it out; I can't be objective about anything I do.

The quality an artist must have is objectivity in judging his work, plus the honesty and courage not to kid himself about it.

It's no use to go and take courses in playwriting any more than it's much use taking courses in acting. Better play to a bad matinée in Hull, it will teach you much more than a year of careful instruction.

I think it's for the critics to decide whether or not their loathing of the play is based on something other than the play's merits or demerits. They must search their own souls, or whatever.

A writer judging his own work is like deceived husband - he is frequently the last person to appreciate the true state of affairs.

I called Scott Rudin, and I told him I wanted to do the play [Fences], so that's how the ball got rolling. I never said, "I'll do the play, and the next year I'll do the film, I just wanted to do the play."

Most works of art are, necessarily, bad...; one suffers through the many for the few.

Don't play an attitude; don't play a guy who's negative. Play a guy who's not trying to sell anybody on anything, he's just saying how it is and if you want to come by what he's thinking, you're welcome. If you do not, then do not.

I've made 30-plus films over 20 years. And in my opinion, five of them are good.

None of us are so much praised or censured as we think.

I've decided to just keep doing Oh, Hello, where I play an older man who thinks he's very cultured. That clearly has not gone away.

In other things the knowing artist may Judge better than the people; but a play, (Made for delight, and for no other use) If you approve it not, has no excuse.

Stage actors are usually much more conscious of speaking up and making sure that everyone can hear in the back of the theatre; a film actor probably thinks of that a little less. Unfortunately, there's a style of acting going round, especially with the younger actors, where they talk without even moving their lip. Maybe it's because my hearing probably isn't what it was 40 years ago but I'm sitting there going "What did they say"?

How are his poems?" "He's not as good as he thinks he is, but then most of us feel that way.

It's been four years. It's been the best four years. It's been wonderful, it's been a privilege to work under Steven Moffat. But I think when you gotta go, you gotta go It's sad, I'm going to miss it. I'm going to miss Comic-Con as well. It wasn't an easy decision, but I dunno, you can't play it forever. And, look, they'll get someone amazing and brilliant, and that's the great thing about the show. It continues, and it will get bigger and better. And you'll forget about me.

And if I had to spend 20 years in the band just to play that show, I think it would have been worthwhile.

If a director takes the time to document - to step back to observe - I think it I more honest. Because it has to be the public that makes the conclusions and who, possibly, resolves the situation.

[The play] is like to be a very conceited scurvy one, in plain English.

When they say I'm a great actor, I close my ears because it's not good for you to think that way.

Do I think well of myself, think myself a nice chap? WEll, I am afraid I sometimes do (and those are, no doubt, my worst moments).

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. So you have to be very careful about that. After you’ve not fooled yourself, it’s easy not to fool other scientists. You just have to be honest in a conventional way after that.

I think I'm a pretty cliché actor in that I hate watching myself on film. I don't know why it should be humbling to see yourself on film.

I personally think if you're given four months instead of four weeks on a play, with the people who want to work that way, the play will invariably be different and stronger, and much more fulfilling and richer on all counts. There's no doubt in my mind about it.

It's family, and it's faith, and it's friends, and it's not the glamour of the Presidency, or the wonder of going to receive the Nobel Prize. All those are important, of course. But maybe it's just that I'm 71 years old now. It's family, and it's faith, and it's friends. I would tell them that. Don't forget that. In your brilliance, don't turn your back on your friends. Don't think you're entitled to something, you're smarter than the next guy.