Mani Ratnam Quotes

I am always saying, 'I don't believe in God; I believe in Al Pacino.' And that's true. If I ever get a phone call saying 'Would you like to work with Al Pacino?' I would go crazy.

Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?

When telemarketers call me now, I won't get the blow-horn. I'm more polite than the average person.

You don't know when you're being watched. That's one of the weird things about celebrity. It's my least favorite part of acting, celebrity.

I'll make phone calls. I'll call anybody and knock on any door to try and get a location, or get an actor, or get an actress. But no, it was just very easy. We just hit the ground running.

Fame is probably the most unadorable thing about acting.

Almost every single person that I've worked with - whether it's been George Clooney or Robert DeNiro or Harvey Keitel, or whoever - the quality that I find that's most consistent in most of the people is the humility.

One thing's for sure: now when I look at Funny Girl, I think I was gorgeous. I was too beautiful to play Fanny Brice.

Actors may know how to act, but a lot of them don't know how to behave.

I've never thought of myself as an actor, so somebody recognizing me for that would be a real shock.

Want to have a short phone call with someone? Call them at 11:55 a.m., right before lunch. They'll talk fast. You may think you are interesting, but you are not more interesting than lunch.

The whole acting and Hollywood [thing], it's just work to me. Stand-up comedy ruins you so badly for doing television. I don't really need to be known anymore than I am. The slight sliver of fame I do have is hard to deal with. If I was actually well-known - I don't even know what to say to people who are at my show when I walk into the venue, much less having waitresses in diners asking for my autograph.

I actually gained 30 pounds [for the episode], and I haven't lost all of it yet so I haven't been like "I gained 30 pounds!" Because I don't know if people can tell the difference.

To establish yourself as an actress, you have to become well known. A girl just starting out, I would tell her to concentrate on acting, but she doesn't have to go around wearing blankets.

A flair for publicity does not necessarily mean a flair for acting.

I was on this boat in the middle of the ocean scuba diving for this film I did, and I was with actor Mackenzie Cook, who is in it as well, and I didn't have my phone on me. The producer of the film handed me over this phone and said "someone is on the phone for you Gemma," and here I am completely in all of the scuba gear on with the tank on, and a helmet. My agent just went "dum, dum, dum, dum"(hums Bond theme song), and I just knew then, and I went ahhhh madness, and I was over the moon.

I used to go out with actresses and other female impersonators.

I didn't feel like reading that night, so I went downstairs and watched a half-hour long commercial that advertised an exercise machine. They kept flashing a 1-800 number, so I called it. The woman who picked up the other end of the phone was named Michelle. And I told Michelle that I was a kid and did not need an exercise machine, but I hoped she was having a good night. That's when Michelle hung up on me. And I didn't mind a bit.

Every actor has their stalker.

President Bush called Arnold to congratulate him today, and after he got off the phone, Arnold said, 'I thought my English was bad.'

George Clooney is great. He's incredibly prepared and he attracts a tremendously talented crew, which says a lot for him personally and professionally.

Working with them was a great experience. Victor Garber, Stephen McHattie and Ray Liotta - they were all bang-up.

The fame of an actor is won in minutes and seconds, not in years.

I don't love acting; I love chocolate.

It's always a good day when I get to work with Jim Belushi, who I adore.