Anthony Hopkins Quotes

I started as a director, but I was too bored with actors. I preferred to act.

People say, "Why is it that you love to act?" And you want to say, "Well, most of acting is sitting in your trailer, either bored or worried about the scene coming up." A lot of it is about things you don't really like, so it's a wonder why acting is such a huge draw, why everyone loves it so much.

Acting is like sex: you either do it and don't talk about it, or you talk about it and don't do it. That's why I'm always suspicious of people who talk too much about either.

I don't really think it matters if you go into stage or TV as long as you do a bit of character work, really.

I always liked performing. I always liked being in front of people. That's one of the things I loved about law; we had mock trials, and I got to go up and state my case. But I took an acting class, and after my first class, I was hooked.

Acting is the least mysterious of all crafts. Whenever we want something from somebody or when we want to hide something or pretend, we're acting. Most people do it all day long.

I've been acting my whole life, which people don't realize. I just haven't had the opportunities that I've had with my dancing.

All I knew how to do was to act. That's the only thing I had in my favor. That was the thing that propelled me forward.

I'm interested in doing some acting in the future, but it's a distant second to stand up.

I never really took any acting classes. I'm just a natural ham, I guess.

I'm addicted to acting.

I have some friends who are actors. I've watched them work. And I would say that of all the arts, acting is the most grueling, thankless. Never apologize for your work.

I know people think that acting is not quite the occupation of grown-ups, but it is actually the ultimate learning process: You get a multitude of experiences, all for the price of one life.

I wouldn't want to try to make a living as an actor. I think actors... I give them a lot of credit for what they go through, but putting myself on the line like that would make me crazy.

I detest acting because it is sheer drudgery.

It's fun to get back to acting.

Acting is like an addiction - once you start, you can't stop.

I didn't want to be a movie star, I wanted to be an actor. Because acting is what I fell in love with, and acting is what is still challenging for me.

I feel like my home is stage acting.

When I say that the acting is sort of like a normal acting experience, I'm just talking about the interacting in actual scenes, like doing dialogue.

I've always wanted to be an actor. I didn't get into this game to be the best improviser in the world. I didn't choose improv as a stepping stone, it just happened to become one.

I realized that I was a really, really terrible actor. I was like, "I'd better be myself."

I never plan to stop acting, I take it very seriously.

Acting is acting, and who you are will still remain to be who you are. You know, that part won't change it. It will change your wallet, you know? It'll change your life. It will open opportunities for you, but it's not going to change your character.

What I've found is that stage is very much a foundation of acting. It's where it all began and you're working with that repetition.