Michael Rapaport Quotes

After two years in TV, I realized that I need a break from 9 to 5 routine work. I just wanted to explore and get back to movies for a while.

Today what is more important for me is performance. At the risk of sounding immodest, I have done it all - 61 movies over 12 years. But now I am looking for quality. It's easy to be a star. Now I want to be an actress.

I want to take a few years out, maybe make a couple of more films or whatever.

All of my girlfriends have been actors, and I've realized that maybe it's not for me - and find something else outside of the industry.

I decided I was going to give up singing and concentrate on acting, and a result of that, I didn't do another film for two to three years, and I don't blame it on anybody but myself.

When I got out of school, I didn't really understand the differences in the different aspects of the business. For example, doing a play - where does that take you versus, you know, concentrating on independent films? You might have one thing in your head, but the things you're doing don't really lead down the right road, necessarily.

I was obsessed with the idea of going to college. And I took many years off after that, so I sort of missed the weird, crazy transition that was what making movies was in the nineties to what's happening now.

It was a natural progression for me to find that if acting was what made me most comfortable, the best thing for me to progress toward was television and film.

I built a career on my archetype, and I'm grateful, but I'm trying to stretch.

I've moved on with my life and I'm trying to find a path to re-establish my career.

And I discovered after a couple years that I really didn't miss making movies.

To think one film makes a career is ridiculous. It's important to keep perspective and do things other than for money.

When I took a couple of years to do the documentaries after I left 'American Morning' - what was I gone for, five years? - I didn't feel that I was floating under the radar.

When I was working on my career, I was very aware of what I had done, what I wanted to do next. I'm having a good time just reading things that might be interesting to do.

Obviously, after every film you do, you wonder what you're going to do next.

Well, I think I've had a fairly meandering career.

When a big company lays you off, they often give you a year's salary to 'go pursue a dream.' If you're stupid, you panic and get another job. If you're smart, you take the money and use the time to figure out what you want to do next.

I kind of look at my modeling career and the Hitchcock years as stepping stones to what I'm doing now.

I haven't given up on acting, but I've gone away from it for a while to concentrate on myself and the fans of 'Star Wars.'

Maybe if I found something I was really passionate about, which is entirely possible, I would make another documentary, but it's not a good career choice for anybody. I don't recommend it.

My biggest accomplishment has been making a transition from athlete to author.

I've been sort of coasting on 'Peep Show.' So now it's kind of, 'When I grow up, I'm going to have to be an actor if I'm not careful.'

I didn't intend to be an actress. It was one of many things I was interested in, and it just took off. I was an actress between the ages of 18 and 22, and it was a wonderful, fun thing to do, but it wasn't what I intended long term. I parked acting a long time ago.

I expect that it won't be an easy road once 'The L Word' is over, but I'm gonna do everything in my power during my time off to do other things that show another side of me.

For a few years, I thought I was putting show business behind me. I was busy doing other things in life, particularly with politics. I was not out looking for films, really. I lost interest.