Gugu Mbatha-Raw Quotes

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.

Every role I've ever taken has never had anything do to with size. It's never been something I've wanted to be cheap about. Luckily, my agents and managers have always supported that.

Actors have far fewer choices than the public thinks they do.

I am essential to the theater.

I've been very blessed to work in some films that I'm very proud of. When you're going to commit yourself to a series, to a certain degree, you're almost saying, "Okay, some of these opportunities, I'm just not going to be available for," so it has to be something that you really, really are passionate about.

I often get offered things that are so similar to things that I have done, and life is too short. When you make a film or a show, as you get older, that's a lot of time to be doing something that you're not absolutely invested in or in love with.

I try to get on stage whenever I can. I'm always trying to be involved in the theater, doing something on stage, whenever I have downtime. I'm always looking for it.

Most of the theater I've done in the past was when I was a kid or a teenager so it feels like being a kid again. I'm happier than I've ever been. You really get to go to work every day and play, and try different things. I don't know, I've never felt so lucky to do this job. So I hope to do a lot more theater.

The thing is, that great actors are everywhere. They're everywhere. They're doing good parts on television. They're doing television commercials. They're doing local theater. There are so few opportunities.

Acting takes a degree of mutual trust and respect.

I would love to work on Broadway, but I don't know that it would manifest itself in musical theater.... I have terrible stage fright that I'd have to get over.

Anyone who hears enough laughter and applause at a young age will become an actor, whether they intend to or not.

I have always felt it a great privilege to be in the theater, and I am grateful to all the playwrights who have given me so many wonderful roles. It's a terrifying business, but it has its compensations. Where else could I have found someone who for 50 years has given me sheer enchantment?

I've always considered myself an actor, but I wasn't making a living as an actor.

Acting is not a science. Anybody who believes that their success exists in relation to their goals is deluding themselves; unless you think of a career in terms of financial goals. I have nothing against Tom Cruise, but he must have a large capacity to deal with the business side of movies.

Acting has been described as farting about in disguise.

My parents thought, 'Oh, my God! What's wrong with him? He's possessed or something.' All of a sudden, I stood up and started saying my lines. From then on, that was it. I knew there was something special about the theater for me, something beyond the regular reality, something that I could get into and transcend and become something other than myself.

Acting is a strange business; one day it's there, and the next day nowhere to be seen.

... actors of the first water are not more plentiful than playwrights of genius.

The only way I was allowed to play was by convincing bands to let me do a few songs while they set up. That went on for years.

There's no such thing as a small part. There are just small actors.

I definitely think of myself still as a writer first, and feel like - with the lucky exception of this - any acting opportunity I've gotten is usually because I was writing on it. This is like a wonderful vacation. If you've ever sat in a writers' room it's the most disgusting, tortuous place, so it's a treat to be treated like a movie actor.

In the theater lying is looked upon as an occupational disease.

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.

I enjoy doing drama, and I enjoy doing comedy equally. They're both amazing to me, and it's such an honor to be recognized for both genres, and to have the opportunity to work on shows of such great caliber in both genres. So, you know, it's easy to do both.