Tom Wilkinson Quotes

It'd be crazy to say just because an artist is not successful that means he's not talented. I don't think anybody really believes that, but sometimes it feels that way.

To the outside world, I was pretty bad at everything my whole life. People didn't credit me for my musicianship.

Fame and fortune should never get in front of your passion. The passion will generate the fame and fortune, if you're good enough.

In opera, as with any performing art, to be in great demand and to command high fees you must be good of course, but you must also be famous. The two are different things.

It's a blessing to be a part of such great shows that they're so recognizable.

Don't worry about being a star, worry about doing good work, and all that will come to you.

You just need an opportunity and then you yourself have to do a good job, and then you hope that people go, 'Oh yeah, I forgot about her.'

Many incredible artists die before they were famous.

Everybody wants to be great at something.

Even as a kid, I never wanted to be famous; I wanted to be good.

I had the good fortune of speaking with Orson Wells many decades ago and he said 'Success is primarily luck anyway.' And I have been very lucky. Of course, Orson Wells was enormously talented and brilliant - so who am I to argue with him!

Australians love to pump you up when you're nobody. Then, when you start to put your head above water and say, 'Well, actually, I am a bit different, I am an individual and I do have a particular talent', or whatever, they want to go after you. But the good news is that once you reach a certain level, I think they start to leave you alone.

If you're not the brightest or if you're not great at sports, or if you're not artistic, then you've got to find a way to make your mark; otherwise you're just this tiny little insignificant dot. I didn't want to be insignificant, so I made people laugh.

Its only when you are a great actor and are recognised for your good work that you become famous. Unless you are in the news for the wrong reasons!

There're so many great writers out there who aren't getting the exposure they deserve.

America, for me, is the country where, if you have something great to offer, you'll be valued highly.

The line between greatness and obscurity is very, very small.

Everybody is so talented nowadays that the only people I care to honor as deserving real distinction are those who remain in obscurity.

When someone gets a success, and we, too, have done good work and sometimes even better work than the person who has just triumphed, we wonder: 'Why did success pass me by?'

The column's worked out great for me. I've gotten a ton of ego satisfaction, had a lot of fun, won a batch of prizes and occasionally done some public good.

If something is good enough, it can be out there and people will see it.

It makes me feel good that I can now sit there and go, I've worked with Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, all the great actors that I've worked with... Sir Ben Kingsley.

Eventually, the most important thing is success. I want to achieve a lot of success. It doesn't feel good when your film doesn't do well, and yet you are appreciated... everybody should succeed.

I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.

There are lots of actors out there who are hugely, hugely talented and haven't got the breaks I've had.