Ron Livingston Quotes

Obviously, doing TV and doing theater are completely different because they're two totally different mediums. On stage, you worry about your voice and how you move physically. On TV, something like an eye twitch is what they could be looking for from you because it's so contained.

You have to do real acting, not just do a voice.

With modeling, you pose. You want to look your best all the time. With acting, you have to be aware of the camera, but the more you show your imperfections, the better you're going to be.

Pictorial is something that I am not used to. You have to pose, smile, bend your arm, straighten up, look to the left.

I don't know how to pose or anything.

You learn to control every aspect of your muscles, your face, your toes, your fingernails. And that is how you tell a story, through movement.

When I was doing 'All in the Family,' half the time, I was looking at where the cameras were, where were the other actors in the scene, what the audience was doing.

I've worked with actors who treat the first two takes like rehearsals. And that's okay. If the camera is on you and we're doing a scene where I'm off camera, I'm treating that as a rehearsal.

When you perform, you can convey emotions differently, and your look can reflect each of those emotions.

When you're in front of the camera, for a small budget or a big budget movie, there's no difference.

There are times when I consciously give the character something physical - a walk, the way he sits, how he talks, or his lack of physicality, which is like a physicality.

You don't really think about 3D when you're acting. As a director, you do.

I play guys who never smile, and I never stop smiling.

The writing is important, but the way you say the line and the pause you give it, the facial expression - all of that is very important.

An actor's body should be full of emotions, whether it is happiness or sorrow, pain or joy, enraged or elated.

In films people basically work for the camera, you know, and that's why actors can hate each other and not be speaking to each other and still look as if they're in love because really they're loving the camera loving them.

When you're modeling you're actually acting for the camera and the photographer. It's more fun, too because there are no lines to memorize.

I always play these rodent type characters - skittish and hyper like a chipmunk. It's a complete act though. I'm a very normal person.

Any actor working a long time should know how a shot is set up, where to place themselves, how to handle the lines. I'm a member of the crew, like the best boy, the electrician. What I'm good at is making eyes at the camera.

I think half the battle is just being comfortable in front of the camera - and I already am, doing so many videos and interviews, so then it just takes that extra step of trying to get into character.

If you look at me in 'Ride Along,' even though I'm playing two different characters, my demeanor and my tone were not aggressive.

When you're shooting you go to references in your mind. You think about how you should stand in these particular clothes, or how you should move. You think about the different characters you're playing, really.

One of the things I'm always reminded of when I'm back on stage is how much you have to be aware of and in control of. There is no tight shot. There is no 'we're only shoulders-up this time.' No, from the top of your head to your pinky toe, you're telegraphing part of the story the entire time you're up there.

Screen work always boils down to that moment between the camera and the actor or the actors. It always boils down to that, ultimately. You serve the camera.

In a costume, you need very exaggerated body language - as you say, sort of mime-type skills.