Acting Constraints Quotes

My work as an actor is limited by the voice of the director and the writing.

It's nice to be thought of as attractive and all of that. On the other hand, it curtails you somewhat, too. They won't let me read for 'West Wing,' just to play, you know, a normal person. Or 'ER,' to play a doctor - the things I'm actually good at. I mean, I'm pretty good on foreign policy - they won't even let me come read for that.

No actor has complete freedom.

I'm dying to do a tiny indie and play something totally naturalistic without any sort of constraints on me. Something where I can shock everyone.

I come down as an actor and my marks are already laid out on the floor - somebody else organized what I'm going to do. I think, why am I here? And why I'm here is to express the words with some sort of vague emotion and make them seem real. I wanted to go back to how it was before.

It's challenging to play a real-life character because you know that it existed in the history and you have certain parameters to follow and stay within.

That's what frees up an actor: when you don't have to be responsible to likability.

In my career, I've often played the protagonist or the hero of the movie, and there are so many rules inherent to that role. The audience needs to stay with you, identify with you and like you. When you play the bad guy, those rules go out the window. There's so much freedom there.

With 'Law & Order,' I had to be very conscious of what I was doing. I didn't want to show too much character.

As an actress, you know there are limitations on what you can do creatively.

Playing the role of Christ was like being in a prison. It was the hardest part I've ever had to play in my life. I couldn't smoke or drink in public. I couldn't.