Longevity in Acting Quotes

I want to be acting until the day I die. I want to be in movies and working with people who push me to be a better actor. That's what I look forward to, and that's what's important to me.

You need some insecurity if you're an actor. It keeps the pot boiling. I haven't yet started to think about retiring. I was shocked when I heard about Paul Newman retiring at age 82. Most actors just fade away like old soldiers.

If you're an actor, a hard thing is to stick around, to stay viable. I try to do that by taking the opportunity to do something different every once in awhile.

I try to keep away from being bigheaded. That's what causes people to lose the acting thing. They start being commercial, and then they stink the rest of their life. But there are several respected adult actors who were child actors that started very young. I'm going to try to model myself after Kurt Russell and Jodie Foster. Just keep learning from the role and not just go for the money.

I hope to be still acting when I'm 70 on TV, film and theatre.

It's only an advantage as an actor - looking younger than you are. If you can maintain it.

I had always planned when I started directing in 1970 that after a few years I'd get tired of looking at myself on the screen and say: "Hey, let's not do that any more." But then every once in a while something pops up. I'm not saying it won't happen again but probably the odds get less as you set yourself for roles that fit your age group.

To be embraced by Hollywood when I'd been acting professionally for almost 50 years seemed unbelievable. I've been so welcomed in such a warm, generous way - it seemed crazy not to take advantage of it. I hope for another 20 years where I can still keep going.

I never thought I was going to be an actor. And I never really thought of myself as one. Even though I keep working. I thought I'd just do a wave of movies, and then I'd burn out. They just kept coming together.

Singers come and go, but if you're a good actor, you can last a long time.

Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be nobody left to play old, wrinkly people. You have to keep going, darling - don't you?

That's one of the challenges of acting. You can't expect that you're going to be successful, but you've got to put your heart and everything you have into it. Look at a guy like Ian McKellen, who is eighty or whatever, and he's just loving his work and you can see that in the work. That defines what type of actor you are. And what kind of people want to work with you. And whether you can do this job for a long, long time.

I was on Stealing Beauty in 1996 and then I started feeling acting was something I wanted to do forever. It made me feel like I'll still be looking for parts when I'm 70 years old.

One of the things I do tell young women, if they want to pursue a career in acting, is to get good stage training. It is essential to have a good basis in stage technique. You can move into film easily, and acquire more skill and more understanding, but you can't necessarily go the other way around. For women, longevity of career will very much be on stage.

One went to school, one wanted to act, one started to act, and one's still acting.

I have no problem with my age. I've been acting for 50 years in Australia and everyone knows my age because I started at 15. So there was never any point in lying about it.

I want to keep growing and I want to be an actress for as long as I can.

Having done something like The Thorn Birds gives you enormous longevity. You can keep picking and choosing the roles for a bit longer.

I'm grateful to have been acting for as long as I have because I have so many experiences and memories, and I've gotten to learn from some of the greatest actors, directors, writers and cinematographers. I feel like my career has been a privilege. I can't imagine my life without it.

Being an actor is wonderful and it's a lot of fun, but eventually you look old and you can't fit this or that. It's important to have other skills, be able to do other things, and to really learn how this business works and what it thrives on.