Performance Exploration Quotes

'Next to Normal' has challenged me as an actor because of how complex Diana is. And that's got me hungry for another character like that in a non-singing role because it would be interesting to express that same intensity in a different way.

I've always wanted to be an actor that explores different genres and different characters.

As an actor, you want to be able to move your character forward into new ground, but also it's really interesting to go backwards and unpeel those layers and the interesting elements of what your character is and what informs the decisions that you make so that you can have as much meat to work with.

As an actor, I don't want to do something which I have already done before.

I'm not scared of doing movies that are just about entertainment. I'm not scared of doing movies that are really challenging and cover difficult terrain. I just want good experiences and I want to challenge myself and I want to just keep learning, as an actor.

I'm analytical as an actor, and one of the things Quentin did was free me from that.

I allowed artists to play for as long as they felt they could justifiably continue to create.

We always try to leave room for the actors to come in and make discoveries on set, in their interpretation of the scene. The shot list is scaffolding.

What's interesting about playing Maura is that I get to use more of Jeffrey that I've ever used in any role, and I think that's the remarkable part about it and truly the most surprising part about doing this role.

As far as I'm concerned... there's a side to an actor that wants to go on and play a thousand different roles.

What I do when I act and direct is I do a small version, go a little bigger, do a medium one, an over-the-top one, and then even bigger than that. I'll do six readings of the line. And they're not all the same. Just so I know if I was wrong about what I should have done, I luckily have this more subtle version.

I feel like a good director provokes you to ask questions about your character, but doesn't answer them for you.

There are actors who do various different shades of a similar character, which is fine. But I prefer the Cillian Murphy school of doing something that takes you so far outside yourself that it's an incredible challenge and adventure.

With 'Gold,' it was a very simple girl, and in 'Kabir Singh,' it's more of a glam role. That's my aim: I want to experiment as much as I can. These two are very small areas of experimentation.

I would love to experiment with roles. But when people say that we are not doing anything different, it is because directors do not approach us with diverse roles.

My ideal role would be anything that allows me to play anyone the public is familiar with and to be able to show them that, but in a new light.

I personally don't lock in a performance, because I do leave room for things to happen, so I just make sure I'm very intimate with what I'm saying and why I'm saying it so that no matter what happens, we can do whatever we want to do and leave space for play.

I really like directors who give you a certain amount of autonomy because I think a lot about my characters and I think a lot about scenes and choices.