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The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting.

There is a need for aloneness, which I don't think most people realise for an actor. It's almost having certain kinds of secrets for yourself that you'll let the whole world in on only for a moment, when you're acting. But everybody is always tugging at you. They'd all like sort of a chunk of you.

Being an actor is the loneliest thing in the world. You are all alone with your concentration and imagination, and that's all you have.

The best thing an actor can bring to a role is himself - that's no secret.

I've come to this conclusion: What makes a great actor is great need. A huge need of acting.

I think as an actor, you're constantly putting yourself out there, and a lot of times failing - and failing in front of a bunch of people - and sometimes you have a good moment and something clicks.

With some actors, you can tell when they're acting all by themselves, no matter who else is in the screen.

As an actor, you're listening to the other person and always trying to be present and take everything they're giving you, but when they're not there, you have to produce that yourself.

An actor is never so great as when he reminds you of an animal - falling like a cat, lying like a dog, moving like a fox.

Actors want to surprise themselves. When it's really good, you kind of transcend yourself, and that happens infrequently. Very, very rarely.