They've got this crazy actor who's 82 years old up there in a suit. I was a mayor, and they're probably thinking I know how to give a speech, but even when I was mayor I never gave speeches. I gave talks.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
As I've been acting since I was young it's taught me to give a good speech, and, though I say so myself, I did it pretty well.
In high school I was president of the Student Council, and I ended up doing a lot of speeches. After you do a few in front of different schools, you get really comfortable talking in front of an audience.
I happen to have given lots of free speeches.
As a matter of fact, I didn't make a political speech outside of my state for 20 years.
Every couple of seconds out here they're honoring somebody. You've got to get dressed, go in and sit down. Invariably somebody makes a speech.
The majority of directors I've worked with didn't know how to talk to actors.
Fifteen years ago, I suffered a stroke, which caused me to lose my speech. Now, what does an actor who can't talk do? Wait for silent pictures to come back? I work with a speech therapist twice a week.
You win the Oscar, you get to go into just about anybody's office for a month. I had a lot of meetings.
When you consider that you're a character that doesn't speak, but you've still got to react to the other actors, you've got to make a noise of some kind.
In L.A., unless you've just won an Oscar or you're Mr. Studio Head, no one talks to you. Even at parties.