Laurence Olivier

An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening.

I believe that in the theatre, the actor is the most important element. He is the medium through which the play is expressed.

The great thing about the theatre is that it's a living thing. It's not something that's canned or preserved. It's happening right now, and it's different every night.

Acting is a masochistic profession. You have to be willing to expose yourself, to be vulnerable, to be hurt.

The audience is the other half of the performance.

I'm not a natural actor. I have to work at it. I have to study, I have to practice, I have to rehearse.

The most important thing for an actor is to be able to listen.

I've always believed that the best acting is when you don't see the acting.

The theatre is a temple. It's a place where we come to worship the human spirit.

I've never been afraid of failure. I've always been more afraid of not trying.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Life is a stage, and we are merely players.

The older I get, the more I realize that the only thing that matters is love.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's how you learn.

The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

The unexamined life is not worth living.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!

The play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.