Quotes by Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier

[May 1958, on playing Macbeth at age 30 and age 48] When you’re a young man, Macbeth is a character part. When you’re older, it’s a straight part.

Age

Character

Men

[on whether he harbored any resentment at his forced retirement from the stage after he was fired by Britain’s National Theater] I should be soaring away with my head tilted slightly toward the gods, feeding on the caviar of Shakespeare… An actor must act.

Actors

Caviar

Feeding

A sexual athlete is not likely to find sufficient energy for work of another athletic kind, and the acting of great parts most definitely was and always will be athletic, depending on inner if not on visible energy. Members of other professions that depend on the expenditure of physical energy must, I believe, find similar difficulties when attempting to double up on their energies. One has often heard that the most magnificent specimens of boxers, wrestlers and champions in almost every branch of athletic sport prove to be disappointing upon the removal of that revered jockstrap.

Believe

Sex

Sports

Above all, you must remain open and fresh and alive to any new idea.

Alive

Ideas

New Ideas

Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult.

Acting

Funny

Humorous

Acting is an everlasting search for truth.

Acting

Everlasting

Theatre

Acting is illusion, as much illusion as magic is – and not so much a matter of being real.

Acting

Magic

Real

Acting, is not a profession for adults.

Acting

Adults

Profession

Art is a little bit larger than life – it’s an exhalation of life and I think you probably need a little touch of madness.

Art

Needs

Thinking

Autograph-hunting is the most unattractive manifestation of sex-starved curiosity.

Curiosity

Hunting

Sex

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Acting

Actors

Actresses

Adults

Age

Alive

Apes

Art

Artist

Audience

Beautiful

Belief

Believe

Best Moments

Book

Boredom

Breathe

Business

Caviar

Character

Cities

Comfort

Convincing

Critics

Curiosity

Cutting

Cymbals

Dark

Disappointment

Done

Drama

Dynamics

Enthusiasm

Everlasting

Excellence

Excuse

Exercise

Eye

Feeding

Feelings

Film

Firsts

Funny

Gone

Heart

Home

Honey

Humility

Humor

Humorous

The Future Blueprint

Tool

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

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The Autobiography

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The Behaviour Diary

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Quotes by Laurence Olivier

Laurence Olivier

[May 1958, on playing Macbeth at age 30 and age 48] When you’re a young man, Macbeth is a character part. When you’re older, it’s a straight part.

[on whether he harbored any resentment at his forced retirement from the stage after he was fired by Britain’s National Theater] I should be soaring away with my head tilted slightly toward the gods, feeding on the caviar of Shakespeare… An actor must act.

Above all, you must remain open and fresh and alive to any new idea.

Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult.

Acting is an everlasting search for truth.

Acting is illusion, as much illusion as magic is – and not so much a matter of being real.

Acting, is not a profession for adults.

Art is a little bit larger than life – it’s an exhalation of life and I think you probably need a little touch of madness.

Autograph-hunting is the most unattractive manifestation of sex-starved curiosity.

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The Future Blueprint

The Home Therapist: Anti Anxiety

The Autobiography

The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

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