Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OMwas an English actor who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth22 May 1907
announced character days dear gone order sleep
My dear boy, why don't you try acting? (on the set of 'Marathon Man', to Dustin Hoffman, who had announced that he'd gone 3 days without sleep in order to 'become' his character
given heart human knowledge teach work
I don't know what is better than the work that is given to the actor - to teach the human heart the knowledge of itself.
success business integrity
Have a very good reason for everything you do.
perfection excellence waste
Don't waste your time striving for perfection; instead, strive for excellence - doing your best.
sports humility self-confidence
The humility to prepare and the self-confidence to bring it off.
intuition natural-instinct instinct
Surely we have always acted; it is an instinct inherent in all of us. Some of us are better at it than others, but we all do it.
weakness use aspiration
Use your weaknesses; aspire to the strength.
funny humorous acting
Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism. It is not quite the occupation of an adult.
beautiful done actors
Of all the things I've done in life, directing a motion picture is the most beautiful. It's the most exciting and the nearest than an interpretive craftsman, such as an actor can possibly get to being a creator.
time kings politician
We have all, at one time or another, been performers, and many of us still are - politicians, playboys, cardinals and kings.
eye incarnation
Shakespeare - The nearest thing in incarnation to the eye of God.
perfection excellence excuse
Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You'll be afraid you can't achieve it. It's your excuse to yourself for not doing anything. Instead, strive for excellence, doing your best.
film moments best-moments
My stage successes have provided me with the greatest moments outside myself, my film successes the best moments, professionally, within myself.
drama exercise light
The office of drama is to exercise, possibly to exhaust, human emotions. The purpose of comedy is to tickle those emotions into an expression of light relief; of tragedy, to wound them and bring the relief of tears. Disgust and terror are the other points of the compass.