“I’m a bad liar; I don’t know what to say backstage.”

We must overcome the notion that we must be regular… it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre.

We had a relationship that lasted 44 years. Herbert and I lived together 10 years before we were married. He always gave me a little heart for whatever anniversary.

Awards don’t really mean much.

Once in a while, there’s stuff that makes me say, That’s what theatre’s about. It has to be a human event on the stage, and that doesn’t happen very often.

The actor must know that since he, himself, is the instrument, he must play on it to serve the character with the same effortless dexterity with which the violinist makes music on his. Just because he doesn’t look like a violin is no reason to assume his techniques should be thought of as less difficult.

Marlon was so sensitive, you thought the poor guy just had a bad education.

no work of art is ever finished, nothing is ever static, no performance is for keeps.

I think, by and large, the level of acting is mediocre. When I go to the theatre, I get so angry. I don’t go.

I love going to the movies; I love watching good movie actors. They must know something I don’t.

I love playing Chekhov. That’s the hardest; that’s why I love it most.

The knowledge that every day there is something more to learn, something higher to reach for, something new to make for others, makes each day infinitely precious

I won’t go to England because they won’t let my dog in.

Usually, someone who’s in a show gets me a ticket. I feel cornered. I can’t walk out if I don’t like it.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks a democracy has depended on its philosophers and creative artists. It can only flourish by continuous probing, prodding, and questioning of the social conditions under which man exists and tries to better himself.

We were not allowed to say, Screw, but we could say, Hump the hostess, because hump is in Shakespeare.

Thoughts and feelings are suspended in a vacuum unless they instigate and feed the selected actions, and it is the characters actions which reveal the character in the play.

I didn’t know who Langston Hughes was till he met me backstage.

Backstage Michael Bloomfield introduced me to Eric, and Eric was so nice. He came up to me, put his arms around me and said “Barry, it’s such a pleasure to meet you” …

At any Maroon 5 concert, you’ll see a room backstage marked ‘yoga.’

I read a story about some old opera singer once, and when a guy asked her to marry him, she took him backstage after she had sung a real triumph, with all the people calling for her, asked, ‘Do you think you could give me that?’