black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

It makes it fun. When an actor plays a character, you want what that character wants. Otherwise it doesn’t look authentic. So I really want to defeat Jimmy – I mean Jimmy as the character.

Alan Alda

I play tennis non-obsessively. I seem to beat people I play a lot or half the time, so I guess I gravitate to people who are as bad as I am.
ALAN ALDA

Bad Beat Gravitate Half Non-obsessively People Play Seem Tennis Time
In the midst of the sense of tragedy or loss, sometimes laughter is not only healing, it’s a way of experiencing the person that you’ve lost again.
ALAN ALDA

Again Experience Heal Laugher Loss Lost Midst Person Something Tragedy
Eventually, I found a radical way of thinking about listening. Real listening is a willingness to let the other person change you.
ALAN ALDA

Change Eventually Found Listen Radical Think Willingness
Loneliness is everything it’s cracked up to be.
ALAN ALDA

Crack Everything Loneliness Up
That last note, “in the same respect,” says a lot. As soon as you change the frame of reference, you’ve changed the truthiness of a once immutable fact.
ALAN ALDA

Fact Frame Immutable Reference School Study Taught Think Truthiness
I don’t talk about my beliefs too much in public probably because I feel very strongly that it’s something personal – more than personal, it’s private.
ALAN ALDA

Belief More Much Personal Private Probably Public Something Strong
Insanity is just a state of mind.
ALAN ALDA

Instant Just Mind State
When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be and not be at the same time and in the same respect.
ALAN ALDA

Both Logic Respect Rule Same School Study Taught Think Time
I have a final word of advice to our students. If you work very, very hard, this is the kind of actor, writer and director you may turn out to be, and if you work extra hard, this is the kind of person you may turn out to be.
ALAN ALDA

Advice Director Extra Final Kind Person Student Word Writer
Listening is being able to be changed by the other person.
ALAN ALDA

Being Change Listen Other Person
I find myself going to places where I really have no business, speaking to these people in a whole other field that I have no extensive knowledge of. But I do it very often because it scares me.
ALAN ALDA

Business Dare Extensive Field Knowledge Myself People Place
I don’t really worry about the size of the part much any more.
ALAN ALDA

Any More Much Part Really Size Worry
The one hour live debate in the West Wing that we did was one of the most exciting times for me on stage or on camera, because anything could go wrong.
ALAN ALDA

Anything Camera Debate Hour Love Most Excite One Stage Time Wrong
I let a tarantula walk across my hand, and I ate rat soup.
ALAN ALDA

Across Hand Ate Let Rat Soup Tarantula
When your kids turn 13, an alien being invades their bodies and doesn’t leave until they’re 20.
ALAN ALDA

Alien Body Kid Leave Thirteen Turn Until Twenty
Laugh at yourself, but don’t ever aim your doubt at yourself.
ALAN ALDA

Aim Doubt Laugh Yourself

It makes it fun. When an actor plays a character, you want what that character wants. Otherwise it doesn’t look authentic. So I really want to defeat Jimmy – I mean Jimmy as the character.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

It makes it fun. When an actor plays a character, you want what that character wants. Otherwise it doesn’t look authentic. So I really want to defeat Jimmy – I mean Jimmy as the character.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Alan Alda Quotes