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I try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

Alan Alda

In 2003, I almost died of an intestinal blockage when I was on a mountain in Chile, filming a segment for ‘Scientific American Frontiers.’
ALAN ALDA

Blockage Country Film Frontier Intestinal Mountain Segment
If I don’t win, I’ll just wait until I’m nominated for being in the theater during the show. Do they have one like that?
ALAN ALDA

Being During Like Nominate Show Theatre Until Win
I wouldn’t live in California. All that sun makes you sterile.
ALAN ALDA

All Country Make Sterile Sun
As I am becoming older, the only thing that speeds up is time.
ALAN ALDA

Become Older Only Speed Thing Time
I have thought about punching people out. Sometimes, I’ve thought, ‘Why don’t I just act on that impulse?’ But then, I’ve never hit anybody in anger. Hey! I’ve never hit anybody for fun.
ALAN ALDA

Act Impulse Nobody People Punch Something
Several thousand people had been locked up unjustly and, by an incredible coincidence, all in the same prison. On the other hand, they knew an awful lot about how to knife somebody.
ALAN ALDA

Awful Coincidence Hand Incredible Knife Lock Other People Several Somebody Thousand Unjustify
This gets us back to that most pressing of human questions: why do people worry so much about other people’s holding beliefs other than their own?
ALAN ALDA

Belief Hold Human Own People Press Question Worry
How can I ever hope to communicate something to you unless I get signals back from you that I’m on the right track or that I’ve started at some place that you’re familiar with?
ALAN ALDA

Back Communicate Familiar Home Right Signal Something Start Track
During the first day, curious at having outsiders among them, a long stream of inmates came over and talked with me.
ALAN ALDA

Curious Day First Inmate Long Outside Stream Take
So every day till the end of this campaign, Ill answer any question anyone has on government, but if you have a question on religion, please, go to church.
ALAN ALDA

Answer Campaign Church Day Every Government Question Religion
Why do ordinary people become the target of this curiosity simply by virtue of the fact that other people recognize their names and faces but know nothing else about them? Why do we care what they think, what they wear, what they eat?
ALAN ALDA

Act Care Curiosity Eat Face Name Nothing Ordinary People Recognize Simply Target Virtue Wear
The good thing about being a hypocrite is that you get to keep your values.
ALAN ALDA

Being Good Hypocrite Keep Thing Value
Don’t be upset that it takes a long, long time to find wisdom because nobody knows where wisdom can be found.
ALAN ALDA

Found Long Take Time Upset Wisdom
If I can’t get the girl, at least give me more money.
ALAN ALDA

Girl Give Lease Money More
All these things you expect meaning to come from, and sometimes it comes when you’re not expecting it.
ALAN ALDA

All Thing Come Expect Meaning Sometimes
What then are doing if not creating a better place together? I think, for me the key has to be, what do I want to create? What is it I want to leave behind?
ALAN ALDA

Behind Better Create Do Leave Place Think Want
Kids are natural scientists.
ALAN ALDA

Kid Natural Scientist
It isn’t necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It’s only necessary to be rich.
ALAN ALDA

Famous Happy Necessary Rich
Everyone opens up to one another right away. That’s a terrific thing. I love that about actors. They know how personal this job is.
ALAN ALDA

Actor Another Everyone Job Open Personal Right Think Way
When people are laughing, they’re generally not killing one another.
ALAN ALDA

Another General Kill Laugh One People
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won’t come in.
ALAN ALDA

Assumption Awhile Come Every Light One Scrub Window World
Don’t ever aim doubt at yourself. Laugh at yourself, but don’t doubt yourself.
ALAN ALDA

Aim Doubt Laugh Yourself
The difference between listening and pretending to listen, I discovered, is enormous. One is fluid, the other is rigid. One is alive, the other is stuffed.
ALAN ALDA

Between Difference Fluid Listen Live Pretend Rigid Stuff
I’m most at home on the stage. I was carried onstage for the first time when I was six months old.
ALAN ALDA

Carry First Home Month Most Old Onstage Six Stage Time
I was a child, and my mother was psychotic. She loved me, but I didn’t really feel I had a mother. And when you live with somebody who is paranoid and thinks you’re trying to kill them all the time, you tend to feel a little betrayed.
ALAN ALDA

Betray Child Feel Kill Live Love Mother Paranoid Psychotic Something
I’ve been nominated twice before as actor in a leading part. Now I’m nominated as actor in a supporting part.
ALAN ALDA

Actor Before Lead Nominate Part Support Twice
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 try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

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I try to find out what there is in the character that in a way, you can’t put into words. If I could put it into words, then it wouldn’t be a performance. And if I do put it into words, as I play it, I start to get boxed in by those words.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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