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When I choose a role it’s either because I recognise the man, or that I’m very curious to know him. If I neither recognise nor know him, then it is better that I don’t play him.

Ben Kingsley

I hope I’m able to achieve more on camera through stillness, through focus, through being quite careful to do less on every take, rather than more. So I’m reducing, rather than adding. Which hopefully is a good exercise. That’s what I’d like to do.
BEN KINGSLEY

Camera Exercise Focus
I didn’t go to drama school because, from the first refusal I then, as I said, a couple of weeks later, was offered a professional job, where I am immensely grateful to the journey.
BEN KINGSLEY

Couple Drama Job
I was fortunate as a young actor, to go straight to the RSC, where I learned that being an actor can bring with it wonderful responsibilities.
BEN KINGSLEY

Actors Responsibility Wonderful
I’ve never had to turn my hand to anything for monetary gain, other than pretending to be somebody else. I’m deeply fortunate.
BEN KINGSLEY

Gains Hands Pretending
If you are a libertine, if you’re not given to long-term faithful relationships, you tend to project your behavior onto everyone else. It’s like the person who knows they’re not trustworthy; they tend to mistrust everyone else.
BEN KINGSLEY

Faithful Long Trustworthy
I do remember, as a child, that I always imagined, when I was maybe 6 or 7, my fantasy was that everywhere I went I was being followed by an invisible film crew.
BEN KINGSLEY

Children Fantasy Remember
Filming is so much to do with rhythm, as is music, and if it isn’t there then you know in the end nobody can save it really, they can’t.
BEN KINGSLEY

Ends Knows Rhythm
You cannot learn a lesson of profound forgiveness unless you understand what it is to be wounded and forgive that which has wounded you.
BEN KINGSLEY

Forgiving Lesson Profound
Movie magic is movie magic and acting magic is acting magic.
BEN KINGSLEY

Act Acting Magic Movie
Well, it’s wonderful to be identified strongly with my work.
BEN KINGSLEY

Identified Wells Wonderful Work
The camera does not like acting. The camera is only interested in filming behaviour. So you damn well learn your lines until you know them inside out, while standing on your head!
BEN KINGSLEY

Acting Camera Doe
I think Romeo and Juliet is uplifting. That’s how much a son wishes to avenge his father. That is how much two young people can love each other.
BEN KINGSLEY

Father Son Uplifting
In cinema, the leading player is the director.
BEN KINGSLEY

Cinema Directors Player
It’s Sir Ben. I’ve not been a Mister for two years.
BEN KINGSLEY

Hollywood Two Years
You don’t go to a town to present the play and have applause at the end of it, but that’s benign conquest. It’s a glorious way of exploring other landscapes and other cultures in a very life-affirming way.
BEN KINGSLEY

Culture Landscape Other Play
I think that you can fall into bad habits with comedy… It’s a tightrope to stay true to the character, true to the irony, and allow the irony to happen.
BEN KINGSLEY

Character Fall Thinking
I think the cinema you like has more to do with silence, and the theater you like has more to do with language.
BEN KINGSLEY

Cinema Silence Thinking
The many many imponderables come together when a film opens and for all sorts of reasons it may or may not succeed.
BEN KINGSLEY

May Pregnancy Together
Hamlet is an astonishing intelligence.
BEN KINGSLEY

Astonishing Hamlet Intelligence
Shock is shock. Your body goes into shock, regardless of it being real blood or fake blood. The mind sends powerful messages to all the various glands and secretions in the body. It’s impossible trying to act it; it just happens. It’s a very important question: no acting.
BEN KINGSLEY

Blood Powerful Real
My line-learning is very special. I like to learn the dialogue of the whole film before I arrive.
BEN KINGSLEY

Arrive Film Lines Special
We are adjusters. We empathize, we change rhythm and above all we listen to our fellow actors-if they’re good actors.
BEN KINGSLEY

Actor Change Rhythm
The biggest surprise in a man’s life is old age.
BEN KINGSLEY

Age Aging Men
I think that most actors, and they’re a very strange lot actors, very strange people, but I think that they attempt to keep in touch with the child.
BEN KINGSLEY

Children People Thinking
I just loved playing a man who was unafraid of making an idiot of himself in the process of falling in love. I found that admirable.
BEN KINGSLEY

Falling Idiot Love Men
There’s so much crap talked about acting.
BEN KINGSLEY

Acting Crap Talk
I’m convinced that had I not changed my name, I don’t think I would have had quite the same career curve that I eventually had.
BEN KINGSLEY

Curve Name Thinking

When I choose a role it’s either because I recognise the man, or that I’m very curious to know him. If I neither recognise nor know him, then it is better that I don’t play him.

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When I choose a role it’s either because I recognise the man, or that I’m very curious to know him. If I neither recognise nor know him, then it is better that I don’t play him.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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