Bruno Tonioli Quotations

I'm a sucker for turquoise sea, white beaches and palm trees. I've been to the tropics every year since I could afford it. It's the perfect place to unwind. I can chill out, read, do a bit of yoga.

I love contemporary art, although I wouldn't want a pickled shark in my house.

My parents wanted me to work in a bank or as an accountant.

In reality, nobody gets successful in America by being lazy.

Dad was a bus driver, and when he finished work he would repair cars.

I am down-to-earth and not one of those starry, up-their-own-butt celebrities.

When it came to the stylish and graceful art of ballroom dancing, my dad was a king of the clubs, a prowling tiger and a wonderfully natural mover.

In America they like my spicy TV alter ego, probably because there were a lot of Italians and Hispanics in the country, but the real L.A. life is a hard-working one.

I look after myself. I train and go to the gym.

I started dancing before I could talk. Other babies learn to stand and then walk - I just danced.

When people feel threatened by you, they find something that is belittling.

I always sleep on my own. I can't sleep with somebody else. Always separate bedrooms, bathrooms and closets. I'm very individual and I want my own space.

I love reading. I'm very much into history, novels, biographies and I have a wide range of thrillers.

When I was 10, I knew there was something different about me. Everyone was football-mad, but I just wanted to watch musicals and see art.

When people speak their own language you get a much better sense of who they are.

Before a long-haul flight, buy yourself a cheap, big, comfortable pillow. It makes a huge difference.

I eat well, but I don't believe in diets.

I like to read about subjects unrelated to my work, especially history.

I'm with people all the time so I often go away on my own.

I've been in love with the cinema since childhood and it's a fantasy of mine to appear in a Hollywood movie.

If I had a place with a studio where I could paint I'd be happy.

It's horrible how money and fame can make you acceptable while, if you're not famous or rich, you're not acceptable.

Mum had a job fitting upholstery into cars, but, in the evenings, she worked as a seamstress.

When I visit a country, I like to experience local food.

I just like to take my time, have a cup of tea and read the paper. I don't like starting the day in a panic.

I'm not romantic at all. I'm a moaner. I should be on Grumpy Old Men. I'm terrible.

I think school is so important. I was good student. A rebel, but I did well in my studies. I don't close myself to anything. I liked reading and I still love learning. I loved history and German.

I've done everything. I've sung, done records, plays... It just so happened my first professional job was as a dancer. I've done the whole shebang, darling. But dancing was my first professional engagement in 1974. I got paid for it, so that was it, my vocation. But my parents weren't keen. They wanted me to be an accountant in Italy. Or a lawyer. They were furious. I had to run away. I had to leave the country.

A good show makes me happy. It's a great sensation. If you could capture a great atmosphere and do it every time, that would be amazing.

I think a lot of people have a vision of L.A. in which TV executives and movie directors plan their latest productions by the swimming pool.

I don't like myself. I'm not vain at all. I hate looking at myself - I always think I look ugly. Honest.

I think a lot of people have a vision of L.A. in which TV executives and movie directors plan their latest productions by the swimming pool.

Once I moved to London I thought it was unbeatable. I work a lot in L.A. and love it, but would never give up London. It's a true world city, with an energy that's unique.