John Gielgud Quotations

Olivier's was, to my mind, the definitive Macbeth. Olivier had murder in his heart the moment he came on the stage.

One mustn't allow acting to be like stockbroker -- you must not take it just as a means of earning a living, to go down every day to do a job of work. The big thing is to combine punctuality, efficiency, good nature, obedience, intelligence, and concentration with an unawareness of what is going to happen next, thus keeping yourself available for excitement.

One mustn't allow acting to be like stoc kbroker - you must not take it just as a means of earning a living, to go down every day to do a job of work. The big thing is to combine punctuality, efficiency, good nature, obedience, intelligence, and concentration with an unawareness of what is going to happen next, thus keeping yourself available for excitement.

I'm sure there isn't an after-life. If there were, Ivor Novello would have got a message to us.

I think the young actor who really wants to act will find a way ... to keep at it and seize every opportunity that comes along.

Most of my friends seem to be either dead, extremely deaf or living on the wrong side of Kent.

Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.

When I first went to America in 1928, there were spittoons everywhere. I remember avoiding spit as it flew past me in Times Square. Very unattractive.

You can be good in a good movie, you can be good in a bad movie, you can be bad in a bad movie, but never, ever, be bad in a good movie.

Being another character is more interesting than being yourself.

It is very hard to cast a number of plays adequately from the same company of actors without several parts being miscast.

Your English style will no doubt put all the other gentlemen to bed. I speak figuratively, of course.

Ingrid Bergman speaks five languages and can’t act in any of them.

I am all in favour of spontaneity, providing it is carefully planned and ruthlessly controlled.

I never accept lengthy film roles nowadays, because I am always so afraid I will die in the middle of shooting and cause such awful problems.

One's self-image is very important because if that's in good shape, then you can do anything, or practically anything.

Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.