Anthony Hopkins
If I spent all my time criticising myself, I wouldn't be able to function. There are actors who theorise till the cows come home. I haven't the patience for them. It's maybe shallow, but that's why I'll never be part of the acting set.Collection: Patience
I hope I would not be so arrogant as to doubt anyone's religion or belief.Collection: Religion
The art of acting is not to act. Once you show them more, what you show them, in fact is bad acting.Collection: Art
Why love if losing hurts so much? I have no answers anymore; only the life I have lived. The pain now is part of the happiness then.Collection: Happiness
We are dying from overthinking. We are slowly killing ourselves by thinking about everything. Think. Think. Think. You can never trust the human mind anyway. It's a death trap.Collection: Death
I'm married. My wife, Stella - a beautiful woman. She's brought a lot of peace to my life, a lot of wisdom.Collection: Wisdom
My father wasn't a cruel man. And I loved him. But he was a pretty tough character. His own father was even tougher - one of those Victorians, hard as iron - but my dad was tough enough.Collection: Dad
Our existence is beyond our explanation, whether we believe in God or we have religion or we're atheist. Our existence is beyond our understanding. No one has an answer.Collection: Religion
We're all caught up in circumstances, and we're all good and evil. When you're really hungry, for instance, you'll do anything to survive. I think the most evil thing - well, maybe that's too strong - but certainly a very evil thing is judgment, the sin of ignorance.Collection: Good
I always had a knack for improvisation. I can write down the notes I play, but never really had a proper academic musical background. I suppose I'm blessed and cursed by the fact I have that freedom.Collection: Freedom
My life turned out to be beyond my greatest dreams.Collection: Dreams
I have no interest in Shakespeare and all that British nonsense... I just wanted to get famous and all the rest is hogwash.Collection: Famous
My father was grounded, a very meat-and-potatoes man. He was a baker.Collection: Dad
I've got a great sense of humor.Collection: Humor
Jonathan Demme is a very sharp editor of his movies.Collection: Movies
Years ago I met Richard Burton in Port Talbot, my home town, and afterwards he passed in his car with his wife, and I thought, 'I want to get out and become like him'. Not because of Wales, because I love Wales, but because I was so limited as a child at school and so bereft and lonely, and I thought becoming an actor would do that.Collection: Home
My philosophy is it's none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am, and I do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.Collection: Life
I come from - I came from Wales, and it's a strong, butch society. We were in the war and all that. People didn't waste time feeling sorry for themselves. You had to get on with it. So my credo is get on with it. I don't waste time being soft. I'm not cold, but I don't like being, wasting my time with - life's too short.Collection: Society
I came here in 1974 to do a play, and then I went to L.A. I really like living in America. I feel more at home here than anywhere else.Collection: Home
I think the healthy way to live is to make friends with the beast inside oneself, and that means not the beast but the shadow. The dark side of one's nature. Have fun with it and you know, is to accept everything about ourselves.Collection: Health
We all dream. We dream vividly, depending on our nature. Our existence is beyond our explanation, whether we believe in God or we have religion or we're atheist.Collection: Religion
My philosophy is: It's none of my business what people say of me and think of me.Collection: Business
I remember coming to New York in 1974 to do a play here called 'Equis.' And I remember the first morning getting up and walking around the streets, and I thought, 'I'm home.' I felt really at peace here.Collection: Morning
I'm one of the slowest drivers on the road. I mosey along. If you're doing anything too fast, including living life too fast, that creates sudden death. If I have to be somewhere on time, I make sure I leave early enough.Collection: Death
If you do things, whether it's acting or music or painting, do it without fear - that's my philosophy. Because nobody can arrest you and put you in jail if you paint badly, so there's nothing to lose.Collection: Fear
I love life because what more is there?Collection: Life
Well, everyone likes movies when they're a little kid.Collection: Movies
In the theatre, people talk. Talk, talk until the cows come home about journeys of discovery and about what Hazlitt thought of a line of Shakespeare. I can't stand it.Collection: Home
I've had no contact with my daughter for years. That's her choice. Anyway, you move on. If people don't want to bother with me, fine. You know, God bless them, and move on.Collection: God
Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.
Relish everything that's inside of you, the imperfections, the darkness, the richness and light and everything. And that makes for a full life.
I am a bit of a solitude person - a solitary personality. I like being on my own. I don't have any major friendships or relationships with people.
Beware the tyranny of the weak. They just suck you dry.
I'm a pretty tough guy, you know. I'm a pretty hard man. I've got a lot of compassion, but I don't waste time with people.
The magical, supernatural force that is with us every second is time. We can't even comprehend it. It's such an illusion, it's such a strange thing.
I do admire Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen, but I'm a philistine. I like the good life too much; I'm not good at going on stage night after night and on wet Wednesday afternoons.
I have a punishing workout regimen. Every day I do 3 minutes on a treadmill, then I lie down, drink a glass of vodka and smoke a cigarette.
I have dual citizenship; it just so happens I live in America. I would like to go back to Wales. I'm obsessed with my childhood, and at least three times a week dream I am back there.
I don't like freeloaders; I don't like people who are negative.
I am not very good with relationships. With anyone. I can't be locked up with anyone for too long.
For me, time is the greatest mystery of all. The fact is that we're dreaming all the time. That's what really gets me. We have a fathomless lake of unconsciousness just beneath our skulls.
I don't believe in nepotism. I don't much like the idea of parents who interfere.
My weak spot is laziness. Oh, I have a lot of weak spots: cookies, croissants.
I am able to play monsters well. I understand monsters. I understand madmen.
I know that the arts are important. I'm not denying that, but I can't associate myself with all the claptrap that goes on around it.
I couldn't say I ever dreamt of becoming a composer, a pianist, or anything else for that matter. I have the kind of brain where nothing is set in stone.
I learn poetry, learn text, and that really keeps you alive.
Richard Burton came from the same town as me, so I thought I'd follow my nose, and follow my luck. I think I've been very lucky.
I worked with Steven Spielberg on Amistad... he seemed so very secure in himself that he let me do things.
Acting is just a process of relaxation, actually. Knowing the text so well and trusting that the instinct and the subconscious mind, whatever you want to call it, is going to take over.