Ed Harris:
“Acting is a lifelong situation.”
(Arranged by Carmichael Phillips)
(Ed Harris)
“Acting is a lifelong situation…’til you drop dead.”
Ed Harris is one of the most successful character actors of his generation. He is an American actor, most recently known for his mysterious “Man in Black” character on HBO’s sci-fi western, Westworld.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Harris shared some of his perspectives on acting, based on his extensive career.
“First of all, acting is a lifelong situation. It’s a relentless focus and it’s a never-ending journey, ’til you drop dead.”
“I would just say, if this is something you’re pursuing as an actor… It’s one thing to learn about acting, it’s one thing to become a better actor, it’s another thing to want to be somebody, to want to be a star, or to get recognition…”
“If you want to be an actor or to learn about acting, that has nothing to do with Hollywood. That has nothing to do with the business. That has to do with you as a human being, pursuing something that you fucking care about.”
“And, if you get good enough, all that other stuff will take care of itself.”
“If you have to become an actor, you will. If you don’t have to do it, you won’t.”
Harris later added, simply:
“If you have to become an actor, you will. If you don’t have to do it, you won’t.”
Harris’ most famous work includes roles in films like A Beautiful Mind (2001), Glengarry Ross (1992) and Snowpiercer (2013). His performances in Truman Show (1998), Apollo 13 (1995), The Hours (2002) and Pollock (2000) were so critically acclaimed that they all earned him Academy Award nominations.
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