If you’re playing the character, you could say to yourself in 16 different ways, What if that didn’t bother me? What if I knew exactly what he was talking about? What if I didn’t get excited?
Meaning of the quote
This quote is about how an actor can imagine their character's thoughts and feelings in different ways. For example, the actor might ask themselves "What if I wasn't upset by that?" or "What if I completely understood what the other person was saying?" or "What if I didn't get excited about that?" By thinking about the character's perspective in many different ways, the actor can better understand and portray the character on stage or in a movie.
More quotes from Judd Hirsch
Some stage directions you just simply have to throw away.
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I don’t think anyone can really make up their mind and say, Now I’m going to be a director.
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People come along and impose their own stuff on plays, and it shows.
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If I’m not moved by what happens at the end of this play, then I’ve completely failed, and so has the play, and so has our production. And if that’s the case then there really isn’t any reason to want to do it.
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If you’re playing the character, you could say to yourself in 16 different ways, What if that didn’t bother me? What if I knew exactly what he was talking about? What if I didn’t get excited?
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