Rachel Weisz: If the woman is a bitch, and a sexy bitch, is there a way of finding humanity in that character?
Mike Myers: The idea that they’re the hero of their own story.
Rachel Weisz: Everyone walking around the planet is the hero of their own story.
Mike Myers: And they can justify to themselves every action [...]

Therapy can help more than acting class
“I’ve been going to therapy since I was twenty one. I think the more you know about your own psyche, the more you can know about other people’s, and can play them better.” Jennifer Jason Leigh ["Inside the Actors Studio" interview]
Many other talented actors have used therapy to explore [...]

Daniel Dae Kim – avoiding stereotypes
Daniel Dae Kim [photo from “Lost”] says that when he looks at a character to play, “I don’t necessarily look for his heroic qualities or his negative qualities. I am very aware of playing stereotypes and trying to stay away from those.
“But I think that wanting to play a hero [...]

Harry Dean Stanton – compelling authenticity
“I play myself all the time… on camera and off. What else can I do?”
Harry Dean Stanton [photo and quote from the HBO.com section for “Big Love”]
Nicolas Cage thinks “Harry Dean exudes a spiritual awareness that’s steeped in deep sadness, and it’s so compelling to watch on film. He’s a [...]

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”) noted recently how much of an impact acting can have on an actor: “It’s sort of a weird profession.. in that it manipulates your emotions. When you’re crying, you’re really crying. You’re not crying about anything you care about, but you still have the cry inside you, that feeling [...]