Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks
Albert Lawrence Brooksis an American actor, filmmaker and comedian. He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 1987's Broadcast News. His voice acting credits include Marlin in Finding Nemoand Finding Dory, and recurring guest voices for The Simpsons, including Russ Cargill in The Simpsons Movie. Additionally, he has directed, written, and starred in several comedy films, such as Modern Romance, Lost in America, and Defending Your Lifeand is the author of 2030: The Real Story of What...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth22 July 1947
CityBeverly Hills, CA
CountryUnited States of America
If you look at the best-seller list for American fiction, they're all sequels to detective stories or stories about hunting serial killers. That's what's called American fiction these days.
I guess 'The Player' was a pretty good L.A. movie. And 'Chinatown.' Was there ever a better L.A. movie about a certain period in L.A.? That was terrific.
Well, you know, with every character, if you're going to expose yourself, you've got to figure out every detail that you're going to play. So there's no character that you can just go put on his shirt and be fully prepared.
I don't think the goal is, 'How big a star did you ever become?' I think the goal is, 'Were you able to express yourself?'
You know, I became a director out of necessity. I was writing comedies, and I couldn't find anybody to deliver it correctly.
It's interesting when you're part of a group - the Jews, to be exact - that the world has had such problems with.
Movies are an expensive business.
You know, when cameras are rolling, improvisation doesn't feel natural. The pressure is too great. You're on a time schedule. You've got 60 crewmen.
Nobody will leave any place unless they're forced out. That's the nature of humans. Once you're there, you're there. I've never seen anybody get up voluntarily and leave any place.
I, sort of, got into comedy accidentally, and it got bigger than I wanted it to.
I've always been the king of silence. I've always been a minimalist comedian. I've taken my influence from Jack Benny, who was the king of that I've always done 'less is more.'
Acceptance is going to a restaurant where the salad's not great, but the steak is fine.
My friend Harry Nilsson used to say the definition of an artist was someone who rode way ahead of the herd and was sort of the lookout. Now you don't have to be that, to be an artist. You can be right smack-dab in the middle of the herd. If you are, you'll be the richest.
I've always been in the middle of making my own movies, so taking acting jobs that take me away from that has been impossible.