John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud OM CHwas an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. A member of the Terry family theatrical dynasty, he gained his first paid acting work as a junior member of his cousin Phyllis Neilson-Terry's company in 1922. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art he worked...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionActor
Date of Birth14 April 1904
came definitive heart moment
Olivier's was, to my mind, the definitive Macbeth. Olivier had murder in his heart the moment he came on the stage.
acting action allow available combine concentration earning good happen job keeping means thus
One mustn't allow acting to be like stockbroker -- you must not take it just as a means of earning a living, to go down every day to do a job of work. The big thing is to combine punctuality, efficiency, good nature, obedience, intelligence, and concentration with an unawareness of what is going to happen next, thus keeping yourself available for excitement.
jobs mean theatre
One mustn't allow acting to be like stoc kbroker - you must not take it just as a means of earning a living, to go down every day to do a job of work. The big thing is to combine punctuality, efficiency, good nature, obedience, intelligence, and concentration with an unawareness of what is going to happen next, thus keeping yourself available for excitement.
messages ifs
I'm sure there isn't an after-life. If there were, Ivor Novello would have got a message to us.
opportunity thinking actors
I think the young actor who really wants to act will find a way ... to keep at it and seize every opportunity that comes along.
luck sides deaf
Most of my friends seem to be either dead, extremely deaf or living on the wrong side of Kent.
bowling alleys stature
Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.
past america squares
When I first went to America in 1928, there were spittoons everywhere. I remember avoiding spit as it flew past me in Times Square. Very unattractive.
good-movie hollywood film
You can be good in a good movie, you can be good in a bad movie, you can be bad in a bad movie, but never, ever, be bad in a good movie.
being-yourself character interesting
Being another character is more interesting than being yourself.
play numbers theatre
It is very hard to cast a number of plays adequately from the same company of actors without several parts being miscast.
doubt style gentleman
Your English style will no doubt put all the other gentlemen to bed. I speak figuratively, of course.
language speak bergman
Ingrid Bergman speaks five languages and can’t act in any of them.
funny favour spontaneity
I am all in favour of spontaneity, providing it is carefully planned and ruthlessly controlled.