David Suchet Professions : Actor Born : May 2, 1946 Browse All Authors Top 41 quotes by David Suchet I can't try to convert anybody. It's not in me to do that. But my faith has given me such an appreciation of people and meaningful relationships, and a world view which I didn't have before. And although I will fail every day, it gives me something to aspire to. David Suchet views appreciation meaningful I love playing real people. It's a huge challenge and responsibility which I take on board and which I relish. It also scares me to death. Give me a totally fictional character and I don't have the same sort of responsibility. If, though, I play Sigmund Freud or Robert Maxwell or whoever then there is a responsibility. David Suchet real responsibility character A successful swindler has to be a great salesman even more than a great actor. David Suchet swindlers actors successful When I was 16, I made some little 35mm documentaries about the poor in London. I went round Notting Hill, which was a real slum in the 1950s, shooting film. David Suchet shooting real littles I think I've grown up in an era where character acting on film has become less desirable for the producers and directors and therefore the audience. They have got used to the people that those actors really are. David Suchet character people thinking I am very traditional as a man. I am not modern and never have been. I think I was born 50 years of age and out of my time. David Suchet men years thinking Deep inside, I am desperate to do comedy. David Suchet desperate deep-inside comedy In The Godfather, for instance, they say they won't deal drugs because they have a code of behaviour. He is the last remnants of that. So playing someone like that, who is also in pain with his kidney stone, means you're beginning to find a dimension of the guy who is king and all show and the private guy who is in pain. David Suchet pain kings mean My fun as an actor and my task as an actor is to transform myself to become other people. I enjoy becoming characters but I don't enjoy becoming caricatures. The research I do is only necessary in so far as we move into other dimensions. David Suchet fun character moving What we're doing is saying what happens with the establishment and how are we as ordinary human beings are used as pawns. What do we really know about what goes on! We think we are a democracy.... Are we? I'm not so sure. David Suchet democracy ordinary thinking I think its very dangerous, the idea of celebrity - you have to be constantly controversial to maintain the status of celebrity. Reality TV is the death of entertainment - its just mindless TV but popular because of its voyeuristic nature, and people are very voyeuristic. David Suchet reality ideas thinking I don't really want people to see me. I'm not into stardom. David Suchet stardom want people I love music, especially classical like Verdi; it's a great way to relax. David Suchet relax music-love way I'm never bored, never ever bored. If I've got a day off I'll sit in a cafe and watch and observe. I'm a great observer. David Suchet days-off bored watches In so many roles I've played the outsider. As an outsider, you have more energy to succeed simply because you are an outsider. There are scripts floating around but they're not coming my way and I think that I am getting a little bit too old to play Napoleon. But if I was ever offered the role I would grab it. David Suchet energy play thinking I love seeing my characters big up there and I would have liked to have reached a different public in movies from my television public. There's still a part of me that wishes that my character range could be seen on the big screen. Rather, as Rod Steiger was, because he was a big influence on me - about becoming other people and not worrying about your own glory or self esteem but sacrificing yourself to become somebody else. David Suchet sacrifice self-esteem character The great exception to that, of course, is Johnny Depp, who is absolutely the ultimate character actor. Johnny Depp is the future of the character actor and thanks to his success maybe we will see the return of an era when my sort of actor is back in vogue. It's not in vogue for me to be in Hollywood movies as lots of different people. David Suchet hollywood character people So, if I ever played Napoleon it would be with an Italian accent. He was an outsider, which also interests me. David Suchet outsiders italian would-be Napoleon was one of the most complex personalities in history.He was ruthless, small in stature, a bully, vulnerable, unfaithful and I think he was the first person to shoot prisoners of war so that he had food for his own army. He was absolutely single-minded but he also obviously had charm. How else could a man like him have come back as he did and have the nation rise to a man! David Suchet army men war As I say, there's something that scares the hell out of me but it really makes me work hard in losing myself. I'm not really interested in me as an actor or being a personality player, or a Hollywood star. What's given to me is to become different people and to find the truth of that. That is really what I do. David Suchet hard-work stars player Similar Authors Ian Mckellen actor Adhir Kalyan actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje actor Bert Lahr actor Alan Arkin actor Alan Alda actor All Authors
