At 13, I was a big, totally uncoordinated, hopeless football player. I responded to somebody elses rules, and I stayed just good enough to get a scholarship to Columbia, which was looking for scholar-athletes. Brian Dennehy More Quotes by Brian Dennehy More Quotes From Brian Dennehy I come from an Irish Catholic family, and hell-raising is part of the DNA. Brian Dennehy hell-raising catholic dna My grandfather was a really, really tough no-nonsense factory worker who emigrated from Ireland in about 1900 to Bridgeport, Conn. He had a big effect on me. Those guys who took a great leap out into what they knew not were the ones who were the real stars, the real heroes. Brian Dennehy stars real hero From 1965 to 1974, I served the best possible apprenticeship for an actor. I learned firsthand how a truck driver lives, what a bartender does, how a salesman thinks. I had to make a life inside those jobs, not just pretend. Brian Dennehy doe jobs thinking Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that morality is not just a matter of opinion. Brian Dennehy morality matter believe I idolize Gene Hackman. He is not a natural star, not an incandescent personality like Jack Nicholson, but he makes luminous the problems of being an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation. Brian Dennehy problems man situation personality As the stars make more and more money - one person gets $12 million, $14 million, $15 million, $20 million - everyone else is expected to work for peanuts. And that includes some extraordinary actors who are, today, working for peanuts because the production companies have decided they don't need to pay these people, and they don't. Brian Dennehy money stars work today I like sports. I'm a big football fan. When I was a kid, I was a... I don't even know how to describe it... I was an obsessed Brooklyn Dodgers fan. And I think when they left Brooklyn, which was simultaneous with me starting college, everything changed, and I haven't had the same passion for sports. Brian Dennehy me passion football sports When you think about it, what's the difference between Bobby Knight and Vince Lombardi? Why is one guy a god, and the other guy is regarded as a crazy man? Brian Dennehy you man crazy god I've got two artificial knees, I have an artificial shoulder, and I'm reasonably healthy given the damage I've done to myself. Everything hurts. Brian Dennehy hurts everything myself done My problem is, if any place I'm sleeping catches on fire, I've got a problem because it takes me 20 minutes to get everything moving in the morning. Brian Dennehy place me fire morning If I could transform my stage life to the movies, I'd be Jack Nicholson. Brian Dennehy movies if-i-could stage life I was in high school in 1953 when the Committee of One Million circulated a petition urging that Red China - one third of the world's population - be excluded from the United Nations. And I remember I refused to sign it, at 14 or 15 years old. Brian Dennehy red remember world school I'm not one of these people who likes to do as little as possible. I really do feel the hot breath of time on the back of my neck these days. And there are certain things I want to do before my time is up. Brian Dennehy feel hot time people I'm not in the movie business anymore, and hardly any 70 year olds are. I always ask the producers: 'Are there no 70-year old vampires?' Apparently there are not - or even zombies for that matter. I guess they all get eaten. Brian Dennehy year always business matter It took a long time for me to have any impact in the business because I didn't look like an actor, I didn't sound like an actor. Brian Dennehy me business time long I lied about serving in Vietnam, and I'm sorry. I did not mean to take away from the actions and the sacrifices of the ones who did really serve there... I did steal valor. That was very wrong of me. There is no real excuse for that. Brian Dennehy wrong me real sorry My father was a classic intellectual. From him I learned devotion, and I also learned about the life of the mind. Brian Dennehy devotion mind life father I remember playing John Wayne Gacy, serial killer, very sick, neurotic, screwed-up guy. You know what? There's a part of me there, too, and you explore that. Brian Dennehy me you sick remember You know, you get to a certain age, 45, 50, I don't know when it happens, I said, 'Jesus, all I got is a certain amount of time. Maybe I should think about using it a little better.' Brian Dennehy think you age time If you're sixty-something, pushing 70, the chances of you getting a tremendously fascinating part in the movies are very low, as to be almost negligible, or even in television. But in the theatre, there are still things to do, very interesting, very profound things. Brian Dennehy movies you theatre television
