I actually wanted to be a writer long before I wanted to be an actor. Simon Callow More Quotes by Simon Callow More Quotes From Simon Callow To enter a theatre for a performance is to be inducted into a magical space, to be ushered into the sacred arena of the imagination. Simon Callow theatre space imagination I am never bored, never short of anything to do and I don't even ever feel lonely. I am quite gregarious and I get out and about a lot, but sometimes it is just wonderful to be on your own. Simon Callow bored lonely sometimes Having caught a glimpse of what I might be able to do with my talent, I feel a tremendous obligation to try to fulfill it. Simon Callow glimpse trying might Everything that we have gone through, are going through, and will go through is there in Shakespeare. It is all of human life. Simon Callow human-life humans gone To live another person's life is quite a weird thing. Simon Callow weird-things persons life-is Childhood didn't have a big influence on me, really - in fact I spent most of it plotting how to escape. Simon Callow childhood influence facts I've come to this conclusion: What makes a great actor is great need. A huge need of acting. Simon Callow actors acting needs When the BBC decided to bring Doctor Who back as a feature film a few years ago, one national newspaper ran a poll to ask its readers who should be the new Doctor, and I topped it. Simon Callow doctors film years My mother wanted me to be a teacher. She had this vision of me walking across the quadrangle in an Oxford college wearing my academic gown. Simon Callow college mother teacher I'd like to direct more operas. Simon Callow opera direct I went to Queen's University Belfast and stayed nine months, then I ran away to be an actor. Simon Callow actors queens nine There is something essentially sanguine about me, which I am inclined to attribute to the fact that I was born by caesarean section. It must affect you. Simon Callow sanguine born facts I hated Sundays when I was growing up in Streatham, south London. Everything closed down and stopped. Simon Callow down-and growing-up sunday Increasingly I've come to think that what's at the core of acting is thinking. Most people would say it's feeling. Simon Callow feelings people thinking The elderly are all someone's flesh and blood and we cannot just shut them in a cupboard and hand over the responsibility for taking care of them to the state. Simon Callow elderly responsibility blood Many actors have protested about mobile phones going off in theatres, but the real menace now is people texting during a show. It may only disturb a few people around them, but for me, as an actor, when I spot them answering their emails, I am outraged. Simon Callow phones real people Jesus is absolutely at the centre of Western civilisation and part of my fascination with him is, why? What is it about this particular man and his story? Simon Callow fascination men jesus I would say critically of myself that I am somebody without secrets. Sometimes acting depends on you having a secret. I don't think I've ever had that. Simon Callow acting secret thinking I love storytelling and I love just relating directly to an audience. That's why we do theatre, it's because we love contact with the audience. We love the fact that the audience will change us. The way the audience responds makes us change our performance. Simon Callow theatre facts way You could say Shakespeare is so extraordinary precisely because he was so ordinary. He had all the usual anxieties and understandings of what it is to have children, lose children, get married, struggle to make a living and so on. Simon Callow anxiety struggle children
