I'm fully aware that if I were to change professions tomorrow, become an astronaut and be the first man to land on Mars, the headlines in the newspapers would read: `Mr. Darcy Lands on Mars. Colin Firth More Quotes by Colin Firth More Quotes From Colin Firth Bridget Jones is part of literary lore now and actually to be a part of it is enormously flattering. Colin Firth bridget-jones flattering Nothing brings you closer together than blind terror. Colin Firth terror blind together So, if you haven't picked up some tips during an apprenticeship like that, you shouldn't be directing. It doesn't mean you can do it, but it loads you up with information. Colin Firth apprenticeship information mean The great thing about dealing with people about whom we have historical resources, is that if the writing needs work, there's everywhere to go to enrich it. Colin Firth historical writing people If I were to write a book about the progress of getting to a third film, it would be a long one. Colin Firth writing long book It was mainly to do with Helen Hunt, to be honest. That's what drew my attention to it. I was interested in the fact that she was going to be directing. I'd never met her but she projects a degree of intelligence and it was convincing t me that she'd be able to handle this sort of material very well. Colin Firth degrees able attention Hollywood hasn't aggressively pursued me. Neither have I aggressively pursued Hollywood. Colin Firth pursued hollywood The failure so far of the governments of so many of the worlds most powerful countries in the face of such egregious unfairness ... to make the slightest progress on the issue of fair trade is hard to explain. Colin Firth government powerful country I feel more comfortable in drama. Comedy's is a high-wire act. I find it stressful. It's a precision science, in a way. And when you're filming, the thing comedy depends on becomes a much more difficult commodity. The thing you depend on is spontaneity. Colin Firth comedy spontaneity drama I have a great deal of respect for the craft, I don't know how much respect it has for me. But it's a precision process. Doing it on stage would be, I think, terrifying. Doing it on film has its own difficulties, because film is not conducive to spontaneity. You might have a run through and get a few chuckles at eight o'clock in the morning, but you don't keep laughing at the same thing all day long. Colin Firth running morning thinking To work effectively in a film, you have to repeat and work consistently. Basically, you shoot a big master then you do close-ups. You're supposed to be in the same moment, the same 30-second moment, for a day. Colin Firth film bigs moments No matter how much technique you draw on or how much training you have, acting is a mystery. Colin Firth training technique acting My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s. Colin Firth ministers grandmother common I haven't had to struggle very much. I haven't paid my dues. I think I have been lucky. Colin Firth lucky struggle thinking If you're playing someone who's impeded by fear, or shyness, or has whatever dysfunction your character might have, you have to achieve the dysfunction first, imaginatively, in order to play someone who is trying to negotiate their way out of it. Colin Firth dysfunction character order I'm not patient, and some things drive me crazy. In my work, I get incredibly upset when people don't get it right or don't respect others' needs. Colin Firth upset crazy people You have to be ill if you want to get better. Colin Firth get-better ill want Directors don't get to see other directors at work - they're the only one on the set. I've met directors who've asked me what another filmmaker is like. So, there's probably nobody better placed to make all the comparisons and to pick up stuff than an actor. Colin Firth actors stuff directors However good a communicator a director is, unless they've been actors, it's just not the same as the shorthand you get with someone who's been an actor. Colin Firth shorthand actors directors As much as the next person, I want to be approved of, but I'm not greedy for that stuff. Colin Firth next want stuff