If I had done 'Titanic,' it would have made, probably, $200,000 - worldwide. So I think my life would have been very, very similar. Billy Crudup More Quotes by Billy Crudup More Quotes From Billy Crudup Being fired is something... You have to really want to be an actor after you go through something like that. Because the level of self-doubt and insecurity that creeps into your psyche is monumental. Billy Crudup insecurity All you really have when you're acting is the confidence and your ability to manage and tell a story by creating a character. Billy Crudup ability acting character When somebody on a professional scale says "you did it wrong," it has a pretty intense impact. If you don't have some kind of opposing force to say, "that's all right, that's their opinion," or, "I may have screwed that one up but I'll do better the next time," then you're screwed. Billy Crudup intense opinion kind When you get many opportunities early on, and you have people who have been working for a while counting on you, you have to at least pretend that you know what you're doing. So any actor that's pretending, you start to develop philosophies. Without years and years of experience, you kind of go with an attitude that you know what you're doing. And so I think right around that time, I was kind of at the peak of rigidly thinking that I knew how to work in film in a way that I wanted to. Cameron was extremely patient and generous with me. Billy Crudup opportunity attitude philosophy I never felt that I was typecast, but I was concerned about it. I certainly made an effort to take as many parts in theater and film that resisted that. If you only learn how to act a certain kind of role, it is very difficult to grow as an actor. Billy Crudup grow never you effort I've been really lucky; I've had the opportunity to play so many roles. I can't imagine a more fortunate career for an actor. I feel incredibly lucky. Billy Crudup feel lucky play opportunity There's exceptional work being done on television. Some of our great writers are writing for television. When you have things to choose from, you typically go after the writing - unless you're going after the money. There are fewer opportunities in film to make money with good writing, unless you're an action hero. Billy Crudup good money hero work I went to acting school, and there were twenty other actors in my class who were exceptional. It's hard for anybody to get work. When I was trying to get jobs, I felt a responsibility to be respectful of the opportunities and take challenging things that could be interesting both for me as an actor and for the audience. Billy Crudup me responsibility work school I live in New York City. I'm 5-foot-9 and wear Rockport shoes that make me 5-foot-91/2. They're not lifts - I deny that - but they do set off the airport metal detector. My hair is starting to gray a little. I have a gold tooth in the back. Billy Crudup city me shoes hair Acting is an expression of imagination. No firsthand knowledge is necessary. Billy Crudup acting imagination knowledge Everyone covering 'Stage Beauty' asks me: 'What's it like to wear a dress?' Billy Crudup dress wear me beauty The truth is I don't think actors should have to do anything but come in and act. I feel the film companies should pay for proper advertising to see that the movie will sell instead of putting it on our backs. Billy Crudup feel think truth-is truth I do the best I can when I'm accepting the role to say, 'This is about as much as I can do, and if that's not suitable for you, then you should hire somebody else.' Billy Crudup say best you i-can It's not that I don't want to be famous. It's just that I don't feel like the burden of responsibility on selling a film should be on the actors. Billy Crudup feel like responsibility want One of the difficulties you run into is that acting and celebrity are so closely intertwined. People make careers out of being charismatic personalities. It's one of those things that people have come to expect from actors. Personalities that don't change from role to role. I don't want it that way. Billy Crudup you change people way Los Angeles doesn't have as vital a theatre as New York does. And that's something that really interests me. Billy Crudup new me theatre new-york