You can't play history and you can't play historical characters. You just have to reduce it to the ordinary. Lorraine Toussaint More Quotes by Lorraine Toussaint More Quotes From Lorraine Toussaint When you eliminate vanity from an art form, and I would think that this would be any art form, what is left is an opportunity to be incredibly naked and truthful. Lorraine Toussaint opportunity art thinking We all have a dark side. Most of us go through life avoiding direct confrontation with that aspect of ourselves, which I call the shadow self. Theres a reason why. It carries a great deal of energy. Lorraine Toussaint shadow self dark I grew up a middle class, colonized child of teachers, and librarians and people, women especially, who treasured education. Lorraine Toussaint class teacher children As an actor, I usually have to find something to love about my character in order to play her. Lorraine Toussaint play character order As a modern woman, there are things I take for granted, and that shows up in the way I sit, the way I walk, the way I think, and what I know to be possible. Lorraine Toussaint modern-woman way thinking Pretend and real are all real to a psychopath. Lorraine Toussaint psychopath real I am so proud of Amelia Boynton. I can burst with pride. Lorraine Toussaint amelia proud pride We actors are superstitious creatures. We do all the homework and we put all of the components together, but there's always one key aspect that we're not in charge of, really, and that's magic. You are always on the lookout for where and how that magic is going to ignite. When you have worked as much as I have and have sought it out as often as I do, you get very clear that it will come at very, very odd, unexpected moments. Lorraine Toussaint magic keys together The light and the dark are the same. They share. They really do rub up against each other, and they are extraordinarily familiar with each other. They are actually friends. Lorraine Toussaint light share dark So many young people feel powerless. We live in a world where it feels like it's so big and yet so small, and that your contribution really doesn't matter. Lorraine Toussaint matter people world I love characters that are very layered and complex. It's more exciting and different than any simple role- plus, I love a good challenge. Lorraine Toussaint simple challenges character Being a mom myself and it being a huge and important part of who I am, made it easier for me to play the role of a strong, fierce, giving mom... Lorraine Toussaint who-i-am mom strong When stepping into the mind of a psychopath, you realize that there is something missing in their brain that they do not understand the consequences of their actions- in a sense. Lorraine Toussaint missing mind brain Initially I started in theatre as a Shakespearean actress before film and television. I've always been an artistic child growing up and I knew I wanted to act for as long as I can remember. Lorraine Toussaint growing-up long children It is the ordinariness of us that is the same in all of us. Lorraine Toussaint ordinariness The ordinary is ultimately what moves us most deeply. It's what touches us, and it's what we most recognize, in great moments of art. Lorraine Toussaint ordinary art moving A lot of our young people are sleep-walking, dreaming that they're awake, and lots of aspects of society initially go about keeping it so. Lorraine Toussaint dream sleep people When you're playing a real character, you want to honor that person and receive inspiration from that person. They need to anoint you in some way that allows you to borrow just a small piece of their soul. That is the flame. Lorraine Toussaint inspiration real character I've sort of prided myself on playing characters with conscience. The first way I go about creating a character is looking at that area of conscience. What have they done, and what has it cost. Lorraine Toussaint creating cost character Once I'm on set, the only thing I'm really interested in is being in the room. Being present. And trusting that what I've done is sufficient, and I'm also trusting that I've also left room for magic. Lorraine Toussaint present being magic done
