Eli Wallach Quotes

I'd come out of the army after five years as a medic. I was a medical administrator and we ran hospitals, and I was a Captain in the army at the end, in 1945.

The big secret in acting is listening to people.

When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.

If you work for a living, why do you kill yourself working?

Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you've got a pretty neck.

Well, I've maybe gotten 200 requests for interviews about Marilyn, and I just decided I'm gonna do my own.

I don't act to live. I live to act.

I've learned that life is very tricky business: Each person needs to find what they want to do in life and not be dissuaded when people question them.

Recipe? Recipe? We don' need no stinkin' recipe.

My first Western was called The Magnificent Seven.

But Clint I love, because Clint was my mentor. I knew nothing about making an Italian movie.

I always end up being the evil one, and I wouldn't hurt a fly.

In the book, I tell the story of seeing old movies when I was young and acting out scenes at home. Now I get scripts, and I act them out.

One thing changes every evening: It's the audience, and I'm working my magic. I'm always learning from it.

John Huston was a superb master. He knew how to make good films. I did three things with him. One is called Independence. It plays in Philadelphia, for free. It's been playing there for 25 years.

So I wanted to show what I did with the money. So I got red silk shirts, beautiful hats, wonderful saddles, a great horse, and two gold teeth. So that was the way I did it.

The richest man is the one with the most powerful friends.

I've never lost my appetite for acting; it's innovative and challenging.

I've worked with wonderful actors like Marlon Brando and Henry Fonda.

And that movie was underrated - Nuts - because it deals with a terrible subject, but It's very well done.

I never dreamed I would do Westerns.

But I went to the University of Texas in the 30s, and while there I learned to ride. Mostly polo ponies.

And I did Batman, too. I did Mr. Freeze. I get more mail for him than anything I've ever done.

Even if I don't want to slow down, I'm slowing down.

From the age of four or five. I went to see a lot of Westerns then. But it was silent movies and I loved everything that happened then.

What is it in my makeup that makes me grab any offer and fly around the world? Will I ever be satisfied? Can't I ever just rest?

I love to tell stories and this is my way of getting them down on paper.

I always wanted to tell stories and act.

Fifty million dollars is not to be sneezed at. Of course, I never catch cold.

I was an original member of the Actors' Studio.

Everyone thinks acting is easy. It's far from easy, but it's the most gratifying thing I do.

All of these stories bounced around in my mind for a long time.

Having the critics praise you is like having the hangman say you’ve got a pretty neck