Matthew Macfadyen Quotes

There's always a concern as an actor that you'll be boring unless your character is swinging from a chandelier.

As much as I long for a sort of security and consistency sometimes, I do enjoy sort of being busted around. I really don't know what's happening sometimes next week, let alone this year.

I love TV and I love making films and I love doing plays. I feel very lucky to be able to do all three.

I think people ought to do what they feel useful at the time. If I do things because I ought to do them, I switch off.

I wouldn't want to leave it so long before doing a play again, I get very stolid and sluggish if I do too much telly.

I don't feel like a romantic lead; I guess I feel more like a character actor.

The actor in me would always like to be more dashing, or slimmer, or have nicer hair.

Apart from earning an awful lot of money, why would you go to Hollywood?

You never know how films are going to do and it is daunting if I think about it.

My vanity is I'm terribly romantic! But being married is lovely.

I was quite a shy child. I would get terribly nervous and throw up before my birthday party. And then I would be fine. I feel the same now. I get nervous, then it's fine.

You'd never play Hamlet if you started worrying about who's played it before you.

I can't throw books away. My wife is always telling me to get rid of some.

It must be odd, being recognisable. I would hate to lose that anonymity. It happened for a while with 'Spooks.' No one notices me now.

I would hate not to do a play every couple of years. I think it's not me.

I'd auditioned for the National Youth Theatre and I didn't get a place and it was terrifying.

It's a real skill to be able to publicise yourself.

What's exciting is there's a curtain that divides the audience from this other world. You want to see behind.

Some British actors are snobby about telly, and I don't understand that.

People like to think that actors are terribly worried about ghosts of other actors in the parts they play. But you just have to get on with it.

It must be odd, being recognizable. I would hate to lose that anonymity.

I just loved the whole idea of being an actor.

I try to be fussy about the parts I play. I think that's quite prudent, it means you're stretching different muscles, and you're scaring yourself by doing something which is out of your comfort zone.

Actors have to remind people that they can do different things, not just the same style of one role.

No one will guide you in the right direction, in the end you have to learn for yourself. You have to grow up yourself.

I don't feel like a romantic lead I guess I feel more like a character actor.