Marlon Brando on Acting

“Acting is the expression of a neurotic impulse. It's a bum's life. Quitting acting, that's the sign of maturity.”

“Acting is the least mysterious of all crafts. Whenever we want something from somebody or when we want to hide something or pretend, we're acting. Most people do it all day long.”

“The close-up says everything, it's then that an actor's learned, rehearsed behavior becomes most obvious to an audience and chips away, unconsciously, at its experience of reality. In a close-up, the audience is only inches away, and your face becomes the stage.”

“If a studio offered to pay me as much to sweep the floor as it did to act, I'd sweep the floor]. There isn't anything that pays you as well as acting while you decide what the hell you're going to do with yourself. Who cares about the applause? Do I need applause to feel good about myself?”