All I can say is if the part doesn't delight me in some way, or I can't feel any compassion for it, I just can't do it.
Alan ArkinTwo-thirds of American movies are extensions of commercials -- they tell you how to feel and they tell you how to think -- rather than letting you figure it out on your own.
Alan ArkinA product is most easily sold when it has an identity. So they wrap you all up and put a label on you. And then that's what you have to be. But what I'm looking for is the opportunity to explore what I can do, probing the limits, learning.
Alan ArkinI had a hard time treating my field as if itโs horse racing, putting actors in competition against each other. I see how the industry and the studios feel itโs important, but I donโt really have a feeling for being in competition. I want to feel sympathetic and close to others, not opposed to them.
Alan Arkin