You can defeat fear through humor, through pain, through honesty, bravery, intuition, and through love in the truest sense.
John CassavetesI like to act in films, I like to shoot 'em, I like to direct 'em, I like to be around 'em. I like the feel of it and it's something I respect. It doesn't make any difference whether it's a crappy film or a good film. Anyone who can make a film, I already love. But I feel sorry if they don't put any thought in it because then they missed the boat.
John CassavetesPeople who are making films today are too concerned with mechanics - technical things instead of feeling.
John CassavetesThere's a difference between ad-libbing and improvising. And there's a difference between not knowing what to do and just saying something. Or making choices as an actor. As a writer also, as a person who's making a film, as a cameraman, everything is a choice. And it seems to me I don't really have to direct anyone or write down that somebody's getting drunk; all I have to do is say that there's a bottle there and put a bottle there and then they're going to get drunk.
John Cassavetes(Acting) is an extension of life. How you're capable of performing in your life, that's how you're capable of performing on screen.
John CassavetesDuring the actual filming, Iโm not really listening to dialogue. Iโm watching to see if the actors are communicating something and expressing something. Iโm just watching a conversation. Youโre not aware of exactly what people are saying. You are aware of what they are INTENDING and what kind of feeling is going on in that scene.
John Cassavetes