You could say Shakespeare is so extraordinary precisely because he was so ordinary. He had all the usual anxieties and understandings of what it is to have children, lose children, get married, struggle to make a living and so on.
Simon CallowI've come to this conclusion: What makes a great actor is great need. A huge need of acting.
Simon CallowTo enter a theatre for a performance is to be inducted into a magical space, to be ushered into the sacred arena of the imagination.
Simon CallowMany actors have protested about mobile phones going off in theatres, but the real menace now is people texting during a show. It may only disturb a few people around them, but for me, as an actor, when I spot them answering their emails, I am outraged.
Simon Callow