David Suchet Quotes

That’s the thing about film acting and television acting. You just release yourself and do what is true for the moment, and ignore everybody and everything and all the technical razzmatazz that goes on.

I was a typical teen growing up in the 1960s, when everybody was into gurus and meditation.

When you’re doing characters from famous novels, you have a responsibility as an actor to make it what the writer intended. And then you add and expand from there to create a three-dimensional performance.

What we’re doing is saying what happens with the establishment and how are we as ordinary human beings are used as pawns. What do we really know about what goes on! We think we are a democracy…. Are we? I’m not so sure.

A successful swindler has to be a great salesman even more than a great actor.

I’m three-quarters Russian, so I’ve always felt an outsider. But I don’t think you can be in a play with John Of Gaunt’s ‘This sceptred isle’ speech and not feel proud to be British.

I think it’s very dangerous, the idea of celebrity – you have to be constantly controversial to maintain the status of celebrity. Reality TV is the death of entertainment – it’s just mindless TV but popular because of its voyeuristic nature, and people are very voyeuristic.

I can’t try to convert anybody. It’s not in me to do that. But my faith has given me such an appreciation of people and meaningful relationships, and a world view which I didn’t have before. And although I will fail every day, it gives me something to aspire to.

I’m really into my photography and am trying to catch up with digital generation – I was used to the old 35mm cameras.

So, if I ever played Napoleon it would be with an Italian accent. He was an outsider, which also interests me.

I don’t really want people to see me. I’m not into stardom.

I think we have reached a level in society – with Helen Mirren playing The Queen – when we’re not surprised any more. We don’t mention names. Yes, it’s obvious by inference. But we don’t mention names and the film is not up to point fingers at Royalty.

When I was 16, I played Macbeth at school and my English teacher said, ‘I think you may have acting talent. Try to get into the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain and see where you get.’ I wouldn’t have thought of that at all. I wanted to be a surgeon, but I wasn’t a clever man.

I’ve always been short and stocky. So when I got into repertory theatre after graduation, I found myself doing character roles: because of my deep voice, shape and height, I was playing 40-year-old, 50-year-old roles at the age of 23.

Although I’m a very emotional man, I just can’t have blind faith; I have to find out for myself.

My fun as an actor and my task as an actor is to transform myself to become other people. I enjoy becoming characters but I don’t enjoy becoming caricatures. The research I do is only necessary in so far as we move into other dimensions.

I’m really not interested in showing me or playing me. My gift as an actor, given to me, is to be able to become other people.

I’m not an evangelist Christian at all. I can’t try to convert anybody. It’s not in me to do that. But my faith has given me such an appreciation of people and meaningful relationships, and a world view which I didn’t have before. And although I will fail every day, it gives me something to aspire to.

I love playing real people. It’s a huge challenge and responsibility which I take on board and which I relish. It also scares me to death. Give me a totally fictional character and I don’t have the same sort of responsibility. If, though, I play Sigmund Freud or Robert Maxwell or whoever then there is a responsibility.

I think its very dangerous, the idea of celebrity – you have to be constantly controversial to maintain the status of celebrity. Reality TV is the death of entertainment – its just mindless TV but popular because of its voyeuristic nature, and people are very voyeuristic.

Deep inside, I am desperate to do comedy.

I am very traditional as a man. I am not modern and never have been. I think I was born 50 years of age and out of my time.

I’d love to be remembered as a character actor who brought illumination to roles in wonderful plays and who delivered performances that made people think and rethink those roles.

I think I’ve grown up in an era where character acting on film has become less desirable for the producers and directors and therefore the audience. They have got used to the people that those actors really are.

When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an actor, I realised that a playwright has no voice without an actor. That’s my reason for acting: to get that character as right as possible for my writer. And I have never changed my philosophy.

It’s an honour to have such a wonderful international cast on board for this world famous murder mystery. Writer Stewart Harcourt has created an exquisite script. His attention to detail is impeccable.

I became fascinated by the fact that people write to give away rather than write to be read. It’s the difference between playwrights and novelists.

The joy of my career is I’ve been very blessed to be able to be an actor in major films, television, theater, and also British radio. In fact, my dream as an actor when I started out was to be able to work in all the media. Thankfully, that’s what I’m being given to do.

I would have liked to do more big movies. And the reason I say that is not because I want to be a star, but what I would have liked to have done is reached a different audience with my work.

I love music, especially classical like Verdi; it’s a great way to relax.

In so many roles I’ve played the outsider. As an outsider, you have more energy to succeed simply because you are an outsider. There are scripts floating around but they’re not coming my way and I think that I am getting a little bit too old to play Napoleon. But if I was ever offered the role I would grab it.

When I was 16, I made some little 35mm documentaries about the poor in London. I went round Notting Hill, which was a real slum in the 1950s, shooting film.

As I say, there’s something that scares the hell out of me but it really makes me work hard in losing myself. I’m not really interested in me as an actor or being a personality player, or a Hollywood star. What’s given to me is to become different people and to find the truth of that. That is really what I do.

I’m never bored, never ever bored. If I’ve got a day off I’ll sit in a cafe and watch and observe. I’m a great observer.

Inevitably, every part an actor plays contains some of himself.

I’m 64 years old, and I’ve been acting now for 42 years. Only recently have I thought to myself, ‘Hmmm, it may be interesting to start directing.’