"Independent film is film that has thought in it. There's no independent thought in studio films. It's collective thought. These things you get from Hollywood are no more than computer games, where you might as well have a little wired handset that you could blow up this truck if you want instead of that one, that would at least allow audience participation. With independent film, simply because they don't have the money to make a big-budget film, they're forced to make a story that's important to them, that they would like to see on film, a personal story that people can relate to, about people, where you can see the love of the characters."

(Seymour Joseph Cassel, attore; Detroit, 22 gennaio 1935 – Los Angeles, 7 aprile 2019)  

 

"The competition is incredible. The terrible thing about acting is that there are so many of us, there isn't enough work. And we're so emotionally insecure. That's why all actors are neurotic and crazy. God knows I am. You live in your emotions, and you overreact to things." 

(Sian Barbara Allen, nata Barbara Susan Pokrass, attrice; Reading, 12 luglio 1946 – Chapel Hill, 31 marzo 2025) 

 

"The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head."

(Terry Pratchett, nome completo Terence David John Pratchett, scrittore; Beaconsfield, 28 aprile 1948 – Broad Chalke, 12 marzo 2015) 

 

"Ballet is not a self-supporting art anywhere in the world. It has to be sponsored. A person like my ballet teacher, who was devoted to the art of ballet, of course would not have the ability to raise funds." 

(Guadalupe Martínez Desfassiaux Serrano, conosciuta come Lupe Serrano, prima ballerina dell'American Ballet Theatre dal 1953 al 1971; Santiago del Cile, 7 dicembre 1930 – Syosset, 16 gennaio 2023) 

 

"I've been incredibly lucky. I've worked in two iconic shows, 'Carry On' and EastEnders (1985). If it all ended tomorrow - and it could - I'd just be terribly grateful. I've been fortunate enough to do what I love and get paid for it."

(Barbara Windsor, all'anagrafe Barbara Ann Deeks, attrice; Shoreditch, 6 agosto 1937 – Londra, 10 dicembre 2020)

"I remember when I was first starting out in the late 50's, and everybody at that time said rock 'n roll was gonna die. I was 15 years old when I started, and I certainly didn't believe that was true. I thought anything that feels this good and makes me want to tap my foot like this can't be a passing fad like everybody says. Of course, they were wrong, and here we are in the 90's and it's alive and well, and getting programmed all over the country, and really all over the world. So it's been a great journey."

(Bobby Vee nome d'arte di Robert Thomas Velline, cantante; Fargo, 30 aprile 1943 – Rogers, 24 ottobre 2016)

 

"That script was the size of a telephone book, but I knew I had to be part of it. Later, when I learned the script would not be cut and that there would no out-of- town tryouts, I fought to get out of it. Fortunately, I didn't." a proposito del suo grande successo a teatro in "Chi ha paura di Virginia Woolf?"

(Arthur Edward Spence Hill, attore; Melfort, 1º agosto 1922 – Los Angeles, 22 ottobre 2006)

 

"Unlike the studio days, where [directors were] under contract, there's no vested interest in filmmakers today, so it's one picture at a time. Nobody cares about the longevity of a director's career today. What they care about is making a successful movie. Consequently, if somebody does something that's successful, they then throw a lot of money and opportunity at them to try and duplicate it. You get into a situation where people are in a sense trying to duplicate what they did well, but usually to diminishing returns."

(Curtis Lee Hanson, regista, sceneggiatore e produttore cinematografico; Reno, 24 marzo 1945 – Los Angeles, 20 settembre 2016)

"Per sfortuna o per fortuna io non ho amato mai la scuola. I maestri forniscono un modello che uno imita. Io ho imparato sempre guardando le persone che dicono la verità. Loro possono aiutarmi. Questa è la mia idea di teatro: non si deve recitare, si deve essere. Si deve fare un lavoro, delle ricerche. Allora un attore può creare un personaggio, non recitarlo. C'è molta differenza fra una persona che recita e una persona che non recita ma parla semplicemente. Quando una persona in teatro dice la verità, il popolo - il pubblico - la segue. E questo facevano anche gli antichi greci, assistevano allo spettacolo e la gente percepiva il messaggio del testo. I maestri, i maestri… i maestri possono fare solo del male non del bene perché hanno una opinione già precisa, hanno una maniera già precisa. Io credo che una scuola - alle persone che vogliono conoscere la verità - dovrebbe mettere in mano le chiavi per schiuderne la porta e non spiegare come è secondo loro. A me, se mi dicono come devo parlare, è finita. Molti registi dicono: «tu devi dire una battuta come la dico io». Non posso: l'attrice sono io, non sono loro."

(Irene Papas, pseudonimo di Irene Lelekou, attrice; Chiliomodi, 3 settembre 1926 – Chiliomodi, 14 settembre 2022)

Joe E. Tata, nome completo Joseph Evan Tata, attore famoso per il personaggio di Nat Bussichio proprietario del Peach Pit nella serie tv Beverly Hills 90210  (Pittsburgh, 13 settembre 1936 – Los Angeles, 24 agosto 2022)

 

"It’s funny about career choices. I had to fight to test for the Janet Leigh role in Walking My Baby Back Home. Janet couldn’t dance at the time and I could—but she was a bigger name. I also fought to get the role Piper Laurie had in Son of Ali Baba. Luckily, I lost that one. The one I didn’t want to do was Revenge of the Creature. Science-Fiction was considered bottom of the barrel in those days. Of course, that’s the picture I am most remembered for. It’s very ironic!"

(Lori Nelson, pseudonimo di Dixie Kay Nelson, modella e attrice; Santa Fe, 15 agosto 1933 – Los Angeles, 23 agosto 2020)

 

" Quel film per la fatica delle scene è stato come fare il militare per dav­vero." a proposito di La grande guerra (1959), di M. Monicelli.

(Tiberio Murgia, attore; Oristano, 5 febbraio 1929 – Tolfa, 20 agosto 2010)

 

Acquanetta, soprannominata The Venezuelan Volcano, nome d'arte di Mildred Davenport, attrice spacciata per "latina esotica" che in realtà era del Wyoming e figlia di un bianco e di una indiana arapaho (Newberry, 17 luglio 1921 – Ahwatukee, 16 agosto 2004)

 

"I'm not a country singer per se. I'm a country boy who sings."

 (Glen Campbell, cantante, musicista, attore; Billstown, 22 aprile 1936 – Nashville, 8 agosto 2017)

 

"That has been one of the best, most rewarding things about being an actor -- traveling throughout the world, meeting all kinds of different people and learning about other cultures."

 (Michael George Ansara, attore; Siria, 15 aprile 1922 – Calabasas, 31 luglio 2013)

 

"I was taught never to compromise: to never sing a cheap song. I never look down at the audience and think that they are ignorant or think that I'm more intelligent than they are. To think otherwise is totally incorrect and runs contrary to everything I was raised to believe."

 (Tony Bennett, pseudonimo di Anthony Dominick Benedetto, crooner; New York, 3 agosto 1926 – New York, 21 luglio 2023)

 

"Don't ever humiliate a man. If you're gonna have to dress him out, you take him aside and do it that way. That's the one thing I don't like about Hollywood: They go in for public humiliation. You shouldn't do that to a man."

 (Rip Torn, all'anagrafe Elmore Rual Torn Jr., attore e regista; Temple, 6 febbraio 1931 – Lakeville, 9 luglio 2019)

 

"I always took up with the man of the moment . . . and there were many such moments."

 (Evelyn Keyes, attrice; Port Arthur, 20 novembre 1916 – Montecito, 4 luglio 2008)

"La cinematografia è un tipo di scrittura che va coltivata con una certa irruenza: un film commerciale non è un peccato, importante è vivere certi momenti, accorgersi di tutto." da un'intervista del '73.

 (Mario Alberto Lattuada, regista, sceneggiatore, attore, produttore e critico cinematografico; Vaprio d'Adda, 14 novembre 1914 – Orvieto, 3 luglio 2005)

 

"People think you have to go through a lot of changes to become a soul singer, You just have to go through life."

 (Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack, cantautore e chitarrista; Cleveland, 4 marzo 1944 – Tarzana, 27 giugno 2014)