Quotes by Olivia Williams

Olivia Williams

As an actor, you’re just taking temperature. I am anyway, all the time, and responding appropriately. I was again cast very last-minute for Rushmore and met Wes Anderson, this quite physically and socially awkward man who didn’t really talk to me much, a precocious and intelligent young boy. And Bill Murray. And we were sort of left in this bizarre hotel together and taken to strange locations around Houston. That was quite an isolating experience.

Boys

Intelligent

Taken

As I was getting into the helicopter, a slightly nervous actor said to me, “Whatever you do, don’t say to the helicopter pilot, ‘Show me what this baby can do.'” So I of course, got into it and said, “Show me what this baby can do.” And we just had this insane helicopter ride. It’s the sort of thing you only get to do on movie sets. I’m so lucky to have done it and have that chance.

Baby

Insane

Lucky

Carey Mulligan is completely self-possessed. She knows what she’s doing, and again, quite like the big-hitters I was talking about, my job was just to feel and reflect back the amazing performance coming my way. If anything, I was slightly pathetically flying in her tailwind. She’s an extraordinary actress.

Extraordinary

Flying

My Way

Ewan McGregor is a very genial and entertaining man, and Pierce Brosnan is possibly the nicest man in the world. Actually, it was quite a genial set The Ghost Writer, but the weather and the colors and the actual surroundings were oppressive. But it was a created atmosphere. What was so striking is that Roman Polanski had his crew from The Pianist, and we were shooting in Berlin, so there were German and Polish and French people, and I was just sort of enjoying being in this mix of people, all kind of rubbing along together. That felt good.

Atmosphere

Men

People

For me, selfishly, The Postman didn’t kill my career. It meant I didn’t shoot straight and painfully into the limelight, but Rushmore came out of it. No one would have known where I was to cast me in Rushmore had I not been in The Postman. Because they shared a producer. Nor would I have been in The Sixth Sense. Nor would I be speaking to you now if Kevin Costner hadn’t cast me in The Postman.

Postman

Producers

Sixth Sense

From a very young age, I wanted to get up on stage whenever I went to the theatre – the actors just seemed to be having so much fun. One of my worries about theatre, in fact, is that the actors are quite often having more fun than the audience.

Age

Fun

Worry

I didn’t know box office was a thing you could possess but I don’t have it. I go up for lovely roles and people with this nebulous thing called box office get them so there isn’t much I can do about that unless you know where I can get some box-office myself!

Lovely

Office

People

I had the best teacher in the business. Kevin Costner was my teacher. I was acting opposite him and he was directing me. The way he directed me, for which I am eternally grateful, is he would watch the scene back on the monitor, which is sort of considered unfashionable – you’re not meant to watch yourself. But he was like, “Come around. Watch this. See there, you’re doing a great reaction, but you’re doing it out of frame.” That was exactly what I needed. I learned how to act on film from him.

Acting

Grateful

Teacher

I have many debates now with friends on the changes, and the continuing confusion over bringing up your children, instilling values, letting them make the right choices.

Children

Choices

Confusion

I hope I never get in the situation where I refuse to audition, because I think people have a right to see you interpreting the character, and if you don’t do it the way they want you to, they have a right to say, “No.”

Character

People

Thinking

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Acting

Age

Art

Artist

Ass

Atmosphere

Baby

Beautiful

Believe

Boys

Car

Careers

Character

Children

Choices

Christmas

Confusion

Crazy

Dad

Dark

Drama

Dream

Enjoy

Extraordinary

Eye

Father

Flying

Fun

Ghost

Giving

Grateful

Husband

Important

Insane

Intelligent

Kids

Kind

Kissing

Lord

Lovely

Lucky

Men

Mines

Mom

Moments

My Family

My Way

Office

Parent

Passion

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Quotes by Olivia Williams

Olivia Williams

From a very young age, I wanted to get up on stage whenever I went to the theatre – the actors just seemed to be having so much fun. One of my worries about theatre, in fact, is that the actors are quite often having more fun than the audience.

I didn’t know box office was a thing you could possess but I don’t have it. I go up for lovely roles and people with this nebulous thing called box office get them so there isn’t much I can do about that unless you know where I can get some box-office myself!

I have many debates now with friends on the changes, and the continuing confusion over bringing up your children, instilling values, letting them make the right choices.

I hope I never get in the situation where I refuse to audition, because I think people have a right to see you interpreting the character, and if you don’t do it the way they want you to, they have a right to say, “No.”

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The Behaviour Diary

The Dating Diary

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