Study, find all the good teachers and study with them, get involved in acting to act, not to be famous or for the money. Do plays. It's not worth it if you are just in it for the money. You have to love it.
Interpretation
Pursue your passion for acting for the love of the craft rather than for fame or financial gain.
Philip Seymour Hoffman's quote emphasizes the importance of passion and genuine interest in art, particularly in acting. He advocates for studying under skilled teachers and immersing oneself in the practice of acting, highlighting that the true value lies not in seeking fame or money, but in loving what you do and committing to the craft for its own sake.
In practice
This quote can be used as a motivational speech during a drama workshop.
I think I would have drank myself to death, literally, if I didn't just stop, once and for all when I did. I am not ever going to preach to anyone about drugs or drinking. But, for me, when they were around, I had no self control.
Well, in the theater, I think you're actually more responsible for what is going on onstage as a director than you are in film.
I've had to make the transition from sweeping in for 15 minutes, doing my stuff and clearing out, to carrying a movie for the duration - in a dress.
I had insecurities and fears like everybody does, and I got over it. But I was interested in the parts of me that struggled with those things.
I didn't have any idea that I would be able to have a career in film.
There’s a period of time in your life when I kind of look back, and I’m like, was I happy, or was I just not aware?
I consider music like a mirage in the desert. You're obsessed with the ideal piece of music, and the more you think you're getting closer, it's not there.
The important thing in writing is the capacity to astonish. Not shock - shock is a worn-out word - but astonish.
I view my hair and clothes as functional art.
The great fun in my life has been getting up every morning and rushing to the typewriter because some new idea has hit me.
To emphasize only the beautiful seems to me to be like a mathematical system that only concerns itself with positive numbers.
Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.
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