2,702 Quotes About Careers

It's possible to do both as a writer - to engage and have a family and all that good stuff - and I chose not to for the sake of the career.

Early on in my career, I'd go into the makeup trailer, and they'd spend an hour doing my makeup, and I would hate it. I'd go into the bathroom, wash it off and start over again, which took an enormous amount of time. So I just started doing it myself.

Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.

Much of the time, as an actor, you sit around waiting. Most of your life and career, you're waiting for your agent or your manager to call you.

I never really had a career, to be honest with you. I never in my life sat down and planned it. I have thought, 'Oh, I'd like to do this,' like anybody would. But I'm not the type that says, 'If I do this, it will lead to that.'

I get a phone call once every 18 months from some mad person who wants me to do something for less than no money and they give me about a week's notice. That's my film career, most of the time.

I'm relaxed about my career. I've been making movies for over 20 years, so I've earned at least the right to relax.

Mike Leigh taught me about making choices - as an actor, you choose between being honest and clever, and with Mike, it's always about being honest. I learned how to behave on a film set from Jim Broadbent. He was a great example of someone with a fantastic career who kept his feet on the ground.

I didn't want to get married. What I knew of most men was something I didn't want any part of. I just wanted to work on my career.