Jason Robards

“Actors usually have a lot in common with kids.”

“'Iceman' covers a bigger scope than 'Long Day's Journey.' But they're both fabulous pieces of work. 'Iceman' is like a symphony. It's got all the movements, all these different voices. 'Long Day's Journey' is more like a beautiful string quartet.”

“I have six children, and we neglect our older ones more. Because we were so busy trying to make a living, we just say hello and goodbye... I'm sure those things stick with you.”

“That's what interests me about film: directing.”

“My father has the most tremendous personality and wonderful looks - he looks like Fredric March.”

“I sort of go with the flow of what's happening on the set.”

“I finally realize that I have earned my happiness and what little success I have. And I'm not guilty about it any more. It just happened one day. It just came out.”

“Theater is about life, not about television or movies.”

“I used to just do movies for alimony purposes, between plays.”

“An actor doesn't change thought, theme, or mood unless the character does, and the character only does it within the words of the play.”

“I did a lot of violent junk just because I needed the money - alimony movies, you might call them - and then I decided to start turning down the junk scripts and wait for something better, no matter how long.”

“Once you're on, nobody can say, 'Cut it.' You're out there on your own, and there's always that thrill of a real live audience.”

“I always wanted to act. To be with my friends. To share something with the audience about the human condition.”

“I've played all kinds of TV roles, from cowboys to fathers of teenagers. It's helped me a lot. Of course, I was very lucky to have had good directors.”

“It doesn't do to eat too much before a performance.”

“We grow each day or don't grow. Go the other way. We're a different person all the time. The human being is something happening differently every day. That's the challenge of doing a play: using your instrument to learn and to pull out these things.”

“The theater has kept me alive, and it's allowed me to work at my craft.”