A biography for Sterling Haydenhasn’t been written yet.
“I never liked the movie life. I was in it to raise enough money to buy my schooner.”
“I don't guess anybody likes the idea of being locked up.”
“I brag like hell when I'm confident of what I'm doing. Back when I was sailing ships for a living, I would take a schooner up to San Francisco - I had my master's certificate at 22 - and I would tell myself, 'There isn't a man in the world can do this better 'n I can.' And I meant it.”
“Bahamians are wonderful seamen.”
“I think my opinion of Hollywood must stem from my own, philosophy as a man.”
“In fact, there are only two things in this world that I'm crazy about, boats arid women.”
“Out of 35 pictures I made, 30 were ridiculous.”
“Tahiti has always been like a girl. She should be approached with caution, taking plenty of time and be enjoyed. Instead tourists with plenty of money are flinging themselves on the island and destroying the place.”
“I realize now that it is a serious business requiring honest, hard work. The first time Hollywood was served up to me on a silver platter. I've finally gotten rid of the platter.”
“I got stardom too easily. I didn't appreciate the breaks. But that's all behind me now.”
“Audiences may not realize it, but heroes and leading men always depend on their muscles to get out of jams. They don't have to slug a guy in the mouth to solve a problem, but it's always hinted that he can fight like the heavyweight champ if he has to.”
“As a child I was told if I was ever given ruled paper I should write across the lines. And that's what I've done, traveling the roads with the least traffic.”
“I work in pictures when I have to. In 1979 that was one day's work.”
“I started at the top and worked my way down.”
“Once I tried to do Jack London's 'Sea Wolf' as a picture. I wanted to film most of the scenes at sea but ran into opposition from those who wanted studio sets.”
“At heart, I'm not an actor, I'm an accident.”
“I don't remember even having spoken a piece in Sunday school.”
“You become trapped doing bad movies. And, the thing that makes it difficult to stop making them is that you get good money.”
“I felt reluctant accepting the very lucrative and easy life Hollywood had offered me. All of it planted a seed: If I could do something about the conditions of the world, I could probably justify my position as an actor.”
“I have no respect for acting where I'm concerned.”