Top Actors Describe What They Believe Makes a Good Actor

If you ask an acting coach, casting director or other entertainment industry professional what you need to become a great actor, you might hear a lot of the same things. Many will tell you that being an exceptional actor takes skills, dedication and experience. They’ll also let you know that being a professional actor requires sacrifice, a hint of natural talent and the mysterious “it” factor.

That being said, you might get a more holistic response when asking a fellow actor the same question. Rather than list skills or lifestyle choices, acting industry professionals will give you a different list of requirements, focusing on mindset, personality traits, the acting process, making bold choices and goal-setting for a successful acting career.

Although the required personal qualities or habits could fill countless books, here are some quotes from brilliant actors about what is needed to become a great actor.

Set a Clear Goal to Become a Great Actor

“Wanting to be a good actor is not good enough. You must want to be a great actor. You just have to have that.” — Gary Oldman

“The word ‘star’ doesn’t mean an awful lot to me. ‘Good actor’ and having the respect of one’s peers means more.” — Pierce Brosnan

“I didn’t come to Hollywood to drink or get high, and I don’t want to be considered a cool actor–I want to be a great actor.” — Tom Sizemore

Take Risks on Your Path to Becoming a Brilliant Actor

“To be a good actor, you have to be very smart. But to be a great actor, you also have to have a streak of, ‘I’m an idiot, a complete lunatic.’” — Lena Olin

“To be a good actor you have to be something like a criminal, to be willing to break the rules to strive for something new.” — Nicolas Cage

“I’m not a popular actor. I don’t necessarily want to be famous. I want to be known for great work. I want to be known to surprise audiences.” —
Idris Elba

Stay Open to Life and Observe Your Surroundings

“To be a good actor you have to feel life and observe life.” — Lane Garrison

“He who is incapable of feeling strong passions, of being shaken by anger, of living in every sense of the word, will never be a good actor.” — Sarah Bernhardt

“You know to me, being a good actor, the most important quality is you’ve got to love to play, and to just be open to anything.” — Peter Berg

“Enjoy the journey of life and not just the endgame.” — Benedict Cumberbatch

“I do take my work seriously and the way to do that is not to take yourself too seriously.”
— Alan Rickman

Be on the Lookout for Acting Opportunities

“Black or white good parts are hard to come by. A good actor with a good opportunity has a shot; without the opportunity it doesn’t matter how good you are.” — Denzel Washington

“When you’re an actor in grade school, high school, college, whatever, you start to realize what you’re really good at, what you’re kinda good at, what you’re okay at, and you start to compartmentalize. But if you know yourself and what you’re capable of, it’s just a matter of opportunity.” — Bryan Cranston

“I really, specifically, love acting, and I think it’s a really cool thing to be really indulgent and follow that. I have a lot of ambitions in life, but for the next few years, I just want to be an actor. That’s a lucky opportunity, and that drives me to want to be good at that.” — Kristin Stewart

“First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don’t come, I choose the ones that pay the rent.”
— Michael Caine

Keep Your Acting Career in Perspective

“There has got to be more to life than being a really, really, ridiculously good actor.” — Gary Busey

“If I spread myself too thin, I’m not a good actor, I’m not a good mother, and I’m just really high-strung–and everybody hates me.” — Katherine Heigl

“One thing I’ve learned is be comfortable in your skin, and more importantly, be comfortable in your shoes.” – Octavia Spencer

“There’s no blueprint for where I should be. I see myself as a young, good actor who still has a lot to learn. There’s nobody at any point in their career who is the finished article.” — Daniel Radcliffe

“Blythe Danner is somebody whose career I admire. She’s a great actress and does good work, but also has a life of her own. I love my job but, at the end of the day, I want to come home and watch a movie and drink a bottle of wine with my husband.” — Anna Faris

​“The struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose.” – Chadwick Boseman

“I’m not arrogant enough to look back on my career and criticize my choices. It’s really not my place.” — Matthew McConaughey

A Dose of Ego

“I think that there’s a certain delusional quality that all successful people have to have: You have to believe that something different than what has happened for the past 50 million years can happen. Being realistic is the most commonly travelled road to mediocrity. What’s the point of being realistic?” – Will Smith

“I’ve never been one of those actors who has touted myself as a fascinating human being. I had to decide early on whether I was to be an actor or a personality.” — Robert De Niro

“I had just arrived in New York from California. I was nineteen years old and excited beyond belief. I was an art student and an acting student and behaved as most young actors did–meaning that there was no such thing as a good actor, ’cause you yourself hadn’t shown up yet.” — Robert Redford

“A good actor must never be in love with anyone but himself.” — Jean Anouilh

“Acting for me is like a ping-pong game. That’s the secret of acting. When you have a really good actor, I always want to be as good as he is or she is.” — Sibel Kekilli

When it comes to brilliant actors, be it Denzel Washington, Michael Caine, Robert De Niro, Matthew McConaughey, or the late Alan Rickman, these types of people will describe what it takes to be a successful actor from an emotional perspective versus a technical one.

Excellent actors pull from their real life experiences, acting technique and human emotions, fusing them with the stories of the characters they portray to craft brilliant performances. These items are essential to the art form as well as lessons you can use in your everyday life.

What personal qualities or habits do you feel are critical for actors to have to become great actors?

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