Colm Meaney Quotes

Powerful Colm Meaney for Daily Growth

About Colm Meaney

Colm Meaney, born on May 30, 1953, in Dublin, Ireland, is an accomplished actor known for his versatile performances in film, television, and theatre. He started his career in the late 1970s, initially working as a stagehand and eventually transitioning to acting. His breakthrough role came in 1984 when he was cast as the lead in the BBC series "Reilly, Ace of Spies." Meaney's work in theatre is noteworthy. He has performed in numerous productions, including Shakespeare's "Hamlet," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Macbeth." His talent was recognized with a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 1986 Broadway production of "The Boys of Furlow." However, Meaney gained global recognition for his portrayal of Chief Miles O'Brien on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," roles that showcased his ability to balance humor and drama effectively. His contributions to the Star Trek franchise have earned him a devoted fanbase. Away from science fiction, Meaney has appeared in various films such as "Conair" (1997), "The Judge" (1997), "The Closer You Get" (2005), and "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012). He also lent his voice to the video game franchise "Resident Evil." Meaney's work ethic, versatility, and commitment to his craft have earned him respect within the industry. Quotes from Colm Meaney reflect his passion for acting: "I love acting because it's a chance to be somebody else, to step into another person's shoes... It's like being a voyager through time." His career spanning four decades is a testament to this dedication and versatility.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The hardest thing about acting is not to act."

This quote by Colm Meany emphasizes the challenge in maintaining a natural and authentic performance, even for experienced actors. The "hardest thing" refers to suppressing overt acting techniques and instead focusing on embodying the character as if it were one's own personality or experience. Essentially, it suggests that true acting lies not in performing exaggerated or artificial behaviors but rather in disappearing into the role, making the audience believe in the truthfulness of the performance.


"I have always found that the best way to prepare for a role is to live it."

Colm Meaney's quote emphasizes the importance of immersive preparation in acting. By "living" a role, Meaney suggests that actors should not only study their characters but also empathize with them, experiencing their feelings, thoughts, and actions as if they were real. This approach allows actors to deliver more authentic and compelling performances because they have a deeper understanding of the human experiences they are portraying.


"You can't be a good actor if you don't believe in what you're doing."

This quote by Colm Meaney emphasizes that authenticity is crucial for effective acting. It suggests that for an actor to deliver a compelling performance, they must genuinely believe in the actions, emotions, and motivations of their character. Without this conviction, the audience may perceive insincerity or disinterest, which can hinder the intended impact of the performance. A good actor's belief in what they are doing makes their portrayal more convincing, immersive, and relatable to the audience.


"There's something incredibly satisfying about bringing a character to life."

Colm Meaney's quote highlights the deep sense of fulfillment that actors experience when they successfully breathe life into a character. It suggests that the process of transforming a written role into a living, breathing entity is an immensely rewarding one for those who engage in it, as it allows them to create and share stories that resonate with audiences on an emotional level.


"I think the key to success in any field is persistence and determination."

Colm Meaney's quote underscores that persistence and determination are crucial elements for achieving success, regardless of the chosen field or profession. Persistence refers to the unwavering dedication to continue despite challenges or setbacks, while determination denotes a firm resolve to reach one's goals and overcome obstacles in pursuit of them. This quote highlights that the journey towards success is not always easy, but those who maintain their persistence and determination will eventually reach their objectives.


I played trombone for 10 minutes, and then I was in an accordion band in school for even less.

- Colm Meaney

School, Accordion, Even, Trombone

If you're playing the a historical character that's in the public consciousness, then obviously you've got to make an effort to look like that person and there's a huge amount of historical record there that you have to kind of comply to.

- Colm Meaney

Consciousness, Like, Amount, Comply

Well, I've always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys. So it never surprises me. And if it's good writing, you can find your way into the part well enough.

- Colm Meaney

Bad, Been, Part, Surprises

I love doing comedy. You don't get many good comedy scripts. They're rare. But, I do love playing comedy. Even in drama, I like to try to find the humor because I think it's very human.

- Colm Meaney

Love, Doing, Very, Scripts

I suppose I look for humor in most situations because it humanizes things; it makes a character much more three-dimensional if there's some kind of humor. Not necessarily laugh-out-loud type of stuff, just a sense that there is a humorous edge to things. I do like that.

- Colm Meaney

Some, Type, Necessarily, Humorous

Talking about the show reminds you of things that you went through. So it's fun. When the show was on, I couldn't have handled it. I didn't want that direct connection.

- Colm Meaney

Through, Direct Connection, Reminds

Even in the depths of dreadful situations, there's usually something rather comic, or something you can laugh about afterwards, at least. So, I do look for the comedy in those things.

- Colm Meaney

Comedy, Rather, Afterwards, Depths

Normally when I'm sent a script I'll read it through to see how it hangs as a story and then I'll go back and read it through again and look at the character.

- Colm Meaney

Through, Again, Read, Normally

My old manager of the Irish National Theatre said 'Don't worry about being a star, just worry about being a working actor. Just keep working.' I think that's really good advice.

- Colm Meaney

Advice, Irish, I Think, Working Actor

I kind of have an interest in all history. And I suspect it comes from being Irish - we like stories, we like telling stories, which makes a lot of us lean towards being writers or actors or directors.

- Colm Meaney

Stories, Telling, Which, Suspect

Which is good, in a way, because the danger in doing something like STAR TREK is that you end up in that pigeonhole and you're doing that the rest of your life.

- Colm Meaney

Rest, Doing, Which, Pigeonhole

I do probably 80 or 90 per cent of the cooking at home.

- Colm Meaney

Home, Cooking, Cent, Per

There's no reason not to be in television now. You get to live at home and you're not on the road all the time, they pay you decent money, and the writing's good. You're not compromising for it, you know.

- Colm Meaney

Reason, Television, Pay, No Reason

I usually look at things like that from an audience perspective first, then have a closer look at the specific character they're talking about me for.

- Colm Meaney

Audience, Like, About, Closer

Well, I've always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys.

- Colm Meaney

Bad, Always, Been, Bad Guys

A good comedy's very hard to make, so good comic writing I really enjoy.

- Colm Meaney

Writing, Comedy, Very, Comic

As an actor, I like to get a bit of momentum going with a character and kind of work a bit quicker. I mean, not crazy-fast, but, you know, five or six pages a day is a nice pace.

- Colm Meaney

Like, Going, Six, Quicker

As an actor, my background is in the theater and I feel that my strong suit is period work, but I actually didn't do much of it at all, until the last three or four years. I'm loving it!

- Colm Meaney

Strong, Last, Period, Strong Suit

It's interesting because I haven't done a lot of period work in the past, but I always wanted to because I'm interested in history.

- Colm Meaney

Work, Always, Period, In The Past

In the past I've worked with directors who saw very much their scene in their head and knew exactly how they were going to cut it.

- Colm Meaney

Going, Very, Cut, In The Past

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