Elaine Stritch Quotes

These performers that go on about their technique and craft - oh, puleeze! How boring! I don't know what 'technique' means. But I do know what experience is.

- Elaine Stritch

Go, About, Means, Performers

I can't explain chemistry. I really can't. I haven't got a clue what it's all about. It just happens. It's like falling in love. You can't explain why you fall in love or explain why it's this particular person.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Chemistry, Explain, Clue

My biggest dream was to get out of Michigan - to discover life beyond the Sacred Heart Convent.

- Elaine Stritch

Discover, Beyond, Michigan, Biggest Dream

There will always be ladies who lunch. Always. And apparently they live a long time.

- Elaine Stritch

Lunch, Long Time, Always, Ladies

I compare Stephen Sondheim with humor, because humor is unanalyzable. You can't analyze humor. You just have to get through it.

- Elaine Stritch

Humor, Through, Compare, Sondheim

I don't want to see my family all the time, and they're delighted, I'm sure, to be aware of that.

- Elaine Stritch

Want, Aware, Sure, Delighted

I don't wear a wig. I'd feel terrible onstage with a wig. I hate to be so 'Actors Studio'-ish, but I like to feel it's me out there.

- Elaine Stritch

Feel, Like, Wear, Wig

I don't think I'm gonna die tomorrow or even two weeks from now, or even ever. I just don't know - who the hell knows what's gonna happen to them? Nobody! Isn't that comforting? Nobody has a clue. I like that we don't know. And I like that it's somebody else's decision, not mine.

- Elaine Stritch

Die, Comforting, Weeks, Two Weeks

If I see someone saying the rosary in the wings, I know they've got talent.

- Elaine Stritch

Wings, See, Someone, Rosary

I always say, 'If you can't give a reason for the banana peel being in the alley, then don't have the comic slide over it.' Do you understand what I mean? First explain how the banana peel got there quickly. And then there's a reason for all the comedy.

- Elaine Stritch

Reason, Over It, Explain, Slide

As a diabetic, I'm a walking picnic. I have to eat measured amounts of food at certain times.

- Elaine Stritch

Walking, Measured, Times, Diabetic

All of the writing on '30 Rock' is a joy to go into. It's pretty hot stuff.

- Elaine Stritch

Joy, Rock, Pretty, 30 Rock

I find it easier to abstain than do a little bit of anything. I'm not a 'little bit' kind of dame. I want it all, whatever I do.

- Elaine Stritch

Kind, Want, Abstain, Dame

I have not had any of that surgical stuff. I am too curious to find out exactly how I progress every day of my life naturally. That is what fascinates me.

- Elaine Stritch

My Life, Curious, Every Day, Fascinates

Fear is the base of what everybody does wrong in their lives.

- Elaine Stritch

Everybody, Lives, Does, Base

For me, going to London is like coming home. In fact, I've often entertained the idea of ending my days there.

- Elaine Stritch

London, Fact, Going, Entertained

Diabetes is a lousy, lousy disease.

- Elaine Stritch

Disease, Lousy, Diabetes

There were a lot of lyrics that I sang but didn't understand. But I had this facade in performance of looking like I wrote the book.

- Elaine Stritch

Book, Like, Wrote, Lyrics

There's something about it that makes sense, Lent. You give something up, and everything's more joyful.

- Elaine Stritch

Give, More, About, Lent

I don't have a great talent for explaining myself in acting because I can't explain it.

- Elaine Stritch

Explain, Great Talent, Explaining

There's something that really frightens me - and that's fear.

- Elaine Stritch

Me, Something, Really, Frighten

I like glasses so I can go out without my makeup. Just grab your coat and get your hat and go.

- Elaine Stritch

Makeup, Go, Like, Grab

Honestly, this is a big thing to say, but I don't think I've ever been bored. If I even get an inkling of it, I split.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, Big, Been, Bored

All you have to do is say, 'I'm going home,' and you're the most popular girl at the party.

- Elaine Stritch

Going Home, Going, Most, Party

I love Birmingham, Michigan. It's lovely - you know, it's very similar to the Hamptons.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Lovely, Very, Birmingham

When the hospital sends for me, when the ambulance comes and I ease my way out of the world, I'd rather be in Detroit, Michigan, than Lenox Hill.

- Elaine Stritch

Michigan, Ease, Rather, Detroit

Let me tell you about those convents. All that crap about extending the pinkie finger while sipping tea is a myth. Convent schools are breeding grounds for great broads and occasionally one-of-the-boys. Convent schools teach you to play against everything, which is what I'm still doing.

- Elaine Stritch

Play, Doing, Against, Sipping

You can't be funny unless you're tragic, and you can't be tragic unless you're funny.

- Elaine Stritch

Funny, You, Unless, Tragic

I loved being on Broadway, but performing has become exhausting, and I just don't want to live in New York anymore. I'm just sick of the competition in New York, the feeling that I always have to rehearse to keep up my performance. I don't feel like rehearsing, even though it should be my favorite thing in the world to do.

- Elaine Stritch

Competition, Feel, Broadway, Rehearsing

I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.

- Elaine Stritch

Better, Retiring, Even, Sugar

My movie career - if such a thing even exists - is laughable.

- Elaine Stritch

Career, Movie, Even, Such A Thing

When I'm playing comedy, it is such a crap shoot of what will work and what won't.

- Elaine Stritch

Comedy, Will, Crap, Shoot

The closer a part is to you, the harder it is to play. Anything else is just imitation. If I'm playing a Russian countess, I get the hat, the accent, the outrageousness. Easy. Playing a murderess? Perfect.

- Elaine Stritch

Play, Perfect, Russian, Accent

I smoked, I drank, I did all the kicking my heels up type things, but I went to Mass on Sunday.

- Elaine Stritch

Heels, Mass, Smoked, Drank

I love reviews. Anybody who tells you they don't read reviews is a liar.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Tells, I Love, Liar

I care about money, very much. I want it. I don't ever want to be without it. My mother once said about me, 'Elaine has to have money.'

- Elaine Stritch

Want, Very, About, I Care

Quite frankly I don't know how to be happy. I have not a clue.

- Elaine Stritch

Happy, How, Frankly, Quite Frankly

I am not influenced by other human beings. But I am inspired.

- Elaine Stritch

I Am, Other, Influenced, Beings

I love New York. I went to New York to become an actress, and I did it. And I won all the awards known to man. And I'm happy. And I came home. I came, I saw, I conquered. And it feels great.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, New, Actress, Awards

You never know what is happening to yourself when it is happening.

- Elaine Stritch

Yourself, Never, Know, Happening

I think the most interesting New Yorkers are the people who were not born here.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, New, Here, New Yorkers

New Yorkers stop me on the street all the time to say, 'You're terrific! You're the nuts!'

- Elaine Stritch

New, Stop, Terrific, New Yorkers

Isn't this fantastic, what a star I am?

- Elaine Stritch

I Am, Star, Am, Fantastic

When I want to do something badly enough, I do it, but there is a practical side of me that thinks I should be paid fairly.

- Elaine Stritch

Side, Practical, Badly, Paid

I mention I'm going home, and I'm a star immediately! This used to happen with my boyfriends - as soon as I'd say, 'I gotta go home now,' they fell in love.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Happen, Go Home, Mention

I tell the truth, and it has gotten me into a lot of trouble. My dad used to say to me, 'If you tell the truth all day long, you will end up in jail.'

- Elaine Stritch

Will, Gotten, Dad, Trouble

I'm a good acting partner for me... when I don't have anyone else, I do really well!

- Elaine Stritch

Good, Really, Good Acting, Partner

I think I have more humour in me than anger. But those two things are great bed-fellows, performance-wise.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, More, I Think, Humour

I'm a hotel baby, absolutely: it's hard to think of a hotel I haven't stayed in.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, Stayed, Absolutely, Hotel

Audiences are not strangers to me. They're the best friends I've got in my life.

- Elaine Stritch

Best, Me, My Life, Audiences

I love audiences. My God, the best friends in the world!

- Elaine Stritch

Love, World, I Love, Audiences

If I see a great performance on television, onstage, in the movies, I go to work the next day with a renewed energy and less fear. These great artists take me out of my life and make me want to go there.

- Elaine Stritch

My Life, Next, I See, Onstage

Fans recognize me all over the place. But the second you need anything, they're never around! They're like the police!

- Elaine Stritch

Need, Over, Like, Police

I think being boring is just the worst sin of all time.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, Boring, I Think, Sin

Talent is seductive.

- Elaine Stritch

Talent, Seductive

Why haven't I made more movies? Nobody asked me.

- Elaine Stritch

Movies, More, Made, Asked

I could have made a lot of money doing 'Golden Girls,' and I would have been good. But the image of it! And for me to work with Betty White every day would be like taking cyanide.

- Elaine Stritch

Doing, Image, Been, Golden

You cannot tell an audience a lie. They know it before you do; before it's out of your mouth, they know it's a lie.

- Elaine Stritch

Audience, Tell, Before, Mouth

I just serve others through entertaining. That's when I am happy.

- Elaine Stritch

I Am, Through, Entertaining, I Am Happy

You have to be very, very good looking to get ahead in motion pictures.

- Elaine Stritch

Motion, Ahead, Very, Pictures

Making clever speeches takes a lot of work and a lot of time.

- Elaine Stritch

Work, Making, Lot, Clever

I don't think there's any thrill in the world like doing work you're good at.

- Elaine Stritch

World, Doing, Think, Thrill

I think it's the wrong way around to say, 'When you get older move to the country.' I think when you get older you move to New York.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, New, Country, Wrong Way

I'm loaded with talent.

- Elaine Stritch

Talent, Loaded

I like being talked about. I think some people really don't... because they're secure enough and they don't need that.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, Some, I Think, Talked

There's certainly nothing lasting and definite about the theater.

- Elaine Stritch

Theater, Certainly, Definite, Lasting

I love holidays in New York. I love 'em. I want to celebrate something all the time, and New York has holidays for every day of the week, practically. I like holidays in New York City.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Week, New, New York City

Certain type of actresses get younger instead of older. I always say, 'Only ingenues age.'

- Elaine Stritch

Say, Always, Type, Younger

Talent is very dangerous. It alienates people.

- Elaine Stritch

Talent, People, Very, Dangerous

I like celebrities. I love people who are famous. Always have.

- Elaine Stritch

Love, Always, I Love, Celebrities

I don't have to go to a doctor and have my face changed. It terrifies me that women do that.

- Elaine Stritch

Me, Face, Go, Doctor

I think taking care of yourself, health-wise, in every way, is a 100 percent winner.

- Elaine Stritch

Yourself, Think, I Think, Winner

My idea of serenity - that wonderful word that everybody's trying to get into their life - is call-waiting.

- Elaine Stritch

Serenity, Idea, Everybody, Word

There are a lot of things I do that I don't want to, but I have to. It's truly an emotional need for me to perform.

- Elaine Stritch

Want, Need, Lot, Perform

Betty White is probably a very nice woman.

- Elaine Stritch

Woman, White, Very, Betty

What I want to understand is what I am talking about on the stage. What I don't want to understand is what the government is talking about when the government tells me about taxes.

- Elaine Stritch

Want, Understand, About, Taxes

I do believe in the infallibility of the Pope, because I think we have to believe in something.

- Elaine Stritch

Think, I Think, Pope, Infallibility

I don't want to see a movie twice. I don't want to do anything twice.

- Elaine Stritch

Want, See, Movie, Twice

Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.

- Elaine Stritch

Comedy, Easy, Hard, Dying

The people in New York - their humor is on a level that goes, uh, very deep, you know?

- Elaine Stritch

Deep, New, Very, Humor

I'm funny when I want to be. And I'm even funny when I don't want to be.

- Elaine Stritch

Want, Even, Funny

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