Frank Langella Quotes

Powerful Frank Langella for Daily Growth

About Frank Langella

Frank Langella, born on January 2, 1938, in Bayonne, New Jersey, is an acclaimed American actor known for his versatile roles in theater, film, and television. Raised by a single mother, he developed a love for acting at an early age, performing in school plays. His professional acting career began in the mid-1960s on Broadway, where he made his debut in "A Doll's House." Langella's breakthrough role came in 1973 when he portrayed Richard Nixon in the stage play "The Glass Menagerie" and its film adaptation. This performance earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor. He gained further recognition for his roles in films such as "Dracula" (1979), "Fort Apache, The Bronx" (1981), and "The Firm" (1993). In 2007, Langella won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of President Richard Nixon in the film "Frost/Nixon." His other notable films include "Robot & Frank" (2012), "Lee Daniels' The Butler" (2013), and "The Legend of Tarzan" (2016). Langella has also made significant contributions to the theater world. He won his second Tony Award in 2005 for his role in "Frost/Nixon," and he also starred in Broadway productions of "Man and Boy," "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," and "A Delicate Balance." Throughout his career, Langella has demonstrated a remarkable ability to embody complex characters, earning him widespread respect and admiration. His quotes reflect his deep understanding of the human condition and his commitment to art: "The most difficult thing is to act natural, but when you achieve it, it's magic." And, "Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding yourself under odd circumstances." These words encapsulate Langella's approach to acting, which has captivated audiences for decades.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I don't believe in God, but I believe in the story of God."

The quote suggests a perspective that while the speaker personally does not hold a belief in a divine being or deity (God), they do recognize and appreciate the significance and power of religious stories or myths in shaping cultural, philosophical, and moral understandings. It implies an acknowledgment that these narratives have profound meaning and influence on society, even if their literal truth is questioned.


"Age isn't necessarily about how many years you've lived; it's more about what years have lived in you."

This quote by Frank Langella suggests that age is not merely a number indicating the length of one's life, but rather a reflection of the experiences, lessons, and personal growth accumulated over time. In essence, it implies that a person can be "old" in terms of wisdom, even if they have fewer years under their belt than someone else, and vice versa. The quote encourages us to view age not just as a physical state but also as a measure of the richness and depth of one's inner life and personal development.


"The only secret to success is believing in yourself."

This quote by Frank Langella highlights that self-belief is a crucial aspect of achieving success. It suggests that having faith in one's abilities, skills, and potential can lead to personal accomplishment. In essence, the quote underscores the importance of confidence as a powerful tool in overcoming challenges and realizing goals.


"Great acting is, I think, allowing the audience to see themselves, their own experience, reflected on stage."

Frank Langella's quote underscores the power of empathy in great acting. By portraying characters that resonate with audiences, actors create a mirror where viewers can recognize aspects of their own experiences or emotions. This shared connection deepens the audience's engagement and emotional investment in the performance, making it a more impactful and memorable experience.


"Life is a terrible master but it's an excellent teacher."

Frank Langella suggests that life, though challenging and difficult at times, provides valuable lessons essential for personal growth and understanding. In other words, we often learn more from our trials and mistakes than from easy successes, making life an effective educator in the broadest sense.


Each of us needs something - food, liquor, pot, whatever - to help us survive. Dracula needs blood.

- Frank Langella

Help, Survive, Needs, Pot

I just feel that no matter what comes in a career - and mine has been all over the map - you must stay at the table, pick up the cards you're dealt and play them.

- Frank Langella

Play, Over, Mine, Map

I grew up in a household where everybody lived at the top of his lungs.

- Frank Langella

Home, Everybody, His, Lungs

I'm hardly disinterested totally in my appearance.

- Frank Langella

Appearance, Hardly, Totally, Disinterested

I'm hardly a saint.

- Frank Langella

Saint, Hardly

And the test for any actor is whether you stay at the table or go away.

- Frank Langella

Actor, Away, Go Away, Table

What helped me most were my failures and slumps - when I couldn't get work, people weren't interested in me or had written me off.

- Frank Langella

Work, Failures, Had, Slump

There's a great deal of attention paid and books written about this change of life in a woman, and really very little written about a man's change of life.

- Frank Langella

Woman, Deal, Very, Great Deal

But when I was seven or eight, I did my first little piece of acting.

- Frank Langella

Seven, Piece, Did, Little Piece

I always signed autographs when I could and always stayed and chatted with them when I could.

- Frank Langella

Always, Could, Stayed, Autographs

It's interesting to fantasize having a man sink his teeth into your neck for sustenance, knowing that it isn't going to be terribly painful but rather very exciting.

- Frank Langella

Very, Fantasize, Having, Painful

Revelations come when you're in the thick of it, pitting yourself up against something larger than yourself.

- Frank Langella

Larger, Revelations, Pitting, Thick

I have always felt the basis of everything in life is sexual, and I will maintain that to my dying day.

- Frank Langella

Dying, Will, Always, Sexual

We do most of what we do out of our sexual energy and our sexual needs.

- Frank Langella

Needs, Most, Our, Sexual

Physical qualities don't really matter much.

- Frank Langella

Matter, Physical, Really, Qualities

Vampires are sexy to a woman perhaps because the fantasy is similar to that of the man on the white horse sweeping her off to paradise.

- Frank Langella

Woman, Fantasy, Similar, Sweeping

As a matter of fact, I rarely ever play myself.

- Frank Langella

Play, Fact, Ever, Rarely

If you're lucky as you get older, you respect the craft and it becomes a skill.

- Frank Langella

Lucky, Craft, Get, Skill

However, I don't by any means suggest that I'm always playing myself.

- Frank Langella

Always, However, Means, Suggest

The last few years have been pretty hectic.

- Frank Langella

Pretty, Been, Last, Few

But I firmly believe that you can't be emotionally free until you are emotionally committed.

- Frank Langella

Committed, Firmly, Until, Emotionally

I'm a firm believer in absolute honesty.

- Frank Langella

Honesty, Firm Believer, Firm, Believer

Then, for a hot three or four weeks I wanted to be a concert pianist.

- Frank Langella

Wanted, Weeks, Pianist, Four

One of the safest places to be in the world is the stage.

- Frank Langella

World, Places, Stage, Safest

But I think one of the reasons I tend to stay in the water most of the time is I distrust the comfort.

- Frank Langella

Think, Most, Tend, Distrust

I have a list a mile long of faults that sometimes bring me to my knees in self-hatred.

- Frank Langella

Sometimes, Knees, Mile, Faults

I watch actors destroy themselves by trying to get it right.

- Frank Langella

Trying, Watch, Themselves, Destroy

The only thing you have then to believe in is your craft.

- Frank Langella

Only, The Only Thing, Then, Craft

You start acting in spite of your neuroses, not because of them.

- Frank Langella

Start, Them, Your, Spite

The best kind of kinky sex is to have kinky sex with your wife or husband, the person you love.

- Frank Langella

Love, Wife, Kind, Sex

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