Top 35 F. Murray Abraham Quotes

I love parties. I love a good time.

I’m first-generation American – my people came over on boats – and I think it’s a shame to close the door on people who really need freedom.

I think creativity is spiritual. I absolutely believe that.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, I don’t know if you‘d call him a great actor, but he‘s amazing in terms of his presence, and he is interesting enough that you want to watch him.

I acted my heart out.

Milos said, You’re my first choice. From my point of view, that doesn’t pay the rent. I said, Tell me what I have to do next because I’m busy painting my kitchen.

People desire power. I don’t know why they want it so. It seems to me it implies a hugely superior intellect which separates them from most of the populace.

There is one confrontation scene toward the end of the picture. In the middle of the scene, I thought, That’s Sean Connery! I don’t know how else to describe Sean Connery. I still feel that way.

The only reason I signed on for a speech and drama course was because I thought it would be easy, but as soon as I stepped on the stage, I thought, ‘This is exactly where I belong.’

I’m just having a wonderful time. It’s an interesting thing that I’m very comfortable with this material and I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I did MacBeth.

I’m not afraid to go anywhere, to the smallest theatre or the least amount of money.

My family is blue-collar – coal miners and steelworkers. My father was an automobile mechanic, and us boys were brought up to work. I used to pump gasoline at 11 cents a gallon. I thought I would like to be a first-rate mechanic; a respected, hard-working man.

I trust that the president will try, just give it one more shot, some revolutionary way of not doing this, of bringing all those kids back home safely.

I’m passionate about politics, but when it comes to political parties, I’m despondent. I’m disappointed at the absence of a sense of humanity and struggle to not become a cynic.

I’d like President Bush to get a gun in his hands. I’ll go with him. I can’t think of anything better than to die in place ‘s just beginning their lives.

I’m the spokesperson for the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees. My father was from Syria. It’s an American initiative, and it’s multi-faith. So, it’s maybe 60-65 different organisations, Jews, Christians, Hindus… Anyway, it’s very important and serious.

I cannot imagine not working. I don’t understand the word ‘retirement.’

I like to teach. And when I spot talent without ambition, it makes me angry. I give students short shrift if they’re not willing to do the work. Relying on talent is not enough.

I worked with Harold Pinter once as my first Broadway show. It was one of the most exciting things that ever happened to me.

All the stuff that you visualized that was going to work so beautifully, you discover is trashed, so you jump to something else.

My Oscar has appeared in every play I’ve done since – not in view of the audience, but for my colleagues to enjoy.

Woody Allen sets are very quiet. Extraordinary sense of power from a man who doesn’t do anything except just stand there.

If these men decided that they have to go in there and fight, I want them to send their own children and grandchildren. I want them to not send a bunch of strangers‘ kids in there to fight and die.

Whenever there were parties, I wasn’t invited because I began to be like that character. In a way, that contributed to the success of the performance.

Marlon Brando was the major influence in my life, though I never met him. And my father – we didn’t get along, but he was an influence in terms of honesty and work ethic. That’s the greatest compliment I could pay him.

I have two brothers buried in the military cemetery in Texas. I don’t want to see any more of that.

I’d like President Bush to think maybe there’s another way to think, that maybe Kissinger was wrong when he says we had to go in there because he was wrong about Vietnam.

There are real tricks to getting a job that I just don’t like or understand – it feels too close to pandering. I’ve tried it, but it doesn’t work.

I always play these bad guys, and I’m really a nice guy.

I don’t want to talk in terms of miracles. I think this is a very serious situation. But I do want to talk in terms of Bush becoming a man of the hour, and I think this is way to do it.

With Connery, he does act. He is in complete command. He completely trusts the person first, then the instrument. I’ve worked with his son also, on a picture in Russia.

As much preparation as I had made for the old man Salieri, gestures and so on, the fact is after sitting for hours, your movements are kind of slow.

I really like to experiment. That’s the only way I can work. It’s instinctive.

It sounds funny, but I felt that my responsibility as an American actor was to let the British know we can act as well as they can.

I’m not going to just say nice things about everybody unless I mean it.