Ron Silver

Then I realized that to be really good at this requires a lot of energy and concentration and skill.

The twentieth century has exhibited a barbarism and lack of respect for human life on a massive scale just about unknown before.

But why should I run for office and lose what little influence I have?

I was immature the way I handled the business. I saw myself as a tribune of the people.

Two, I actually learned a lot of things that served me very well when it came to repeating performances on stage, because it is a craft and you do need a technique for it.

You have to think an awful lot about your motivations or people's behavioral intentions or what their body language can indicate or what's really going on or what makes people sometimes do, sometimes, the irrational things they do.

Too often in the past, U.S. leaders have forced Israel to pay the price for American strategic interests in the Middle East - through concessions in the peace process as well as passivity in the face of Iraqi attacks.

Artists speak the truth to the public without fear of retribution or damage to their careers.

I think you have an obligation to be an optimist. Because if you're not, nothing will change.

I've seen people with a tremendous amount of educational background in the field not turn out to be terribly good actors, and I've seen people with no education in the field turn out to be people that I admire quite a bit.

It made me think about a whole area of human activity that was not really a concern to me before that, because I was involved in reading Chinese history, or languages, or whatever.

I had no desire from an early age to be on the stage.