Elaine Stritch famous quotes

The terrifying thing in my life is that I am just an actress. And I have to keep pushing it and getting approval, approval, approval or I don’t think I’m worth two cents. And I am starting to get over it, thank God. And I’m just sad because I don’t have many years left and I wish I had a longer space of time to think that Elaine Stritch is okay.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Thinking #Space #Years

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

#Dames #Want #Littles

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

#Doe

I am not influenced by other human beings. But I am inspired.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Inspired #Humans

I’d like to discover life. Quite frankly I don’t know how to be happy. I have not a clue. I only serve — and I don’t say that with any grandeur. I just serve others through entertaining. That’s when I am happy. I’m not just delighted with myself when I’m entertaining, but I’m happier than when I’m not.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Clue #How To Be Happy #Entertaining

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

#Thinking #Thrill #World

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

#Lying #Theatre #Mouths

There's something exciting about being afraid.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Exciting #Being Afraid

And why not do something new every day of your life? Change! Change!
-- Elaine Stritch

#Life Changing #Why Not #Aging

This is a time in my life where I'm gonna behave like an elegant human being. Or not.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Behave #Humans

Bette Davis taught Hollywood to follow an actress instead of the actress following the camera, and she's probably the best movie actress there's ever been.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Cameras #Hollywood #Taught

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

#Lunch #Long

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

#Blood #Sugar #Intention

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

#Liars #Reviews

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

#Made

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

#Mean #Giving #Firsts

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

#Progress #Stuff #Aging

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. If you're a nice broad they'll look after you.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Country #New York #Nice

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

#Picnics #Certain #Walking

This age thing is all up to you. It's like happiness is up to you. You just have to understand what it is before you get it.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Age #Aging

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

#Hate #Wigs #Actors

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

#Want

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

#Looking Good #Motion Pictures #Very Good

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

#Falling In Love #Love You #Chemistry

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

#Writing #Rocks #Joy

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

#Girl #Party #Home

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

#Theatre #Stranger #Audience

Betty White is probably a very nice woman.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Nice #White #Very Nice

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

#Age #Actresses #Type

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

#Believe #Thinking #Pope

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

#Mother #Care #Want

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

#Compare #Sondheim

Diabetes is a lousy, lousy disease.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Disease #Diabetes

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

#Acting #Talent #Because I Can

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

#Doctors #Faces #Changed

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

#Home #Ideas #London

I never found anyone who could look after me as well as I could look after myself.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Looks #Found #Wells

I've changed a lot, too! I'm different, too. I have far more in some ways to offer and far less in other ways to offer. That's life. And, you know, life goes on!
-- Elaine Stritch

#Different #Goes On #Way

If you tell the truth all day long, you will end up in jail.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Jail #Long #Telling The Truth

I want to settle down this last time. I say last, because I don't think I'm in any condition to live a long time from now. The bell's gonna ring pretty soon.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Thinking #Long #Bells

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

#New York #Holiday #Cities

Easy does it is what I'm looking for,
-- Elaine Stritch

#Doe #Easy

People will always be around to tell you you're no good or you're wrong or unwise to keep doing what you want to do. They're wrong. They're always wrong. Keep going.
-- Elaine Stritch

#People #Doing What You Want #Unwise

If somebody doesn't have any talent, get off the stage! You're wasting my time.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Talent #Wasting My Time #Stage

Onstage, nothing is as important as truth, nothing. As soon as you lie, they know it.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Lying #Important #Theatre

Two drinks a day. Two drinks a day. TWO DRINKS A DAY! It doesn't work! Not when you want eleven, and not when you start shopping for wine glasses in the vase department at Bloomingdales.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Wine #Glasses #Shopping

For my money, insecurity, depression, etc, can be healed by way of El Morocco, sad songs at 4am, and the pop of a champagne cork
-- Elaine Stritch

#Song #Insecurity #Morocco

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

#Thinking #Two #Decision

New York is like a disco, but without the music
-- Elaine Stritch

#New York #Disco

I don't know what the hell I'm doing up there half the time. 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. I know in my gut when I've done a scene right.
-- Elaine Stritch

#Mean #Technique #Done

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

#World #Audience

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

#Theatre #Tragic