River Phoenix quotes

" Most actors possess an intuitive side. Actually, the further away I am from the character, the less work I have to do. It takes so much more energy to detach yourself from your own life references that might cross wires with your character's. I think it's cheating for me to ever use my life references in conjunction with my characters. It's my reaction transferred to the character, which isn't good. What I have to do is erase those things and then find something else. I can't stand in front of a camera and let anything of myself come through or I'm betraying the character's complete trueness. There are some actors who just use themselves. They can wear their ego on their sleeve and it looks great. I can't do that. " # Color # Acting and Actors # Character

" We are taught to consume. And that's what we do. But if we realized that there really is no reason to consume-that it's just a mind set, that it's just an addiction, then we wouldn't be out there stepping on people's hands climbing the corporate ladder of success. I have my reasons why I want to be filthy rich. It's so I can buy the last first growth forest and turn it into a permanent national park. I just bought 800 acres on the border of Panama and Costa Rica. " # Success # Money # Business

" Vegetarianism is a link to perfection and peace. But it's a small link. There are lots of other issues: apartheid , vivisection, political prisoners, the arms race. There's so much going on in this world today, so much ignorance among people. That's not to say I'm not standing amongst everybody. But the point is, what can we do now? That's the thing about vegetarianism; it's an individual's decision and it's something you have control over. How many things do we really have control over? " # Liberals # Politicians and Politics # Love

" I don't want to get so lost in thinking about me and talking about me all the time in interviews. It's so nice to unwind and just look at other things and get out of yourself. It's hard to detach myself from myself without neglecting myself. You know what I mean? I don't want to get in to the habit of thinking about my career because when it comes down to it, it's not really that important. I could die tomorrow and the world would go on. " # Interviews # Love # Habit

" Sometimes I wish I wasn't as conscious as I am. It would be so much easier. " # Mind

" The press is always looking for a little twist to a story and what i've learned is that it all turns out very superficial. So you need to become what they want, you need to give what they put out. " # Media # Dance and Dancing # Learning

" It really upsets me and i'm basically upset at myself for being so naive and gullible as i have been in the past as far as being intimidated by the stylists with the wardrobe and the hair-do's and the poses and the this and that and all that stuff that isn't me. What it does is it makes you an image, and they plaster you on all these magazines and sensationalize and they're all very nice and sweet and goody-goody but still, it's just false as far as, you know, the image that's portrayed; it's not me. " # Passion # Love # Writers and Writing

" I can't on my own change the regime in South Africa or teach the Palestinians to live with the Israelis, but I can start with me. " # World Affairs # Change # Teachers and Teaching

" I welcome an end to this all if that's what should be, i don't mind that. In fact, I would rather quit while i was ahead. There's no need in overstaying your welcome. " # Perseverance # Death and Dying # Mind

" We need an extreme movement because what is happening to animals is so extreme. Some misinformed people claim that animal rights activists are terrorists, but these people are simply ignorant of who the real terrorists are - the companies and industries that torture literally billions of animals each year. " # Action # Animals # Ignorance