"When I was young, I used to queue at the theater early in the morning to see Olivier. His performances were electrify…"

"As a man and an actor he was an inspiration. I loved him."

"Acting is illusion, as much illusion as magic is — and not so much a matter of being real. I mean, I would probably s…"

"If I wasn't an actor, I think I'd have gone mad. You have to have extra voltage, some extra temperament to reach cert…"

"Never. The shot is too big for the cannon."

"I think that bloody old National nearly killed me."

"He could speak Shakespeare's lines as naturally as if he were actually thinking them."

"[Asked "So what was the legendary actor really like in the flesh?"] He was so many different things. He could be gene…"

"Olivier smoked dope. He claimed that he didn't, but he did. I know because I gave him a joint. He got very mellow."

"Such subtlety, such detail, biting deeper into the role than any actor of my time, or indeed any time."