"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…"

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

"Like coming for a living."

"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."