Rod Taylor's Quotes

In the beginning I had a real work problem. Every time I had job I had to convince the immigration authorities I was the only man for that job and get a special work permit until I went under contract to MGM.

I was one of the first of the uglies. Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter... were very pretty fellows, and that was the trend. I was one of the first of the uglies to get lucky.

I am a poor student sitting at the feet of giants, yearning for their wisdom and begging for lessons that might one day make me a complete artist, so that if all goes well, I may one day sit beside them.

Acting doesn't suffice.

Acting is something I love.

Anyway, when I was a kid, I dutifully went to the Sydney Technical and Fine Arts College.

Art doesn't feed me or fill the void when I am not working. If I haven't worked for six months, I can't paint.

But I did a lot of boxing and I was captain of an Australian surf club.

Dore Schary was then head of the studio and he wanted to change my name.

I am proud to be an actor.

I did well as an actor in Australia, and then Paramount invited me over... to have a look at me.

I married at a tender age during my early stage and radio struggles.

I pray and try every day to be a better actor.

I worked at Mark Foy's during the day and studied drama at night.

I wouldn't dream of selling my work. I give them to friends, to charities.

I'd much rather turn down a starring role in a bad picture and do a small role in a very good picture.

I'm not doing my work for constant success.

So I went and did an audition and became the biggest radio actor in Sydney, and that's how it all started.

The fact that I'm going to be unsuccessful at times is pretty well-balanced by the fact that I'm going to be successful at others.

The most important thing in my life is my work.

To a large degree, those early lean days were self-imposed.

To put what you see on paper is the same as funneling what you feel through yourself as a performer.

When I said I no longer wanted to be a painter, that I wanted to be an actor, the first thing I did was get a stinking job in an insurance building.