It’s true that the skills required to be a conman are the same as those required for being an actor. Though those skills are in the service of something a bit more noble with acting, I hope. – John C. Reilly
I was more like a middle child. My youngest brother was the baby, so he got all the attention that the baby gets. And my older brothers were getting into so much trouble that I was left in the middle, doing plays. I was up to no good, but my mother didn’t know it! – John C. Reilly
One of the reasons people find me a believable actor is that I don’t seem like one of the gods from Olympus. I seem like someone who was lucky enough to be let into Olympus. – John C. Reilly
You were there all day long, 12 hours a day. So there was none of this, ‘I’m going back to my trailer, my trailer’s bigger than your trailer,’ that kind of Hollywood nonsense. – John C. Reilly
I’m not of the manor born; I’ve never felt entitled in that way. I just came to Hollywood to be an actor. All that lifestyle stuff is something to be managed. – John C. Reilly
I’m dating myself by saying this, but I was the test audience for ‘Space Invaders.’ I remember when that was the first game that wasn’t a pinball game. I spent a lot of money on ‘Space Invaders,’ in the form of quarters, of course. – John C. Reilly
I was a founding member of the ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ club at my high school. I was in chorus, I was in swing choir. I was an outcast but I was an outcast among a group of outcasts. – John C. Reilly
I like working. I wish I could say I made a deliberate choice to comedy, but it’s just what came my way. It’s what the studios wanted to make. Some of my friends were doing it, like Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, and they offered me ‘Talladega Nights.’ It’s just nice work if you can get it. It’s a joyful day at work, making your friends laugh. – John C. Reilly
I was a solid C student because I was doing so many plays. I was a drama nerd, but I was also kind of a Zelig-like character; I would shift between different groups of people. But the people I spent most of my time with were either chorus or swing choir or the drama nerds. – John C. Reilly
I’m not a big fan of kids’ movies that have this knowing snarkiness to them or this post-modern take on storytelling. I think that sails right over the heads of most kids. There’s something to be said for a well-told fairy tale. There’s a reason that these mythic stories stay with us. – John C. Reilly
A lot of times, good improv is when both people, or however many people are in the scene, really have no idea what the next thing you’re going to say is. – John C. Reilly
One of the unique things is that whether we were out at sea or in the middle of the water tank, a lot of times you just couldn’t leave. Especially when we were out at sea. – John C. Reilly
I view my strongest competition as myself. You’re always trying to top yourself, rather than worrying about what other people are doing. – John C. Reilly
I always say it takes as much preparation and thought to do a small part as a leading part. In some ways, leads are easier because you have the luxury of time to discover the character. – John C. Reilly
Most boys’ first hero is their father. That was definitely true of my dad. He was a proud Irish American and he taught me a lot about ethics and responsibility. He also introduced me to a lot of wonderful folk music. – John C. Reilly
I feel like a teenager myself, so I appreciate it when the kids think you’re all right. – John C. Reilly
Young people can be annoying, let’s face it. But they can also be really refreshing to be around and full of enthusiasm. – John C. Reilly
I actually envy actors who have a persona: ‘This is the way I am. This is the part I play.’ And do it over and over and over. To me, that’s a lot easier than trying to reinvent yourself every six months. – John C. Reilly
In Chicago it’s really a case of the play’s the thing – people are just so happy to be acting, you know? We were all actors – not like in New York or Los Angeles, where everyone says they are actors but they are actually waiting tables and hustling for spots in commercials. – John C. Reilly
For a long time, it was like I was part of some special forces unit: I’d land, meet everyone, five minutes later I’d have to do some amazing work, then – boom! – I’m out again. You know, playing supporting parts takes courage. – John C. Reilly
I considered a lot of different jobs as a kid. I thought about becoming a priest or a lawyer. My father had a big linen-supply business and I considered working for him. What dawned on me was: ‘If I’m an actor, I get to do the fun parts of every job!’ Without having to go to four years of law school. – John C. Reilly
I give as much as I can, and it’s up to someone else to turn it into a movie. Good luck to you! – John C. Reilly
Honestly, to tell you the truth, being trapped in any video game sounds like a living nightmare to me. In most video games, the point is it’s a fight for survival, so I think it would be a terrifying place to live. – John C. Reilly
I’ve never been someone who’s been given work because of the way I look or because I have some box office appeal. I get work because people know I’m swinging as hard as I can, trying to connect, giving it my level best. I have a face for radio, but here I am doing what I do. – John C. Reilly
That’s one of the difficult things of being an actor that I’m still not used to. You have to go, you have to show up at these places where you know nobody, and sometimes with really impressive, high stakes people like Roman Polanski. – John C. Reilly
If you’re really being honest with yourself when you’re acting, part of it is touching the real you. You can only separate yourself so much from the character. Those vulnerable moments do touch me. – John C. Reilly
Whenever I work on something, I try and throw everything I have at it. Then if the director finds it useful they use it, and if not, they ignore it! – John C. Reilly
