Stephen Root Quotes (10 Quotes)

What drew me to Office Space was just doing something totally different. Almost theatre-like, completely over the top, a real departure from News Radio. I think I am conservative, not eccentric. I don't have any inhibitions about making a fool of myself, but you have to, to be in comedy.

I don't aspire to direct like many actors. I would aspire most likely to do some writing, but I haven't had a chance to do that.

My influences are people like Burgess Meredith, Jackie Gleason, Art Carney. Really good character actors than stars because they do more interesting things. Some of your favorite movies are ones you visit again are due to the great character actors in them.

It's easier to play a dim character, for me, because I have a natural bent for comedy. It's not intrinsic for me to be crafty, so I would have to go outside for a source of origin. I think of myself as pretty dim.

Television sitcom means a little play each week in front of a live audience. On film, you might spend all day on one scene, doing it from different angles, and they can be more interesting sometimes due to the script, or nature of the project. So I enjoy both mediums for different reasons.

When I worked with Robin Williams, now there is improv! He is just as funny as you think he is. We did at least five or six takes of every scene, improvising every scene differently. He was a riot.

I'm from New York, so I'm a big Howard Stern fan.

It's fun to do voiceover work, although you still have to act. But it doesn't involve memorizing lines, and you don't have to dress up.

I would have to say News Radio is the highlight of my career. I love the character so much.

It's so hard to make a living as an actor, with 95 of the SAG members unemployed at one time. That includes all the different unions, too, that unless you HAVE to do it, that it's in your soul and you MUST do it you feel, don't do it.