Wallace Shawn
Birthday: 12 November 1943, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name: Wallace Michael Shawn
Height: 157 cm
American character actor and writer Wallace Shawn has one of those fun, mischievously homely faces just made to entertain. Though he got out of the starting gate rather slowly, he has since excelled o ...Show More
"The Fever" is a one-person play. I decided I would perform it myself, and I decided I would not per Show more
"The Fever" is a one-person play. I decided I would perform it myself, and I decided I would not perform it in theaters, because the character in the play says certain things that I meant. Hide
I'm afraid that the passage of time is mostly lost on me. If you were to open up my head you would s Show more
I'm afraid that the passage of time is mostly lost on me. If you were to open up my head you would see that I'm still brooding about statements, songs and issues from the third grade. The years between 1980 and today went by very, very quickly. Hide
I see myself as a citizen of the planet. Even as a child, I always found it mindless to root for you Show more
I see myself as a citizen of the planet. Even as a child, I always found it mindless to root for your own team. I was puzzled by the fact that people said their own team was better than other teams simply because it was theirs. Hide
From being a writer of plays, it was not that surprising that somebody thought of giving me a job as Show more
From being a writer of plays, it was not that surprising that somebody thought of giving me a job as an actor. After I played one part, others came along. Hide
I never grew up thinking, "One day I will play so and so" because I wasn't expecting to be an actor Show more
I never grew up thinking, "One day I will play so and so" because I wasn't expecting to be an actor at all. Hide
When I was first starting to write plays, I quite literally had never heard of the idea of studying Show more
When I was first starting to write plays, I quite literally had never heard of the idea of studying playwriting. I wouldn't have studied it even if I had heard of it. Hide
I don't see that many plays, and for me, musicals are rarely pleasing.
I don't see that many plays, and for me, musicals are rarely pleasing.
I led the life of an intellectual up until a certain age. I remember [Sigmund Freud;s] "Interpretati Show more
I led the life of an intellectual up until a certain age. I remember [Sigmund Freud;s] "Interpretation of Dreams" was a big favorite when I was 11. It sounded so interesting. And it really was! Hide
For some reason, people find me funny. It's quite hard to define why a thought is funny. It's even h Show more
For some reason, people find me funny. It's quite hard to define why a thought is funny. It's even harder to define why a person would be funny. It's a word that I can't define at all. But whether I know quite what it is or not, I seem to be it. Hide
We are not what we seem. We are more than what we seem. The actor knows that. And because the actor Show more
We are not what we seem. We are more than what we seem. The actor knows that. And because the actor knows that hidden inside himself there's a wizard and a king, he also knows that when he's playing himself in his daily life, he's playing a part, he's performing, just as he's performing when he plays a part on stage. Hide
There's nothing regular about my life at all, really. I don't keep a regular schedule and every day Show more
There's nothing regular about my life at all, really. I don't keep a regular schedule and every day is different. It's all rather chaotic. Hide
I don't happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don't know what's funny about a character . Show more
I don't happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don't know what's funny about a character . . . This happens to be a feature of my life generally. I do things, and other people laugh at them. I rarely know what the joke is supposed to be or why they're laughing. Hide
As writers, we can't predict who might come along who might find our offerings valuable.
As writers, we can't predict who might come along who might find our offerings valuable.
Children, I always think, are just putting on a performance of being naive and not understanding any Show more
Children, I always think, are just putting on a performance of being naive and not understanding anything. I have worked with children in films, and they're treated as adults and they just drop the pretense of being children. Hide
I never planned to be an actor. It turned out I could make a living doing it.
I never planned to be an actor. It turned out I could make a living doing it.
It is hard enough to make a plan for how you are going to spend an evening with somebody else. So to Show more
It is hard enough to make a plan for how you are going to spend an evening with somebody else. So to make a plan for how you are going to behave in 25 years seems based on a view of life that is incomprehensible to me. Hide
I wrote my first play at the age of 10, 55 years ago, and I've always found it a fantastic relief to Show more
I wrote my first play at the age of 10, 55 years ago, and I've always found it a fantastic relief to imagine I know what things would be like from the point of view of other individuals and to send out signals from where I actually am not. Playwrights never need to write from the place where they are. Hide
For me, a play is a form of writing which isn't complete until it is interpreted by actors. But it's Show more
For me, a play is a form of writing which isn't complete until it is interpreted by actors. But it's still a form of writing. And so most of my time is spent thinking about how to write a sentence. Hide
I am recognized a lot for Clueless (1995), but I am recognized a great deal for The Princess Bride ( Show more
I am recognized a lot for Clueless (1995), but I am recognized a great deal for The Princess Bride (1987). I don't know . . . maybe everybody who has seen that movie just goes out on the street. Hide
[in 2008, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)] They worked quite long days on these television prog Show more
[in 2008, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)] They worked quite long days on these television programs. Twelve hours is normal. And if you are playing a creature from outer space, you have to show up three hours earlier to put on your makeup. And you stay an hour later to take it off. So you enter a zone of strangeness that you can't really put into words very easily . . . It's physically absolutely exhausting. But it was liberating to me as an actor. And I think I enjoy my own performances as that character more than most, almost more than anything I've done. I think I was quite good as . . . It liberated me to be wearing all that makeup. I was freed by it.. Hide
My personal life is lived as "me", but my professional life is lived as other people. In other words Show more
My personal life is lived as "me", but my professional life is lived as other people. In other words, when I go to the office, I lie down, dream and become "someone else". That's my job. Hide
I don't happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don't know what's funny about a character . Show more
I don't happen to have a sense of humor personally, so I don't know what's funny about a character . . . This happens to be a feature of my life generally. Hide
The actor's role in the community is quite unlike anyone else's. Businessmen, for example, don't tak Show more
The actor's role in the community is quite unlike anyone else's. Businessmen, for example, don't take their clothes off or cry in front of strangers in the course of their work. Actors do. Hide
But because we've all been readers, we know what the experience is like, and we hope that what certa Show more
But because we've all been readers, we know what the experience is like, and we hope that what certain writers have given to us, we will give to someone. Hide
I'm a very lucky man. It's a beautiful thing for a writer, to see people allowing your words to ente Show more
I'm a very lucky man. It's a beautiful thing for a writer, to see people allowing your words to enter their own unconscious and their souls. Hide
Patriotism is considered to be an emotion a person ought to feel. But why? Why is it nobler to love Show more
Patriotism is considered to be an emotion a person ought to feel. But why? Why is it nobler to love your own country than to love someone else's? Hide
Contrary to the popular misconception, the actor is not necessarily a specialist in imitating or por Show more
Contrary to the popular misconception, the actor is not necessarily a specialist in imitating or portraying what he knows about other people. On the contrary, the actor may simply be a person who's more willing than others to reveal some truths about himself. Hide
Even with my wife, I find sharing soup is hard.
Even with my wife, I find sharing soup is hard.
In my early 20s, I studied history and politics, and I really thought that perhaps I would devote my Show more
In my early 20s, I studied history and politics, and I really thought that perhaps I would devote my life to that. Hide
I do things, and other people laugh at them. I rarely know what the joke is supposed to be or why th Show more
I do things, and other people laugh at them. I rarely know what the joke is supposed to be or why they're laughing. Hide
I was making my living from a joke about my appearance that I didn't understand, and in a way still Show more
I was making my living from a joke about my appearance that I didn't understand, and in a way still don't, because when I look in a mirror it doesn't seem funny to me. Hide
I spend most of my time thinking about things like laundry and buying stationery supplies.
I spend most of my time thinking about things like laundry and buying stationery supplies.
I grew up. I began to think the United States had some problems that really required the help of art Show more
I grew up. I began to think the United States had some problems that really required the help of artistic people to solve. And I gave myself permission to be a writer instead of a civil servant. Hide
In an amusement park, you can go on a roller coaster that carries you up and down, or you can go on Show more
In an amusement park, you can go on a roller coaster that carries you up and down, or you can go on another kind of ride that whirls you around in a circle. Similarly, there are different sorts of entertaining experiences in the theater. Hide
I have more free time than a lot of individuals, so, instead of talking, I sometimes write.
I have more free time than a lot of individuals, so, instead of talking, I sometimes write.
You know, I haven't written as much as most other writers. Certainly maybe those who keep a more reg Show more
You know, I haven't written as much as most other writers. Certainly maybe those who keep a more regular schedule accomplish more. Hide
After being in one movie, it didn't seem like that would be my life. I had done several jobs, briefl Show more
After being in one movie, it didn't seem like that would be my life. I had done several jobs, briefly. I'd been a shipping clerk, I worked in a copy shop, I didn't think the acting was going to go on and on. Hide
I sincerely believe that if [George W. Bush] and [Dick Cheney] recognized the full humanity of other Show more
I sincerely believe that if [George W. Bush] and [Dick Cheney] recognized the full humanity of other people's mothers around the world, they wouldn't commit the crimes they commit. Hide
The life of an actor can be very enviable.
The life of an actor can be very enviable.
When I was a child, I did always feel that people were hiding things, and that they weren't expressi Show more
When I was a child, I did always feel that people were hiding things, and that they weren't expressing their true feelings. When adults are too complicated, and cover their emotions with layers of well-intentioned subterfuge, the child isn't seeing reality clearly enough and gets upset. Hide
Interestingly, the actress who, in her own persona, may be gentle, shy and socially awkward, someone Show more
Interestingly, the actress who, in her own persona, may be gentle, shy and socially awkward, someone whose hand trembles when pouring a cup of tea for a visiting friend, can convincingly portray an elegant, cruel aristocrat tossing off malicious epigrams in an 18th-century chocolate house. Hide
I know that I am one and I've made a living as an actor and I enjoy being an actor, but when I'm not Show more
I know that I am one and I've made a living as an actor and I enjoy being an actor, but when I'm not actually doing it, I forget that I do it. Hide
When I was first exposed to the films of Ingmar Bergman, I found them frank and disturbing portraits Show more
When I was first exposed to the films of Ingmar Bergman, I found them frank and disturbing portraits of the world we live in, but that was not something that displeased me. They were beautiful. I thought people would respond to my plays the way I responded to Bergman's films. Hide
The Princess Bride (1987) is by far the most popular film I've ever done. I don't think I'll ever to Show more
The Princess Bride (1987) is by far the most popular film I've ever done. I don't think I'll ever top it. Hide
We're in an emergency situation. The United States has become an absolutely terrifying country, and Show more
We're in an emergency situation. The United States has become an absolutely terrifying country, and I would hope that I could participate in some way in stopping the horror and the brutality. Hide
I started writing plays in around 1967, and at a certain point I thought, "I'm writing plays, I shou Show more
I started writing plays in around 1967, and at a certain point I thought, "I'm writing plays, I should learn about acting and what it is". So I went to the HB Studio in New York, and I was there for about nine months. Hide
My plays have been strange from the beginning, and they never got unstrange.
My plays have been strange from the beginning, and they never got unstrange.
And my singing, I don't think I could sing Wagner or opera, but I could probably carry a tune. I was Show more
And my singing, I don't think I could sing Wagner or opera, but I could probably carry a tune. I was in a musical once, but it was never performed. Hide
In my mind, the plays I was writing were extreme examples of art for art's sake. I didn't necessaril Show more
In my mind, the plays I was writing were extreme examples of art for art's sake. I didn't necessarily think that other people would love them, though I thought they probably would. Hide
[in 2008, on working with André the Giant in The Princess Bride (1987)] Well, that, I did very much Show more
[in 2008, on working with André the Giant in The Princess Bride (1987)] Well, that, I did very much enjoy. He was marvelous. But there was something painful about his situation, because he already had lost some of his strength. Of course it was well-known that he could not live terribly long, because no one with his condition did. So it was all a bit poignant. But he was always very, very intelligent, and he was very kind to me, because I was quite afraid of certain things we had to do, and he was very, very nice to me. He was a fascinating person, because he had come from a small village in France and wanted to travel. And he quite consciously decided that in order to travel, his best option was to try to become a wrestler and that's what he did. Hide
I have been vain since birth. I expected other people to like what I did, although my vanity has def Show more
I have been vain since birth. I expected other people to like what I did, although my vanity has definitely diminished over the years. Hide
I'm not proud to be me, I'm not excited to be me, but I find that I am me, and like most other indiv Show more
I'm not proud to be me, I'm not excited to be me, but I find that I am me, and like most other individuals, I send out little signals; I tell everyone else how everything looks from where I am. Hide
In real life, every person is the leading man or woman. We don't think of ourselves as supporting or Show more
In real life, every person is the leading man or woman. We don't think of ourselves as supporting or character actors. Hide
You can go to a play that is enjoyable because it's funny, and then on the next night you can go to Show more
You can go to a play that is enjoyable because it's funny, and then on the next night you can go to a play that's enjoyable because it's "disturbing". Hide
In terms of number of movies, I've been in an extraordinary amount. If you count only the minutes I' Show more
In terms of number of movies, I've been in an extraordinary amount. If you count only the minutes I'm onscreen, it's not so long. Hide
Before I was five I did have a lot of time on my hands. I had no job and really no career, and I spe Show more
Before I was five I did have a lot of time on my hands. I had no job and really no career, and I spent an awful lot of time listening to records. It was more the classical ones, really--[Sergei Prokofiev], and I think there was some [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart] in there, and more impressionistic composers like [Frederick Delius]. Hide
I have an enormous appetite to see life as I know it presented in front of my eyes.
I have an enormous appetite to see life as I know it presented in front of my eyes.
My father was a jazz listener, and I think, at least before I was five, I was not so into that. Alth Show more
My father was a jazz listener, and I think, at least before I was five, I was not so into that. Although there were records that emphasized percussion that I liked, like Baby Dodds. Hide
Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, a Show more
Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually, not only are you not the dean, but if you walked into the building they'd probably throw you out. That's very hard. Hide
I choose parts because I don't want to be embarrassed when the movie comes out. What if my friends w Show more
I choose parts because I don't want to be embarrassed when the movie comes out. What if my friends were to see the movie? What if my niece or nephew wandered into the theater and saw the movie? I don't want to be too ashamed of it. Hide
Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.
Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.
I think the whole system of education would change if I were in charge and had the ability to make c Show more
I think the whole system of education would change if I were in charge and had the ability to make changes. I don't think I would keep Princeton exactly being Princeton. Hide
If I had even the tiniest scrap of advice to give to a young actor who was figuring out how to audit Show more
If I had even the tiniest scrap of advice to give to a young actor who was figuring out how to audition, I would say don't memorize the script... The reality about auditions is that 98 percent of the results has to do with what you are, not with what you did in the audition. Hide
I don't have a television, and I'm just not too up on television.
I don't have a television, and I'm just not too up on television.
I'm being mocked because I don't live up to a socially determined view of what other people think a Show more
I'm being mocked because I don't live up to a socially determined view of what other people think a person should look like. Hide
I probably have a higher opinion of my writing than the average person, at least when I'm in a good Show more
I probably have a higher opinion of my writing than the average person, at least when I'm in a good mood, but I don't really think of my plays as only being relevant to a particular month or year. Hide
Wallace Shawn's FILMOGRAPHY
All
as Actor (430)
as Creator (2)
Wallace Shawn'S roles
Van Helsing
Wally Shawn
Principal Mazur
Winslow
Dr. John Sturgis
Teddy Lempell
Zek
Mr. Woodley
Stuart Best
Mr. Gibson
Show More
