Top 35 Matt Dillon Quotes

I don’t consider myself a Hollywood liberal, but I have my convictions and my beliefs.

I had acting teachers, and one of the things that was encouraged was to keep it fresh, to be spontaneous. That’s the magic of film often.

One of my biggest fears is not being able to break out of a rut; of becoming a prisoner to my ways, unable to change course. But in my mid-thirties, I learned you can change your thinking.

I like to do comedy, but I’ll be perfectly honest, I prefer to do drama and more character-driven-based stuff, generally.

I do get bottled up in interviews. You’re thinking about what you’re saying, and suddenly you get all tangled. So people think I’m sullen, or that I don’t have much to say. But my friends will tell you: a lot of times I talk too much.

People get really nuts around cars. They get angry at cars, they get angry at their car, they get angry at people driving in cars; there’s something really comical about that, about automobiles.

I know this sounds kind of crazy, but I think we’re all actors.

I’m not a Buddhist, or a card-carrying member of any religion.

I’m ambitious. I do think you have a tendency to be less happy sometimes when you’re a seeker. You can be disenchanted because you’re not getting what you want, and you’re always striving and looking ahead instead of just being in the moment.

I think playing somebody who’s schizophrenic is such a lesson as an actor. It gets you totally out of your comfort zone, because you can’t rely on your technique, your external stuff. You’ve really gotta look inward, in a way.

The first music I was ever exposed to was Irish folk music, like the Clancy Brothers. My father plays that and Christmas songs.

I grew up with the white picket fence. My dad went to work nine to five, and he had a station wagon.

It was being young and sensitive and an actor. There was a lot of pressure, everything was a hurdle.

In politics there are so many holes, so many contradictions, you don’t know what’s happening.

One of my greatest fears is not being able to change, to be caught in a never-ending cycle of sameness. Growth is so important.

What’s really great about Buddhism is its rational, informal quality. Coming from my experience of growing up a Catholic, I found Buddhism to be refreshingly easygoing and forgiving.

I’m drawn to women who live in a world different from my own. I don’t believe you have to marry someone from your own backyard. James Joyce married a woman who never read any of his books.

I’m not the greatest boyfriend, but I’m not a creep. It’s more like I’m… absent-minded.

There were six kids in our family, and I grew up fast. I had to do a lot of things on my own. I was a rebellious teenager. That’s why coming into the film business was good for me because it gave me some discipline. Once I became an actor, I had to grow up a little more.

These are people who haven’t gone through the legal means to becoming citizens like our forefathers did. They want all the benefits but none of the responsibilities.

It’s a pretty good job being an actor, but it’s work sometimes. And when I say work, I mean it’s a job. You’re going to a job.

One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that you only do what you can do as an actor. You do the best job you can, but you have no control over so many elements that are going to determine the outcome of that film. I never pay attention to what happens after.

I don’t know why, but audiences are often sympathetic to thieves. Sometimes they are more sympathetic to thieves then they are to earnest people. What does that say about society?

I only hear my own voice. When you start hearing other voices, then it’s time to worry.

I’ve always liked Southeast Asia a lot. It’s a wonderful place, an easy place. People are great, there’s a lot of history and culture, and I like the serenity of Buddhism there. It’s very beautiful. I find that to be a very nice place to visit.

I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’ve had my share of mood swings, believe me. But it’s a powerful thing when you realize that you have dominion over your behavior and your passions.

We get caught up in all the stress – ‘Got to do this, is this the right thing for me to do?’ – but what about the thing you want to do? That’s what’ll keep you young. It’s empowering, not becoming a prisoner of some other person’s idea of what you should be.

It seems to be that more and more people are asking you to work for nothing on films, and that’s unfortunate because you have to make a living. On the other hand, I don’t do a better job because I get paid a lot of money. I’m never like, ‘I’m not going to work as hard because I’m not getting paid as much.’

I don’t worry about whether a character is likable, as long as the character is believable.

I sometimes think love is God’s way of hoodwinking people into having kids. You fall in love, and all that passion goes into procreating and wanting children.

I don’t hide out. If you build a wall around yourself, it draws people to invade it. Fear is the enemy.

The worst thing I could be accused of is that I’m a one-way dude, only out for myself. But the worst thing a woman can do is not to say anything. Especially when you’re starting a relationship.

When I started out as an actor I knew very little, which was probably a good thing. I was totally open. You don’t judge yourself, you do it.

Sunsets are great. Sunrises are a mixed bag. You either got up way too early or went to bed way too late.

My driving, I’ve been accused of not being the best, most safest driver.