Clift Quotes

(on Montgomery Clift) Monty was a great talent, whose acting I always admired. He had extraordinary instincts. His observations about the script were always astute and correct. He would have made a great director, which eventually he wanted to be. "Would you ever direct yourself?," I once asked him. "Are you kidding," he replied. "As a director, I simply wouldn`t put up with all that crap from me." Monty was having problems then. He was full of all kinds of problems, many of them imaginary.

I auditioned for Tigerland and I was furious when I found out that Colin (Farrell) was doing it. But then when I saw the movie, there was nobody else that could make it like Colin made it. He was like this beautiful, beautiful cocktail of Marlon Brando in The Men and Montgomery Clift in Red River. He was sensitive and attitudeish - lawyerish - but at the same time so boyish, so sexual, so misled. He played it beautifully. I could never have done that. After I saw the movie I said, `Okay, I see what I need to learn`."

(on Montgomery Clift) He had so much power, so much concentration. Clift was a complicated man, there`s no question about it. He was a very sweet man, Monty, very emotional.

(on Montgomery Clift) Monty was the most emotional actor I have ever worked with. And it is contagious.

(About Montgomery Clift) The most gorgeous thing in the world and easily one of the best actors.

(About Montgomery Clift): He`s the only person I know that is in worse shape than I am.

I was a wayward kid, a rambunctious and angry teenager, but I found acting as a fifteen-year-old. I saw some movies with Montgomery Clift and James Dean, and I read biographies about them - then Marlon Brando - and I got it in my head that I wanted to be an actor. The first scene I did in an acting class was from In the Boom Boom Room", by David Rabe. I played "Big Al". It was a very violent and emotional scene, and I liked that - I realized I had it in me."

(on working with Montgomery Clift on "From Here to Eternity") The only time I was ever really afraid as an actor was that first scene with Clift. It was my scene, understand: I was the sergeant, I gave the orders, he was just a private under me. Well, when we started, I couldn`t stop my knees from shaking. I thought they might have to stop because my trembling would show. I was afraid he was going to blow me right off the screen.