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Charles Durning Biography

Charles Durning

Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor, with appearances in over 200 movies, television shows and plays. Durning's best-known films include The Sting (1973), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Tootsie (1982), Dick Tracy (1990) and O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for both The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and To Be or Not to Be (1983). Prior to his acting career, Durning was a WWII soldier decorated for valor in combat.

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Charles Durning Quotes

Dancing came easy for me. Acting came hard.

Acting, Came, Dancing, Easy

I would rather do a play because it's instantaneous. You go on the stage, and you know whether it's happening or not. Somebody asked me 'What is acting?' And I said, 'Acting is listening. ' And if you ain't listening, nobody's listening.

Acting, Asked, Listening, Play, Said, Somebody

I can't count how many of my friends are in the cemetery at Normandy, the heroes are still there, the real heroes.

Count, Friends, Hero, Normandy, Real

Of course, I'm not often the top dog, but sometimes it's better not to be top dog, because you last longer. If a movie or play flops, you always blame the lead. They say, 'He couldn't carry it. ' They always blame him. But they rarely blame the second or third banana.

Dog, Flops, Lasts, Movie, Play, Rarely

There's no nobility with war. It's tear-'em-up destruction that leaves you frustrated, bitter and angry. . . If you really knew what it was like for an hour, you wouldn't want anyone to go through it.

Frustrated, Hour, Nobility, Tears, War

I was born looking older - and I've been aging since I was a teenager.

Aging, Born, Looking, Older, Teenager

That place that no one knows about - horrifying things we keep secret. A lot of that is released through acting.

Acting, Knows, Released, Secret, Things

You make the money in movies and TV so you can do theater. I do a play a year. . . somewhere.

Money, Movies, Play, Tvs, Year, Years

There are many secrets in us, in the depths of our souls, that we don't want anyone to know about.

Depth, Depths, Know, Secret, Secrets, Soul

I think I've done 200 plays and 125 movies, so I've been very lucky to have made a living at acting.

200, Acting, Done, Movies, Play, Thinking

If I had my druthers, I would do only stage work.

Druthers, Ifs, Stage, Work

I was born a character actor.

Actor, Actors, Born, Character

I lack confidence as an actor.

Actor, Actors, Confidence, Lack

Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you don't.

Sometimes, Succeed

I'd like to have a decade of my life back. I dropped into a void for almost a decade.

Back, Decades, Life, Like, Void

I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director.

Argued, Directors, Down, Producer, Producers, Turned Down

I was doing judo before anybody knew it existed in this country.

Country, Existed, Judo

You're out there on a high wire without a net, and that's the way actors operate. They have to be fearless about how they work and they have to create a life for the audience in 90 minutes and make them believe.

Audience, Believe, Fearless, High, Life, Wire

In order for your dreams to come true, you've got to stay awake.

Awake, Come, Dream, Order, Vision

Acting is ephemeral. You can't hang it on a wall. You can't throw it off. And you can't bring it out of a closet. It's there one night and it's gone the next, at least with stage acting anyhow.

Acting, Anyhow, Hang, Night, Stage, Wall