Sebastian Stan

You have license in front of the camera to do things, feel certain emotions that you don't get to in real life. It can be addicting.

The thing that sticks to me most about theater is that because it's such an ape crazy nonstop experience, you really don't have time to think about anything else. You're just really present; you have to be, or else, you know, you can't stop the play.

I specifically remember doing the musical 'Sweet Charity' at Stagedoor. I was playing Vittorio Vidal, which is a very funny part, and some other small roles. I couldn't really sing that well, but there were so many fun bits, and I just remember the tremendous adrenaline rush I felt from being onstage and hearing the audience enjoying it.

Comedy is only funny when there's real pain.

I know, when people are considering me for jobs, sometimes it's, 'Well, you're in a comic-book movie.' And I'm, like, 'But I'm killing myself to try to do the best I can!'

You can't judge a character, and you're never going to always play characters that are morally sound or know right from wrong.

I came here from Romania when I was 12 years old. I had an accent. High school was tough a little bit for a few years. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to be good-looking. I wanted to be popular. I spent a lot of time thinking, 'What are these people going to think of me?'

Working out and working as an actor have gone hand in hand - I always feel more prepared if I know I have done a workout. It gives me confidence - and peace of mind.

Sometimes you don't want to get married too much to a lot of rehearsing, I feel, when it comes to film, because there's so many technicalities. So if I'm in my head, I've gotten settled on something, I'm gonna have to change it if I get there and something was set that's completely different.

There's gotta be a human being in everybody, regardless of what they do or what people think they did.

I always look at auditions as not even getting the job as much as I'm just trying to connect with this casting director so they remember me for next time.

Sometimes with films you have a freedom to be able to, Okay, we got that take so let's try another one where suddenly I'll say this, or you'll get to improv. You can't do that with stage. We have to make it new every time, and also within the structured settings.