Vin Diesel Quotations

If you had asked me back in grade school what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said my first choice was an actor, but if I couldn't be that, I'd want to be a superhero.

If you're the type of person who has to fulfill your dreams, you've gotta be resourceful to make sure you can do it. I came out to California when I was 21, thinking my New York credentials would take me all the way. I came back home a year later all dejected and a failure.

If you take my performance or my understanding of the role and my appreciation for story and then dress it in CGI, that I guess becomes an action film.

You break her heart, I'll break your neck.

The video game culture was an important thing to keep alive in the film because we're in a new era right now. The idea that kids can play video games like Grand Theft Auto or any video game is amazing. The video games are one step before a whole other virtual universe.

You live these three months in this reality, in this dark reality. You don't want to do those films every year because they're taxing. I started smoking a lot of cigarettes.

It would be flattering to call it a modern Dirty Harry, but I think this film deals more with the loss of his wife than the traditional revenge vigilante films.

I'm not really afraid of the dark, except if I'm walking. The thing that scares me the most is the possibility of walking into a wall and busting my lip.

It was interesting to do a completely fictional piece. You know, Saving Private Ryan was not a fictional piece! So the challenge was: How do you incorporate real emotions? How do you incorporate aspects that people are going to be able to identify with?

I haven't had that many weird encounters with fans, thank God.

The whole year I was in LA I got into telemarketing and learned how to make money. Five years later that skill helped me make my first film.

I am flattered that they think that many people would enjoy my work. I don't approach any genre a different way than I may approach another one. I treat every role I do like a role worthy of applying whatever kind of tactic, process and talent I have.

The thing that stood out above and beyond all the experiences was this relationship with the nine-month-old baby. On weekends, I'd be thinking about going back to set on Monday just to see the baby.

I was walking around with the babies so much that when I got to the Sidney Lumet picture, I would be on set in between takes and I'd be rocking back and forth. Just standing like this rocking back and forth, and Sidney would say, Why are you walking like that in between takes?

My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you.

No, I haven't heard from them. And I don't want to. I just went in, did the film and moved to the Alps.

I live my life a quarter mile at a time.For those ten seconds or least I'm free nothing else matter

I said a 10 second, not a 10 minute car.

It doesn't matter if you win by a second or a mile, winning is winning!

Usually, you want to go all the way when the subject matter or topic speaks to you so much that you have these scenes playing out in your head all the time. That's usually a pretty good indication that you need to find a way to make it.

You are in my good graces, but you ain't keepen your car.

That was a dream. As an actor, you find yourself studying the performances of actors you've admired in the past, and so often those performances were in Sidney Lumet movies. When I directed my first short film, 'Multi-Facial,' I bought a book by Sidney Lumet called 'Making Movies,' and that book actually gave me the confidence to direct. So this was coming full circle, 10 years later, into the master's program, with the master.

There are a lot of films that explore sci-fi, ... What attracted me to the script is the fact that this film stands on its own. The characters and their relationships are interesting by themselves, without the creature element. In many ways it's a modern day 'Lord of the Flies.'

This woman comes from the darkness into the spotlight and says, 'Get down here right this minute!'

With The Wheelman we have created the first integrated franchise being launched for both the gaming and film industries. In collaborating with Midway, MTV and Paramount, TIGON Studios has brought together an incredible team to execute this project.

What are you talking about? Are you sure you know what youre talking about? I dont hate anybody!

Find Me Guilty protects the career 20 years from now. Which is why you say, 'No, I'm not going to do the big action film. I'm going to do this little thing which is all Sidney. No money, just Sidney. Because what I can get learning-wise, experience-wise will allow me to be a working actor in my 60s and in my 70s.

Every thing is doing my why no highway way option do you copy

You're not afraid of the dark, are you?

I had spent my life studying these guys, looking up to them, watching their work. Now I was able to have my work watched over by the same guy who was watching them? So that was an easy choice.

I had never played a real-life character. All the characters that I'd played before were fictitious. So I'd spent all this time creating the affectations and amassing all of the attributes and characteristics and mannerisms, and then Jackie came to the set the first day of filming. I kicked everyone else out of my trailer, and we started to talk. He told me, in his own words, just for him and I, what the whole story was about for him and what that trial meant to him. After that meeting, all of the work that had gone into building the mannerisms and attributes seemed secondary. The most important element was to understand and believe in his cause.

Oh, I have no idea. I doubt it. What was your name and where do you live? I just want them to know that you asked about that. I didn't bring it up.

Then I went to Europe and returned to the preparation of the Hannibal character. So I went hiking up into the Alps. I was deeply engaged in weapons training, riding elephants.

You think this is a game? ... I could be with thousands of girls if I wanted to, but I want to be with you.

It was an important lesson for me to learn, ... to be thorough, to finish what you start.

The honest reason was my niece and nephew weren't allowed to see Uncle Vin movies, and they're my biggest fans. I guess I got a little sick of, 'No, you can't come to this one; no, you can't come to that one.' And they're, 'But I saw the poster, Uncle Vin!' 'No, your father won't let you see this one.' And so I decided to make a Disney movie. It was an opportunity to do a picture for the kids.

The film describes him as this convicted killer, but doesn't give any explanation or justification for it,

You can't say anything - you'll ruin me! If Hollywood finds out I'm planning a trilogy I'll be buried!

All movie magic! Two hours of makeup every morning.

You have to live Plan A-on any level. Make it a lowercase a if you have to, but live your Plan A. Anything else belittles the importance of life.

The more you know about the Dungeons and Dragons, the more you'll see the thought process that went into the Chronicles of Riddick mythology.

This is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

It wasn't until I went to college and I got my first motorcycle that I understood the thrill of speed.

They say the open road helps you think. About where you've been and where you're going.

Find your confidence, lead with love... the rest will follow.

I shaved my head about 15 years ago and the first time I shaved it, I started running my hand through my hair and it was very therapeutic.

Show me how you drive and I'll show you who you are.

With age, you get to a place where you don't want to knock people out. You just want to give people a hug.

Being male is a matter of birth. Being a man is a matter of age. But being a Gentleman is a matter of choice.

IT don't matter if you win by an inch or a milewinning is winning!!

It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams.

A person in my position has to restrain himself.

You know when something feels so good but you're afraid to feel good about it? So you kinda hold back? Everyone says, Congratulations, you must be so happy. And you say something stupid like, I'm just doing what little I can with what little I have.

I could care less about being an action actor like Stallone or Schwarzenegger.

The most important thing in life will always be family. The people right here, right now.

You make movies for the people. If critics happen to like them too, well, that's a home run.

When people believe in you, you can do miraculous things.

I'm a boy who appreciates a good body, regardless of the make.

I always want another actor to shine in my scene because it makes the film stronger. I would encourage people to scene steal, because filmmaking is a collaborative effort.

I used to say I live my life a quarter mile at a time and I think that's why we were brothers- because you did, too. No matter where you are, whether it's a quarter mile away or half way across the world. The most important thing in life, will always be the people in this room. Salute mi familia. You'll always be with me... And you'll always be my brother.

I grew up the son of an acting teacher but I've never been really good at articulating what that process is. It was always a bit more internal.

I was the oldest of the children in my family. I had to do a lot of diaper-changing and lunch-making. I was taking my little sister to ballet, picking up my brother, sort of being a super-nanny.

You get a timeless cool card in New York.

When I got on the set of 'Saving Private Ryan,' I discovered, to my amazement, that Steven Spielberg is a gamer.

Well, love motivates me in everything I do.

Film is my hobby, so I will work well through the night to develop films, whatever film I'm doing or dream projects I have.

The idea of exploring character relations and their development over a decade has to be appealing for any actor who cherishes his craft.

It's really bizarre because no one knows this, but elephants have killed more animal trainers than any other animal.

If you think about my filmography, I have never done a movie that a kid could go see, except for 'Iron Giant,' and I'm not even on the screen.

If it's an amazing role, I'll do anything.

I love women more than anything.

The only way anyone knows which girl I'm with is if a one-night stand goes on 'Howard Stern.'

I am definitely a person of color.

I do practice martial arts, more as a recreational thing, but a lot of my friends have been heavyweight champions the in mixed martial arts world.

My mother is the most supportive mother in the world, she's magical.

My mom used to say that I became a fighter and a scrapper and a tough guy to protect who I am at my core.

I grew up with all kinds of people.

I always have issues with trust.

I love thinking about the film, the project and committing myself as much as possible.

I've directed independent film.

I've been auditioning since I was 7 years old.

I was a bouncer for ten years in New York City.

A transvestite spends her entire life trying to look as feminine as possible and I have clearly spent mine celebrating my masculinity.

When you come onto the set, everything should be focused around your character and you should stay in the pocket, as much as possible. Every actor has their own process. For me, I really need to stay in the pocket.

It's very rewarding to see the movie, and it's very rewarding to make the movie, but playing the character [Riddick] is sometimes a lot more difficult than other characters because it takes so much preparation to get into that character.

I'm going to do my best to channel the character on a spiritual level.

I would love to do more science fiction. I always envisioned the Riddick franchise as a continuing mythology, so I always imagined that there would be many other films to follow.

We've come a long way, from where we've been. I'll tell you all about it when I see you again.

Any film that you see is never just the director. If it's a film that you love, it's not so easy to say, "Oh it's directed by this person - that means everything that person directs is going be wonderful."

The first thing that happens is the cleansing of the former character. I don't think a lot of actors talk about it, but there is usually a process where you essentially purge yourself of the character played prior to the movie. Then you want to think about what the character represents, and you write down all of the elements about this character and then take the time to find some synchronicity and start breathing the character.

If I'm on set and I'm in character, I'm not thinking like a producer. If I'm on set and I'm not in character, wardrobe and make-up, and I'm just coming on set for the moments that I'm not shooting, then I'm able to be the producer.

I always have issues. I'm a New Yorker. I always have issues with trust - you adopt it from being a New Yorker. I think trust is something that comes from the gut. I don't think it's anything specific. I don't think it's anything tangible.

When I'm writing, I'm locking myself in a room. I'm the worst critic in the world. I write something and then I beat myself up. I'm like "Vin, you're retarded, that makes no sense."

Of course, I don't act in an extreme fashion in my day to day life. I don't think any of us live do. I think we all have that reserve somewhere and we pull upon it when we need it.

I believe in paying special attention to every project that you do and supporting the projects you do.

If you believe in the project, you have to support it.

I'm not disciplined enough to be a writer consistently. I write when I have to.

Choosing the car you drive is like choosing your wardrobe, maybe even more important.

I'm a perfectionist. I'm very critical, especially artistically.

Filmmaking is such a collaborative piece of art that you can't look to one person - you couldn't look to me, you couldn't say, 'Because Vin's in it, it's this or that...' It's really all of us coming together for that period of time to try and make magic.