Lennie James Quotes

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Lennie James

Profession : Actor

Birth : October 11, 1965

When I was growing up and watching 'The Sweeney,' the notion of police officers being an inch away from the villains that they're chasing was commonplace.

Lennie James

I went to an all boys' school in South London and the only god was sport.

Lennie James

One of the things I liked about playing Tony Gates in 'Line of Duty' was that I don't think he gave much thought to justifying his actions until he was under investigation.

Lennie James

I owe 'Jericho' my whole time in America, really. It was a fantastic group of people to work with.

Lennie James

I'm not a broad comic, but I think I can be funny and I think I make people laugh.

Lennie James

I was dreading all of the ghost stories of working on American television, not in the least, the length. In Britain, a series is six episodes of an hour drama, maybe sometimes eight, but never twenty-two, so I was petrified of that.

Lennie James

My thing is, I like playing guys who have a really interesting internal monologue.

Lennie James

I don't usually like talking about acting or what my process is, and all those kinds of things, because I don't necessarily think it's helpful to talk about how I do my job.

Lennie James

I've worked in the theater, television, and films. A five-hour TV series is certainly more time than a character I'd be playing in a film.

Lennie James

I will say that when I first came out to the States to work on 'Jericho,' that was the only time that I've ever been frightened about a job, because in America they tell stories over such a long time, and I was petrified that I'd get bored.

Lennie James

My favorite television show of all time is 'Hill Street Blues.' I think it's the show that is to television what Pele was to football or Muhammad Ali was to boxing.

Lennie James

I've written virtually as long as I've acted, it wasn't a sudden transition. I acted in my first play when I was 16 and I wrote my first play when I was 17.

Lennie James

I'm part of that generation that grew up watching TV, and being an actor was all about being on TV or being in films.

Lennie James

One of the things I learnt over the years is that there is a craft to writing, like there is a craft to acting. I hadn't done my apprenticeship as a writer. I did try to be a writer for hire but I'm not any good at it.

Lennie James

If you look in real life, it is very hard to describe people as good people, bad people, heroes or villains. People aren't bad people. They all have their justifications.

Lennie James

The death penalty in the U.S. has become a political tool - and it should never be that.

Lennie James

'The State Within' demands a certain intelligence from its audience. It doesn't just wash over you - it asks for commitment. And that's a really good thing.

Lennie James

I like arriving somewhere and taking a left when someone tells you to go right. When all the tourist signs are pointing one way, it's exciting to go the other.

Lennie James

I particular enjoy the crime writer, Walter Ellis Mosley. He does a series of Chandler-esque detective stories.

Lennie James

I did a film once in the Sahara. It was pretty awe-inspiring. I remember sitting up on the roof of our hotel, watching the sun go down, and all around me, for 360 degrees, was nothing but sand. It took your breath away but also made you feel tiny.

Lennie James