I believe in absolute realism as I believe in absolute individualism. I do on the stage that which I would do in a room under the same circumstances, precisely that. If necessary to get an impression over the footlights I do not exaggerate the gesture, the tone, the facial expression. I dislike the word, and the falseness behind it. What I try to do is emphasize it by a longer pause, a deeper tone, a greater fixedness of expression.
Realism is the standard of modern art.
She says it is not necessary to feel, yet I have seen her shed real tears on the stage, and that is a difficult feat without feeling. My aim is to play homely characters in a homely way, for such characters and such interpretations are big and human. I study human nature subjectively rather than objectively. If I had to play a character of whose manner of life I know nothing, I would go out and find the type and study it. But I have never yet had to do that.