not Method acting

[watervole]

Dear Lazyweb,

Google has failed me, and my fingers are too sore to search further.  (I'm using my voice dictation system this morning) I'm trying to recall a conversation by a famous actor, when another actor was boring him by a lengthy description of method acting.  When the other man asked him what he did, his put-down was something along the lines of "I act".

Does this strike any bells with anyone?  Or can anyone recall a similar quote?

added - Many thanks to all those who managed to pschically realise what it was my brain was trying to remember.  Olivier and Hoffmann in Marathon Man.

Comments

[highstone.livejournal.com]

I heard something similar by way of a reported conversation between Laurence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman on the set of 'Marathon Man'.

Tiring of Hoffman's lengthy preparation to get 'into' a scene, Olivier reputedly said "Have you tried acting it dear boy?"

[frandowdsofa.livejournal.com]

It's an old story about Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Olivier, from the set of Marathon Man. Hoffman turned up one day looking awful, he had been up for 24 hours straight because his character had. Olivier is supposed to have said "Try acting, dear boy". The exact Olivier quote varies. Hoffman has apparently tried to downplay it over the years, claiming he'd actually been out clubbing. Olivier had no patience for the Method, it was one of his longterm animosities with Gielgud.

Apparently whenever Hoffman makes a mistake on set, someone always mutters the line.

[reapermum.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074860/trivia) perhaps?

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Laurence Olivier on Robert de Niro

What do I win?

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Damn. Half right

[watervole.livejournal.com]

That's the one! Thanks.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Bingo!