Jimmy Stewart Quotes

James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart was an American actor and military officer who is among the most honored and popular stars in film history. A major Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player, Stewart was known for his distinctive drawl and down-to-earth persona, which helped him often portray American middle-class men struggling in crisis. Many of the films he starred in have become enduring classics.

Stewart was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition for The Philadelphia Story , and received an Academy Lifetime Achievement award in 1985. In 1999, Stewart was named the third-greatest male screen legend of the Golden Age of Hollywood by the American Film Institute, behind Humphrey Bogart and Cary Grant. The American Film Institute has also named five of Stewart's films to its list of the 100 best American films ever made.

He also had a noted military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran and pilot, who rose to the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve, becoming the highest-ranking actor in military history.

✵ 20. May 1908 – 2. July 1997
Jimmy Stewart photo
Jimmy Stewart: 11   quotes 1   like

Famous Jimmy Stewart Quotes

“When I got back from the war in 1946 people didn't want the Mr. Smith kind of movie any more, and I refused to make war pictures.”

On how he started doing westerns, as quoted in "Innocent Revisited" in TIME magazine (29 June 1970) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,878861,00.html

“I'm going to be with Gloria now.”

His last words http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/s/Jimmy%20Stewart/jimmy_stewart.htm, about his wife Gloria, who had died in 1994, as quoted in "Morbid Fascination" by Emily Yoffe in Slate (4 December 1997) http://www.slate.com/id/2724

“I've sort of gotten into the habit of looking for the vulnerable guy, the guy who makes mistakes, the guy who can't figure things out all the time but keeps at it.”

On roles he looks for, as quoted in "Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart dead at 89" at CNN (2 July 1997) http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9707/02/stewart.obit.7p/

“I've always been skeptical of people who say they lose themselves in a part.”

As quoted in "Innocent Revisited" in TIME magazine (29 June 1970)
Context: I've always been skeptical of people who say they lose themselves in a part. Someone once came up to Spencer Tracy and asked, "Aren't you tired of always playing Tracy?" Tracy replied, "What am I supposed to do, play Bogart?" You have to develop a style that suits you and pursue it, not just develop a bag of tricks.

Jimmy Stewart Quotes

“You have to develop a style that suits you and pursue it, not just develop a bag of tricks.”

As quoted in "Innocent Revisited" in TIME magazine (29 June 1970)
Context: I've always been skeptical of people who say they lose themselves in a part. Someone once came up to Spencer Tracy and asked, "Aren't you tired of always playing Tracy?" Tracy replied, "What am I supposed to do, play Bogart?" You have to develop a style that suits you and pursue it, not just develop a bag of tricks.

“If you can do a part and not have the acting show.”

A definition of good acting, given in an interview on WNET TV (13 March 1987); sometimes quoted as "It’s well done if you can do a part and not have the acting show."

“Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners.”

As quoted in The Ultimate Writer's Guide to Hollywood (2004) by Skip Press, p. 199

“Hollywood dishes out too much praise for small things I won't let it get me, but too much praise can turn a fellow's head if he doesn't watch his step.”

As quoted in "Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart dead at 89" at CNN (2 July 1997)

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