“Look, I'm a person, an individual with a character and part of my character is about what I believe in and part of my beliefs obviously is a religious conviction. I simply hesitate whenever I get drawn into this territory because I have found, over time, that it either leads to people misunderstanding the basis upon which you are taking decisions or it leads to people trying to colonise God or religion for one particular political position. I make no claims to that at all.”

— Tony Blair

BBC Newsnight http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/1988874.stm
Interview with Jeremy Paxman, 16 May 2002.
2000s

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "Look, I'm a person, an individual with a character and part of my character is about what I believe in and part of my b…" by Tony Blair?

Tony Blair 75

former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1953

Related quotes

“What do I believe? As an American I believe in generosity, in liberty, in the rights of man. These are social and political faiths that are part of me, as they are, I suppose, part of all of us. Such beliefs are easy to express. But part of me too is my relation to all life, my religion. And this is not so easy to talk about. Religious experience is highly intimate and, for me, ready words are not at hand. I am profoundly aware of the magnitude of the universe, that all is ruled by law, including my finite person. I believe in the infinite wisdom that envelops and embraces me and from which I take direction, purpose, strength.”

Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965) mid-20th-century Governor of Illinois and Ambassador to the UN

Essay in This I Believe : 2 (1952) edited by Edward R. Murrow, p. 142

“When you get older, as a leading lady it gets harder…You try not to have someone else upstage or take the shine. When I play character roles I am usually playing people who are slightly over the top, so that goes fine.”

Jane Seymour (1951) English-American actress

On staying the course as a leading lady in “Jane Seymour: 'I try not to let anyone upstage me'” https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/jane-seymour-i-try-not-to-let-anyone-upstage-me/ in The Telegraph (2016 Apr 10)

“I truly wanted to be a character actor. People ask me, ‘When are you going to get the lead?’ and I say, ‘I don’t want the lead.’ I always use John Carradine – I don’t know why – but John Carradine to me was more of the classic character actor who would literally show up and do three lines in a big Hollywood movie and then have a bigger part in the sequel to The Invisible Man. That career is so great. That is part of my… I don’t know if it’s a set plan, but I always seem to follow that course.”

Kevin J. O'Connor (actor) (1963) American actor

Exclusive Interview: Kevin J O'Connor http://www.chud.com/14305/exclusive-interview-kevin-j-oconnor-there-will-be-blood-dvd/ (April 8, 2008)

“I almost never go to temples. I don't find the time. I'm not religious in that sense. My religion is my music. Lord Krishna is my God. Whenever I want to pray, whenever I want to meditate and concentrate, I take my flute. I can feel God. The feeling is difficult to explain, but I feel lost when I'm in it.”

Hariprasad Chaurasia (1938) Indian bansuri player

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia in Hinduism Today

“I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor. You don't want any woman to look under the carpet because there's lots of flaws underneath. Joanne believes my character in a film we did together, "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" comes closest to who I really am. I personally don't think there's one character who comes close… but I learned a long time ago not to disagree on things that I don't have a solid opinion about.”

Paul Newman (1925–2008) American actor and film director

Quoted in Craig Modderno, "Newman remains animated at 81," Reuters (2006-06-12)

“I feel most spiritual when I'm out in the woods. I feel part of nature. Or looking up at the stars. [I used to say] I was an atheist. Now I say, it's all according to your definition of God. According to my definition of God, I'm not an atheist. Because I think God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes I'm looking at God. Whenever I'm listening to something I'm listening to God.”

Pete Seeger (1919–2014) American folk singer

"Pete Seeger's Session" http://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/music/2006/08/pete-seegers-session?p=2, a Beliefnet interview (2006)

“Me personally and professionally, I haven't been that outspoken about race and class, partly because it's in my work, but in part because I don't want to get hate mail. I'm sick of trying to talk to people. I don't think you can change people. I think people have to be forced to do the right thing, so I'm not interested in trying to change people's opinion. I can illuminate, and you can see if you like. And if you can't see it, then just go buy the next book. But I'm sorry, I'm no longer interested in trying to be nice about what is right, because that doesn't work.”

James McBride (writer) (1957) American journalist

On letting his work speak regarding race and class in “James McBride Says Fiction Writing Allows Him More Freedom” https://www.npr.org/2017/10/01/554933082/james-mcbride-says-fiction-writing-allows-him-more-freedom in NPR (2017 Oct 1)

“Let me always remember that it is not the amount of religious knowledge which I have, but the amount which I use, that determines my religious position and character.”

Alexander Maclaren (1826–1910) British minister

Quote reported in Josiah Hotchkiss Gilbert, Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895) p. 365.

“I feel like the script to Nightmare 4 is so tender hearted and thought out. I completely related to that character. That’s me in grade school, junior high, etc. Daydreamer, all I did was read books all summer long, looking out the window at the cute guy playing soccer in the backyard. Literally I was Alice. That was my life, so I completely related to the character and I think a lot of us can relate to the character at times in our life when we just want to be part of the wall. We just want to be wallpaper and not bring attention to ourselves and disappear into fantasy worlds. I believe a lot of people, at least a lot of people have told me that they really related to that character. But at one point in life, you have to make a decision to stand up for yourself and stand up for those that you love.”

Lisa Wilcox (1964) American actress

Lisa Wilcox Interview: Clinger, Nightmare on Elm Street and Star Trek: The Next Generation http://www.nerdreport.com/2015/10/22/lisa-wilcox-interview-clinger-nightmare-on-elm-street-and-star-trek-the-next-generation/ (October 22, 2015)

“I think people don't expect a lot from me. I'm trying to think at what age I noticed it was more about how I looked and less about what I do, but to me that was never the interesting part about me. I had nothing to do with my looks.”

Katherine Heigl (1978) American actress and film producer

Allure magazine (2007)

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Tony Blair 75

Related quotes

Related topics