On Acting


On Acting is a book by Laurence Olivier. It was first published in 1986 when the actor was 79 years old. It consists partly of autobiographical reminiscences, partly of reflections on the actor's vocation.

Contents

Prologue
Part One: Before the Curtain
1. Beginnings
2. Lessons from the Past
Part Two: The Great Shakespearean Roles
3. Hamlet
4. Henry V
5. Macbeth
6. Richard III
7. King Lear
8. Othello
9. Antony and Cleopatra
10. The Merchant of Venice
Part Three: Contemporary Influences
11. Knights of the Theatre
12. Breakthrough
13. Colossus of the Drama
Part Four: The Silver Screen
14. Early Hollywood
15. Shakespeare on Film
16. In Front of the Camera
Part Five: Reflections
17. On Acting
Epilogue: A Letter to a Young Actress
List of Performances
Index

Quotations

From the essay 'On Acting'

From Part Two

On Antony and Cleopatra:
On Antony:
Why Othello is such a difficult part:

From various other parts