John Goodman Talks Rehearsing and Learning Lines

"You just have to trust it — a lot more than I trust myself.”

How does John Goodman memorize lines?

John Goodman is starring in Waiting For Godot on Broadway. It’s his first stage role in 4 years and he admits, its hard to get back on the boards.

From the New York Times:

Talking about the early rehearsals Mr. Goodman said: “I was beating my head against the wall. I was trying to hang myself in the jail cell. I couldn’t learn my lines. I came in with them, but I have to know what I’m doing before I can really say them. So I knew them, but they didn’t want to come out, and I worried about holding everyone else up.”

“Right now I feel I need to bring things down a bit. I don’t trust myself to make things clear. It’s just a matter of rocking back and trusting the material and the people I’m with.”

He went on to say, “Pozzo is one of those fortunate roles. It’s not quite actor-proof, but it’s been playing so well. The house is listening. The language is beautiful. You just have to trust it — a lot more than I trust myself.”

Leave a Reply

Scroll to Top