Time & Perspective Quote by Thomas Haden Church

There is a particular kind of actor-speak that sounds like hesitation but is really a handshake, and Thomas Haden Church nails it here. "But at the same time" is the softener: a verbal shrug that signals he knows the question behind the question (Are you done with this? Are you available? Are you still hungry?). It buys him room to be noncommittal without shutting any doors. Then the sentence pivots into speed: "if the right thing came along, I would do it in a second". That sudden acceleration is the tell. He wants to project selectiveness and eagerness at once, the sweet spot in a business where appearing desperate can cost you, but appearing aloof can make you forgettable.

The subtext is less about artistic purity than about leverage. "The right thing" is deliberately vague, a floating signifier that can mean a great script, a respected director, a paycheck, a fun set, a role with awards heat, or simply the chance to avoid another year of being "the guy from that one thing". Church has built a career on being the quietly magnetic supporting presence, so the line also protects his brand: he's not chasing; he's waiting for quality.

Contextually, it reads like a response to the perennial comeback/reboot/sequel question that haunts mid-career actors. The charm is how it keeps him human. He admits he's open to surprise, to opportunity, to momentum - but on terms he gets to define, at least rhetorically.