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Love Quote by Kim Basinger

"I love to be nervous before a scene"

About this Quote

Nerves, in Kim Basinger's telling, aren't a symptom to be cured; they're proof the work still matters. "I love to be nervous before a scene" flips the usual celebrity narrative where confidence is currency and fear is a PR flaw. Basinger turns anxiety into a kind of craft tool: a live wire that keeps performance from calcifying into technique. The verb "love" is doing heavy lifting here. It's not "I get nervous" or "I hate being nervous". It's an embrace of vulnerability as an ingredient, the same way an athlete might welcome soreness as evidence of training.

The subtext is a quiet rebuke to the myth of the effortless star. Acting culture rewards the illusion of ease, especially for actresses who are expected to look composed while being evaluated from every angle. Admitting nerves punctures that fantasy and replaces it with something more honest: presence is earned, not gifted. Before a scene, you're not just reciting lines; you're negotiating exposure, judgment, and the risk that the moment won't land. Nervousness becomes a heightened awareness of stakes.

Context matters because Basinger has long carried an on-screen aura of cool control while, off-screen, she has been open about shyness and anxiety. The line reads as a survival strategy turned philosophy: if the fear is inevitable, make it your ally. It's also a way of defending spontaneity. Nerves keep the scene from becoming a rerun of yesterday's choices, forcing the actor to listen harder, react faster, and stay porous to whatever the other performer gives.

Quote Details

TopicMovie
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Basinger, Kim. (2026, January 15). I love to be nervous before a scene. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-love-to-be-nervous-before-a-scene-170587/

Chicago Style
Basinger, Kim. "I love to be nervous before a scene." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-love-to-be-nervous-before-a-scene-170587/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I love to be nervous before a scene." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-love-to-be-nervous-before-a-scene-170587/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.

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I love to be nervous before a scene - Kim Basinger
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Kim Basinger (born December 8, 1953) is a Actress from USA.

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