"My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net - because you stop and go over it again. It's very technical and mechanical. On stage you're on your own"
About this Quote
The “net” of film isn’t an insult, but it is a demystification. Wallach punctures the glamour with shop-floor language: “technical and mechanical.” That’s not bitterness; it’s the perspective of someone who’s done both and refuses to confuse artistry with atmosphere. Film, in his telling, is engineered performance - modular, repeatable, corrected in the edit. The net is money, time, and the ability to pretend mistakes never happened.
Then comes the blunt punchline: “On stage you’re on your own.” Subtext: theater makes you responsible in a way movies can dilute. There’s no cut, no coverage, no rescue by the director’s choices. The actor must generate the entire electrical circuit in real time, alongside other bodies, in front of strangers who can feel every wobble. It’s also a quiet statement of values from a mid-century performer: craft is measured not by perfection, but by what you can hold when there’s nothing underneath you.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Wallach, Eli. (n.d.). My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net - because you stop and go over it again. It's very technical and mechanical. On stage you're on your own. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-wife-says-that-stage-acting-is-like-being-on-a-59045/
Chicago Style
Wallach, Eli. "My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net - because you stop and go over it again. It's very technical and mechanical. On stage you're on your own." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-wife-says-that-stage-acting-is-like-being-on-a-59045/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My wife says that stage acting is like being on a tightrope with no net, and being in the movies, there is a net - because you stop and go over it again. It's very technical and mechanical. On stage you're on your own." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-wife-says-that-stage-acting-is-like-being-on-a-59045/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.




