"The difference between my generation of actors and their generation is that they were bigger than life. We are not bigger than life"

This quote by Bruce Dern talks to the distinctions between the generations of actors that he has seen in his life time. He is referring to the generation of stars that came prior to him, and how they were bigger than life in contrast to his own generation. He is suggesting that the actors of his generation are not as grandiose or as renowned as the actors of the previous generation. This could be due to the altering times and the different types of roles that are offered to actors today. It could likewise be due to the fact that the actors of his generation are not as widely known or as commonly recognized as the actors of the previous generation. Whatever the reason, Bruce Dern is making a statement about the distinctions in between the generations of stars that he has actually seen in his life time.