Ian Richardson Biography
Ian William Richardson CBE (7 April 1934 – 9 February 2007) was a Scottish actor, best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ian Richardson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Ian Richardson Movies
Ian Richardson TV Shows
Ian Richardson Quotes
Belief in Self vs. Belief in Revolution
Marquis de Sade:
It's easy to get mass movements moving. Movements that move in vicious circles. I don't believe in idealists who charge down blind alleys. I don't believe in any of the sacrifices that have been made for any cause. I believe only in myself.
Jean-Paul Marat:
I believe in the Revolution! We have routed out the old tyrants, and now we have new tyrants. But still I believe in the Revolution. The spoils have been grabbed by businessman, middle-men, financiers, salesmen, operators, manipulators. But the Revolution must continue.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Compassion and Action in Revolutionary Thought
Marquis de Sade:
Compassion. Now, Marat, you are talking like an aristocrat. Compassion is the property of the privileged classes. When the pitier lowers himself to give to a beggar, he throbs with contempt. To protect his riches he pretends to be moved, and his gift to the beggar amounts to no more than a kick. No, Marat, no small emotions, please, your feelings were never petty. For you just as for me, only the most extreme actions matter.
Jean-Paul Marat:
If I am extreme I am not extreme in the same way as you. Against Nature’s silence I use action. In the vast indifference I invent a meaning. I don’t watch unmoved, I intervene and say that this and this are wrong, and I work to alter them and improve them. The important thing is to pull yourself up by your own hair, to turn yourself inside out and see the whole world with fresh eyes.
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
