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Raymond Burr said that his size helped his acting career
"I find then that most people tend to agree with what I say."
In roles like Perry Mason and Robert T. Ironside, Raymond Burr certainly captivated audiences of crime dramas everywhere. Much of that has to do with his acting ability, but Burr had the physical look of a morally upright authority figure that would perk anyone's interest.
Apparently, Burr was well aware of this and spoke to the Leicester Chronicle about how he felt his size assisted in his portrayal of characters like Perry Mason. Burr, who was over six feet tall, was able to utilize his size to his advantage when playing characters that commanded attention.
Burr stated, "I find my size helps." However, when playing Robert Ironside, the role required a great deal of sitting in a wheelchair, which Burr acknowledged. He said, "I'm not a good sitter. At my size, you are at your best vertical or horizontal. So when I sit, I straighten my back and pull myself high in a chair. I find then that most people tend to agree with what I say."
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However, appearances obviously aren't everything, and Burr later described himself as having "confidence but very little ego." While Burr's size made it easy for those around him to notice him, he still lent himself to a series of ethics and priorities that did most of the work in garnering respect from his fellow actors and audiences everywhere.
Burr said, "I'm a punctual person because I hate to keep others waiting or complicate their lives. About the only thing which gets me really mad is when people don't turn up at the promised time." Still, Burr made sure that he had a healthy balance of work and fun. He added, "I won't be a slave to the clock — that way you are so keen on keeping to the daily ritual that you miss sunsets and dawns and the beautiful things around."
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7 Comments
Take some of his quotes what a grain of salt, because Burr often misdirected people away from his private life and elaborated on, or flatly made up other 'facts' to suit his needs... but still, he was a great actor - and so far *no one* could be Perry Mason like he was...
