Can't live and breathe a character all the time: Jimmy Sheirgill

Jimmy Sheirgill describes himself as an actor sans the "method" and someone who consciously chose to walk away from the sticky mould of a chocolate boy.

The actor says his takeaway from over a 20-year-long career is that he slides in and out of a role when he is out of the camera frame.

"I wouldn't call myself a method actor. Method acting is a deeper concept. You have to constantly be that character. You move like him, talk and behave like him till the time you're shooting the film.

"I can't be living and breathing my characters all the time. That's not been my learning. When there's a break, you're out of the costume... You're out of the character. But when the shoot's on, you do your job with sincerity and honesty," Sheirgill told PTI in an interview.

The 47-year-old actor, who started off with films such as "Maachis", "Mohabbattein", "Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai" and "Dil Hai Tumhara", says he reconsidered his decision of taking up "less prominent", "meatier" roles early in his career.

"I knew I had to try out something's else, that's why I moved to films like "Haasil", "Munna Bhai MBBS", "A Wednesday!", "Yahaan", "Tanu Weds Manu"...

"But at some point, when I started doing this I was a little insecure. Am I doing the right thing by switching tracks? But now looking back after 10-15 years, I'm glad I took that decision."