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Quote by Viola Davis

“I don't think most people understand acting, even the people who call themselves savvy, even actors.”

Author

American actress known for her exceptional performances in theater, film, and television. Her success in both the Broadway and television worlds has made her the first African American actress to win a Tony, Emmy, and Academy Award. more

“Most actors don't understand acting. I think it's an art form that craft is out the window. I don't think people get it at all, most of the time. Or they get some of it, not all of it. If you get an Academy Award nomination, you think 95 percent of the profession is unemployed at any given time, most people will never even find work as an actor, and the ones who do will probably make $50,000 a year at the most if they're lucky. Some will never do Broadway. Some will never do a major role. And a really, really, really small percentage of them maybe will be nominated for a major award.”

People Ifs Thinking Years Art Form Actors Given Acting Roles Lucky Majors Percent Window Profession Crafts Awards Broadway Percentages Academy Unemployed Nominations Academy Awards

Author:Viola Davis

“There are all these awards that you've never heard of, and you get nominated, and suddenly you're at these awards shows, so you really don't care if you win. You really don't. You're going there, you're getting dressed up. And then you get to the awards show, and you sit down. You walk the red carpet. Everybody loves you. It's great. You sit down, and all of a sudden your category comes up, and you get nervous. And it's a complicated emotion, because it's not like you absolutely want to win, but then you don't want to lose.”

“Even when I go shopping, I don't shop as a woman. The only time I shop is when I need something, and I'm in and out in less than 30 minutes, so I have no energy to look at 50 million gowns and styles and make sketches and think about heels. I'm not girly in that way. I'm relying on the stylist to do 99 percent of the work.”

Thinking Way Needs Looks Energy Millions Minutes Style Percent Shops Shopping Heels Only Time Gowns Stylist Girly No Energy

Author:Viola Davis

“You see all the young girls, and they're so skinny. I actually don't even twirl anymore. They say, "Twirl, let us see your back." I just tell 'em, "I do not twirl. If you want to see my back, when I walk away, you can take a picture of it. I'm not twirling." You know, I twirled once, and I almost fell. It looks ridiculous. So I said I'm not twirling anymore.”

Ifs Knows Want Looks Said Young Girl Walks Ridiculous Ems Skinny Back When Twirling

Author:Viola Davis

“Every artist, true artist, struggles with an overwhelming sense of feeling like you're not worthy.”

Feelings Artist Struggle Like You Worthy Overwhelming True Artists Not Worthy

Author:Viola Davis

“Actor is just a strange profession, it really is, that you could be in front of the same people for years, and all of a sudden one thing happens, and it finally clicks.”

People Years Happens Actors One Thing Fronts Strange Profession Things Happen Clicks

Author:Viola Davis

“Just because I was 30 doesn't mean I was grown. God, I was such an idiot. I was an absolute idiot at 30. And I grew up.”

Mean Grew Grew Up Absolutes Idiot

Author:Viola Davis

“I think that enjoying the fruits of one's labor is very different than arrogance. And when I was younger, I didn't know the difference. I thought that if you were gracious, that meant that you somehow were getting ahead of yourself. And I felt self-deprecation kept you balanced.”

Ifs Thinking Knows Different Self Felt Enjoy Differences Labor Fruit Arrogance Balanced Gracious Self Deprecation

Author:Viola Davis

“Self-deprecation is not an answer to keeping one's balance. I think that it's very damaging.”

Thinking Self Answers Balance Self Deprecation

Author:Viola Davis

“I've never been one of those who is attracted to straight men. Like I always said, 'you're straight, so there's no point' and I have friends who are pursuers of the heterosexual men. They see it as conquests, which I think is a different thing and a more narcissistic thing. And not necessarily a healthy thing.”

Thinking Men Said Different Healthy Different Things Conquest No Point Narcissistic

Author:Bryan Fuller

Quote by Viola Davis

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