The first long chapter of my career was almost entirely theater so that, by the time I was 30, 35, I sort of knew who I was as an actor, and I was gradually learning who I was as a human being.
John LithgowRead
I do think - I always tell that to young people - go to college, do theater, work with an audience. Don't try to learn how to act in front of millions and millions of people. Don't make that your first ambition, to be on a sitcom or get into the movies. Learn who you are as an actor, and the best way to do that is to do it in front of an audience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gaining experience in acting through live performance is essential for personal growth as an actor.
John Lithgow emphasizes the importance of hands-on experience in acting, particularly through live theater. He advises young actors to focus on developing their craft and understanding themselves in front of an audience rather than aiming for immediate fame in film or television. This approach fosters a deeper connection to the art and a more authentic performance.
Themes
ActingTheaterAudienceExperienceSelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech at a drama school, a teacher quoted Lithgow to inspire students to focus on theater.
More from John Lithgow
All quotes →If you're an actor, you tend to fool yourself into thinking you're much younger than you are because you're playing parts and behaving like a child all the time.
John LithgowRead
It's wonderful to play a villain who gets a laugh or to stop a comedy dead in its tracks with a touching moment. It's kind of like a symphony that has very different movements.
John LithgowRead
I am a storyteller, and the stories I tell are, when I'm lucky, really good ones. It's a very exciting thing to do with your life, and that's, I think, what keeps me hopeful.
John LithgowRead
One of the things you learn as an actor is that human beings are capable of almost anything. I'm sort of in the business of illustrating that fact.
John LithgowRead
The essence of comedy, drama, and horror is surprise. I have an uncanny ability to surprise people because they look at my face, and they don't know where I'm going.
John LithgowRead
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