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 look around, and 50 percent of the big-budget entertainment you are seeing these days is dystopian. This is the era of 'Hunger Games' and blasted landscapes and 'The Walking Dead.'
Interpretation
What this quote means
The current entertainment landscape often reflects dystopian themes, showcasing a darker view of society.
John Lithgow's quote highlights the prevalent trend in modern entertainment, particularly in films and television, where dystopian narratives have become increasingly popular. By referencing well-known works such as 'Hunger Games' and 'The Walking Dead,' he points out how these stories often explore themes of survival, societal collapse, and moral ambiguity, which resonate with contemporary audiences amid global uncertainties.
Themes
DystopiaEntertainmentSocietySurvivalThemes
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on current films, I pointed out how dystopian narratives reflect our anxieties about the future.
More from John Lithgow
All quotes →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.
John LithgowRead
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
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