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I didn't aspire to be just a celebrity; I aspired to be an actress... I always wanted to be respected as someone who knew their craft.
Viola Davis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Viola Davis emphasizes the importance of skill and respect over mere fame.

In this quote, Viola Davis expresses her ambition to achieve genuine respect and mastery in her craft as an actress rather than simply seeking celebrity status. She highlights the value of being recognized for one’s abilities and hard work in the artistic field, suggesting that true fulfillment comes from skill and dedication rather than fleeting fame.

Themes

SuccessRespectCraftActingCelebrity

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about artistic integrity, you might say, 'As Viola Davis once stated, it's not enough to be a celebrity; we must earn respect through our craft.'

More from Viola Davis

The more I'm pushed in a position of leadership and I know I have to be the mouthpiece for so many other people who can't speak for themselves, the more confidence I'm gaining.
Viola DavisRead
What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
Viola DavisRead
I don't care if someone is new to acting or experienced in acting: you always learn something from them. It's just like people in life - whether they're young or middle-aged or old, you always learn something from someone.
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I don't see a lot of narratives written where a woman who looks like me gets to be beautiful and sexualized and upwardly mobile, middle-class, funny, quirky. They're very seldom written.
Viola DavisRead
And that's what people want to see when they go to the theater. I believe at the end of the day, they want to see themselves - parts of their lives they can recognize. And I feel if I can achieve that, it's pretty spectacular.
Viola DavisRead
There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.
Viola DavisRead

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