It took me two years to walk around a chair with ease; it took me another two years to learn how to laugh onstage - and I had to learn everything.
Laurence OlivierRead
I don't know what is better than the work that is given to the actor - to teach the human heart the knowledge of itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The actor's role is to help others understand and explore their own emotions and humanity.
Laurence Olivier emphasizes the unique position of the actor in society, asserting that their work transcends mere performance. Instead, it serves a deeper purpose by fostering an understanding of human emotions and experiences, inviting audiences to reflect on their own hearts and lives through the lens of storytelling and acting.
Themes
ActingHuman HeartEmotionsSelf-DiscoveryTheater
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared at an acting workshop to inspire aspiring actors.
More from Laurence Olivier
All quotes βWhat is the main problem of the actor? It is to keep the audience awake, and not let them go to sleep, then wake up and go home feeling they've wasted their money.
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Work is life for me, it is the only point of life - and with it there is almost religious belief that service is everything.
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Acting is an everlasting search for truth.
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I'd like people to remember me for a diligent expert workman. I think a poet is a workman. I think Shakespeare was a workman. And God's a workman. I don't think there's anything better than a workman.
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Nine books have been written about me, and there's not a word of truth in any of them.
Laurence OlivierRead
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