What bothered me was playing one-dimensional parts in films which were really about, 'Boy Meets Girl,' 'Will Boy Get Girl?'
Playing good girls in the '30s was difficult, when the fad was to play bad girls. Actually I think playing bad girls is a bore; I have always had more luck with good girl roles because they require more from an actress.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the challenge of portraying good characters in a time when bad characters were more popular, emphasizing the depth required for good roles.
Olivia De Havilland discusses the challenges she faced as an actress in the 1930s, a period when the trend favored the portrayal of bad girls over good ones. She highlights her preference for playing good girls, arguing that these roles are more complex and demand greater skill from the actress, thus showcasing her belief in the value of artistry over mere trends.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the evolution of female roles in cinema, one might quote Olivia De Havilland to emphasize the importance of strong character portrayal.
More from Olivia De Havilland
All quotes →Similar quotes
I believe in sketching because there is something very sensitive in sketching, you know, in sketches that you don't have out of a computer that looks the same like everybody even if, later on, the dresses are OK, but I like to sketch, and I like to see trails made after my sketches that look the same. It is you know, what I like.
I do my best work when I feel conviction to say something through the character I play. Always I want to have integrity and not compromise that.
Beauty's where you find it; not just where you bump and grind it.
A lot of people insisted on a wall between modern dance and ballet. I'm beginning to think that walls are very unhealthy things.
The best books come from someplace inside. You don't write because you want to, but because you have to.
How could anybody think of Bach as 'cold' when these [cello] suites seem to shine with the most glittering kind of poetry," Casals said. "As I got on with the study I discovered a new world of space and beauty... the feelings I experienced were among the purest and most intense in my artistic life!