You see a script, and you say, 'Oh, I can play the heck out of that,' talk to your agent, and he says they don't want to see you. That's heartbreaking.
Rita MorenoRead
I've always had this image of this strong, sprightly person who is undaunted by anything; on the contrary, I was one of the shyest, most unsure people you ever met in your life. But I have one very specific quality: I'm plucky. I really am. I would say that's a perfect description of my personality.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the contrast between self-perception and inner strength, revealing the value of being plucky despite shyness.
Rita Moreno reflects on her journey from being shy and unsure to recognizing her own courageous spirit. She emphasizes the importance of being plucky—having determination and resilience—despite external appearances. This insight reveals that one's true strength can often exist beneath a timid exterior, challenging the stereotype of what it means to be strong or confident.
In practice
In a motivational speech about overcoming fears, one could quote Moreno to inspire others to embrace their plucky nature.
You see a script, and you say, 'Oh, I can play the heck out of that,' talk to your agent, and he says they don't want to see you. That's heartbreaking.
I'm trying as hard as I can to keep pushing the boundaries of what a woman is capable of doing. And it turns out there's a lot we can do. There's a lot we can speak about.
No one's going to tell me how to make my own choices. For too many years, everybody told me what to say and what to do and how to be.
I started dancing almost before I could walk.
What musical performers bring to straight characterizations is that physical flexibility that comes with knowing your body so well. A lot of actors are terribly awkward. Terribly. And I think it's so important for them, when they're young, to work on their physical selves.
I was determined that with perseverance and faith, at some point, someone would say, 'This girl has talent,' and would cast me in something meaningful.
To all the survivors out there, I want them to know that we are stronger and more resilient than we ever knew. We survived, that should be enough but it isn't. We must work hard to become whole again, to fill our soul with love and inspiration, to live the life that was intended for us before it was disrupted by war and horrors, and help rebuild a world that is better than the one we had just left.
...you have to learn where your pain is. You have to burrow down and find the wound, and if the burden of it is too terrible to shoulder, you have to shout it out; you have to shout for help... And then finally, the way through grief is grieving.
Fear is never a reason for quitting; it is only an excuse.
Indifference is dangerous, whether innocent or not.
To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.
We all fear what we don't know - it's natural.
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