As a person, [Barbara Stanwyck] was a great deal like the…
![“As a person, [Barbara Stanwyck] was a great deal like the character she played in Ball of Fire, a stripper called Sugarpuss O'Shea. She had a wonderful, free, open quality in that picture, and that's what she was like as a woman. Reclusive by nature, she was happy to just stay home, but she read…” quote by Robert Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/512/robert-wagner-13959_acting_as-a-person-barbara-stanwyck-was-a-great_2921299.png)
““As a person, [Barbara Stanwyck] was a great deal like the character she played in Ball of Fire, a stripper called Sugarpuss O'Shea. She had a wonderful, free, open quality in that picture, and that's what she was like as a woman. Reclusive by nature, she was happy to just stay home, but she read everything. She got me reading books as a way of life and, if I asked her, would help me out with my acting. We only had one scene together in Titanic—I played her daughter's boyfriend!—so there was a limit to what I could learn by working with her. She taught me what to do with my hands, how to get over my self-consciousness, and how to lower my voice, which I thought was still too high. And she taught me to be decisive with things like entrances. "When you walk in," she told me, "be sure you're standing up straight. Walk in with confidence." She didn't want me to sidle into a scene as if I were ashamed to be in the movie. Make the entrance! Take the scene! But I wasn't going there for acting tutorials.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
She emphasized confidence, posture, and decisive presence as essential acting tools, urging bold, upright entrances rather than timid ones.
In simple terms: Confidence and boldness improve performance.
Key Takeaway
Enter scenes with confidence.
Themes
acting
confidence
presence
mentorship
Mood
inspirational
determined
Type
advice
motivational
When to use this quote
- stage auditions
- film sets
- acting workshops
Key Concepts
posture
self‑consciousness
voice control
Questions to Reflect On
- How does posture affect audience perception?
- What other habits build stage confidence?
A Different Perspective
Confidence alone may not compensate for lack of skill.