--- title: "Best John Osborne Quotes" description: "John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-john-osborne-52046.jpg" --- ![Portrait of John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-john-osborne-52046.jpg) # John Osborne (1929–1994) Actor **51** quotes in **183** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet John Osborne was an actor, best known for *Luther*. ## Quick Facts About John Osborne Born December 12, 1929 Died December 24, 1994 Profession Actor Notable works Luther ## About John Osborne John James Osborne was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a journalist before starting out in theatre as a stage manager and actor. He lived in poverty for several years before his third produced play, Look Back in Anger (1956), brought him national fame. ## Quotes by John Osborne · Page 2 > [Go on - but don't think you can kill my confidence. I've had experts doing it for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/go-on-but-don-t-think-you-can-kill-my-confidence-i-ve-had-experts/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/437/john-osborne-12988_confidence_go-on-but-don-t-think-you-can-kill-my-co_15347.jpg) > [Heroes, whatever high ideas we may have of them, are mortal and not divine. We are all as God made us and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/heroes-whatever-high-ideas-we-may-have-of-them-are-mortal-and-not/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ff/john-osborne-12988_divine_heroes-whatever-high-ideas-we-may-have-o_780426.jpg) > [“Asking a working writer what he feels about critics is like asking a lamppost what it feels about dogs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/asking-a-working-writer-what-he-feels-about-critics-is-like-asking-a/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-osborne-12988_writing_asking-a-working-writer-what-he-feels-ab_1919620.jpg) > [I must be the luckiest man in the world. Not only am I bisexual, I am also Welsh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/i-must-be-the-luckiest-man-in-the-world-not-only-am-i-bisexual-i-am/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Bisexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bisexual/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec2/john-osborne-12988_bisexual_i-must-be-the-luckiest-man-in-the-world_1817320.jpg) > [In London, love and scandal are considered the best sweeteners of tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/in-london-love-and-scandal-are-considered-the-best-sweeteners-of-tea/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c4/john-osborne-12988_best_in-london-love-and-scandal-are-considere_3232495.jpg) > [“Jimmy: (in a low, resigned voice) They all want to scape from the pain of being alive. And, most of all, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/jimmy-in-a-low-resigned-voice-they-all-want-to-scape-from-the-pain-of/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Jimmy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jimmy/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ecd/john-osborne-12988_love_jimmy-in-a-low-resigned-voice-they-all-w_2189282.jpg) > [“I must say it's pretty dreary living in the American Age - unless you're an American of course. Perhaps all our children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/i-must-say-it-s-pretty-dreary-living-in-the-american-age-unless-you/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c3e/john-osborne-12988_age_i-must-say-it-s-pretty-dreary-living-in_1928916.jpg) > [Here we are, we're alone in the universe, there's no God, it just seems that it all began by something as simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/here-we-are-we-re-alone-in-the-universe-there-s-no-god-it-just-seems/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Alone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alone/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/353/john-osborne-12988_alone_here-we-are-we-re-alone-in-the-universe_968051.jpg) > [Oh heavens, how I long for a little ordinary human enthusiasm. Just enthusiasm - that's all. I want to hear a warm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/oh-heavens-how-i-long-for-a-little-ordinary-human-enthusiasm-just/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b73/john-osborne-12988_alive_oh-heavens-how-i-long-for-a-little-ordin_3212758.jpg) > [The whole point of a sacrifice is that you give up something you never really wanted in the first place. People are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-you-give-up-something-you/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/john-osborne-12988_careers_the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-y_2843822.jpg) > [You see I learnt at an early age what it was to be angry - angry and helpless. And I can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/you-see-i-learnt-at-an-early-age-what-it-was-to-be-angry-angry-and/) [John Osborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a7/john-osborne-12988_age_you-see-i-learnt-at-an-early-age-what-it_1062746.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-osborne/#itemlist", "name": "John Osborne Quotes", "numberOfItems": 11, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Go on - but don't think you can kill my confidence. 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They give up their careers, say - or their beliefs - or sex.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Osborne" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-osborne/the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-you-give-up-something-you/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/john-osborne-12988_careers_the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-y_2843822.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/john-osborne-12988_careers_the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-y_2843822.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/717/john-osborne-12988_careers_the-whole-point-of-a-sacrifice-is-that-y_2843822.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole point of a sacrifice is that you give up something you never really wanted in the first place…” — John Osborne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You see I learnt at an early age what it was to be angry - angry and helpless. 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