--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I'd really like to say about stardom…" description: "\"“What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me everything i never wanted.”\" — Ava Gardner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg" --- # What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me… ![“What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me everything i never wanted.” quote by Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg) > ““What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me everything i never wanted.”” [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stardom provided everything she never wanted, highlighting the paradox of fame. **In simple terms:** Fame gave her unwanted things. Key Takeaway Recognize the hidden costs of success. Themes fame paradox discontent Mood reflective melancholic Type cautionary inspirational When to use this quote - career fame - public scrutiny - personal privacy Key Concepts celebrity culture materialism Questions to Reflect On - Would you trade fame for privacy? - What aspects of success truly matter to you? A Different Perspective Public attention can erode personal freedom and happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) [Stardom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stardom/) ## Related quotes > [What I'd really like to say about stardom is that it gave me everything I never wanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardom-is-that-it-gave-me/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [I'm sad to say that stardom is a commodity in our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/i-m-sad-to-say-that-stardom-is-a-commodity-in-our-culture/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [“He gave them everything they wanted because after all, he was nothing more than the illusion they wanted him to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-aicher/he-gave-them-everything-they-wanted-because-after-all-he-was-nothing/) [Lynda Aicher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-aicher/) > [“I gave up something I wanted for something I need. And I need you, Angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-gave-up-something-i-wanted-for-something-i-need-and-i-need-you-angel/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [“God gave me nothing i wanted, he gave me everything i needed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-gave-me-nothing-i-wanted-he-gave-me-everything-i-needed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You wanted me , you got me . You wanted my clothes , I gave them to you . You wanted my life ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-wanted-me-you-got-me-you-wanted-my-clothes-i-gave-them-to-you-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I gave up something I wanted for something I need. And I need you, Angel. More than I think you'll ever know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-gave-up-something-i-wanted-for-something-i-need-and-i-need-you/) [Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/) > [Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to the U.S. The immigration guys kick the star out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahrukh-khan/whenever-i-start-feeling-too-arrogant-about-myself-i-always-take-a/) [Shahrukh Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahrukh-khan/) > [Fame and stardom sat very easily on Elizabeth Taylor's shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/fame-and-stardom-sat-very-easily-on-elizabeth-taylor-s-shoulders/) [Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/) > [It took several years of hard work in small roles before I attained stardom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bela-lugosi/it-took-several-years-of-hard-work-in-small-roles-before-i-attained/) [Bela Lugosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bela-lugosi/) > [As a young girl, I used to dream of giving an interview. You dream of stardom as a kid. People think they don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sania-mirza/as-a-young-girl-i-used-to-dream-of-giving-an-interview-you-dream-of/) [Sania Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sania-mirza/) > [My friends have always told me that rock stardom was wasted on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-etheridge/my-friends-have-always-told-me-that-rock-stardom-was-wasted-on-me/) [Melissa Etheridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-etheridge/) > [In rock stardom there's an absolute economic upside to self-destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-love/in-rock-stardom-there-s-an-absolute-economic-upside-to-self/) [Courtney Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-love/) > [I don't really look forward to movie stardom or doing a $200-million movie or winning an Academy Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-taylor/i-don-t-really-look-forward-to-movie-stardom-or-doing-a-200-million/) [Rachael Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-taylor/) > [It's an incredible rise to stardom. At 17 you're more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than Sven Goran Eriksson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-strachan/it-s-an-incredible-rise-to-stardom-at-17-you-re-more-likely-to-get-a/) [Gordon Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-strachan/) ## More by Ava Gardner > [It's a shame that it didn't work out with Mick. I was hopelessly in love with him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/it-s-a-shame-that-it-didn-t-work-out-with-mick-i-was-hopelessly-in/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [“Then, aided by the booze, like a fool I tossed off one of those throwaway lines that would have been better thrown away. "Ah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/then-aided-by-the-booze-like-a-fool-i-tossed-off-one-of-those/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [“Great idea," I said. "Call the police. Call the fucking police.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/great-idea-i-said-call-the-police-call-the-fucking-police/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [I was born with good health and a strong body and spent years abusing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/i-was-born-with-good-health-and-a-strong-body-and-spent-years-abusing/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Elizabeth Taylor is not beautiful, she is pretty—I was beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/elizabeth-taylor-is-not-beautiful-she-is-pretty-i-was-beautiful/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [I either write the book or sell the jewels. And I'm kinda sentimental about the jewels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/i-either-write-the-book-or-sell-the-jewels-and-i-m-kinda-sentimental/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Mickey - the smallest husband I ever had and the biggest mistake I ever made - well, that year, it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/mickey-the-smallest-husband-i-ever-had-and-the-biggest-mistake-i-ever/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [God knows I've got so many frailties myself, I ought to be able to understand and forgive them in others. But I don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/god-knows-i-ve-got-so-many-frailties-myself-i-ought-to-be-able-to/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Our phone bills were astronomical, and when I found the letters Frank wrote me the other day, the total could fill a suitcase. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/our-phone-bills-were-astronomical-and-when-i-found-the-letters-frank/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Maybe, in the final analysis, they saw me as something I wasn't and I tried to turn them into something they could never be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/maybe-in-the-final-analysis-they-saw-me-as-something-i-wasn-t-and-i/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [After my screen test, the director clapped his hands gleefully and yelled: “She can't talk! She can't act! She's sensational!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/after-my-screen-test-the-director-clapped-his-hands-gleefully-and/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [Don't think for a minute that bad publicity and endless criticism don't leave their claw marks on everyone concerned. Your friends try to cheer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/don-t-think-for-a-minute-that-bad-publicity-and-endless-criticism-don/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [I'm not saying my own looks don't give the game away. Nothing I can do about that anymore. A nip and tuck ain't gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/i-m-not-saying-my-own-looks-don-t-give-the-game-away-nothing-i-can-do/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [I do owe Mickey one thing: he taught me how much I enjoyed sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/i-do-owe-mickey-one-thing-he-taught-me-how-much-i-enjoyed-sex/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) > [“In one scene, when I was supposed to say, "In a pig's eye you are," what came out was, "In a pig's ass you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/in-one-scene-when-i-was-supposed-to-say-in-a-pig-s-eye-you-are-what/) [Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) [Explore all 83 Ava Gardner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/) ## More Fame quotes > [Most celebrated men live in a condition of prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/most-celebrated-men-live-in-a-condition-of-prostitution/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) > [Some people say that 'Drag Race' is about glory and immortalizing yourself in the Hall of Fame. For me, it's about shaking RuPaul down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trixie-mattel/some-people-say-that-drag-race-is-about-glory-and-immortalizing/) [Trixie Mattel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trixie-mattel/) > [The News of the World made me more famous than being in Atomic Kitten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/the-news-of-the-world-made-me-more-famous-than-being-in-atomic-kitten/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) > [Don't crave fame, do what you do and just apply. I don't think many of them here today are that interested in fashion. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/don-t-crave-fame-do-what-you-do-and-just-apply-i-don-t-think-many-of/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [If I had never gotten famous or rich, I think I'd be equally neurotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/if-i-had-never-gotten-famous-or-rich-i-think-i-d-be-equally-neurotic/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [Unfortunately, celebrity is a powerful thing. It can influence people, but if it can influence people in a good way, then that's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-furnish/unfortunately-celebrity-is-a-powerful-thing-it-can-influence-people/) [David Furnish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-furnish/) > [I think you either live a real life or you live a weird celebrity pseudolife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/i-think-you-either-live-a-real-life-or-you-live-a-weird-celebrity/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [I am uninterested in Jennifer Aniston's take on anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-dillon/i-am-uninterested-in-jennifer-aniston-s-take-on-anything/) [Tim Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-dillon/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [I don't want to have anything to do with that: just the fame without personal respect for your privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/i-don-t-want-to-have-anything-to-do-with-that-just-the-fame-without/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [I wanted to have money; I wanted to be special; I wanted people to like me; I wanted to be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-wanted-to-have-money-i-wanted-to-be-special-i-wanted-people-to-like/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) [Browse all 6,971 Fame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me everything i never wanted.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ava Gardner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardom-is-it-gave-me-everything-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fame" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardom-is-it-gave-me-everything-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa1/ava-gardner-8168_quote_what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardo_1573689.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I'd really like to say about stardom is it gave me everything i never wanted.” — Ava Gardner", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ava Gardner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What I'd really like to say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardom-is-it-gave-me-everything-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/what-i-d-really-like-to-say-about-stardom-is-it-gave-me-everything-i/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```