--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor you become that lighting rod…" description: "\"As an actor you become that lighting rod between the person who made the play and the audience.\" — Christopher Walken" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg" --- # As an actor you become that lighting rod between the… ![“As an actor you become that lighting rod between the person who made the play and the audience.” quote by Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg) > “As an actor you become that lighting rod between the person who made the play and the audience.” [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor serves as a conduit between playwrights and audiences, translating intent. **In simple terms:** Actors bridge creators and viewers. Key Takeaway Value the actor’s role as interpreter. Themes theatre communication interpretation Mood reflective appreciative Type artistic insightful When to use this quote - stage productions - film sets - live readings - educational workshops Key Concepts performance storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How does an actor shape meaning? - What responsibilities do they hold? A Different Perspective May underplay audience agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Lighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-lighting-6050829/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Lighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lighting/) [Lighting Rod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lighting-rod-6050830/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Person Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-play-558545/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-audience-253059/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [The theater is a communal experience, and whatever the emotional connection between an audience member and the actors onstage, it ripples through the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-callender/the-theater-is-a-communal-experience-and-whatever-the-emotional/) [Colin Callender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-callender/) > [Like I always tell people, I don't pander to any audience, but you have to play to your audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-owens/like-i-always-tell-people-i-don-t-pander-to-any-audience-but-you-have/) [Gary Owens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-owens/) > [They said one ''eyed person should not play with sands'' And will say ''One friended person should not play with Facebook''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sura-takele/they-said-one-eyed-person-should-not-play-with-sands-and-will-say-one/) [Sura Takele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sura-takele/) > [Doing a one-person play feels like you've just discovered you had a superpower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-bishe/doing-a-one-person-play-feels-like-you-ve-just-discovered-you-had-a/) [Kerry Bishe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-bishe/) > [Id like to imagine that in order to beat me a person would have to play almost perfect tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/id-like-to-imagine-that-in-order-to-beat-me-a-person-would-have-to/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [I do think you can't be as good as the person next to you to play: you have to be better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-dempsey/i-do-think-you-can-t-be-as-good-as-the-person-next-to-you-to-play-you/) [Clint Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-dempsey/) > [If you want experiences to make you a better person, then you play two or three sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/if-you-want-experiences-to-make-you-a-better-person-then-you-play-two/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) > [I have been very fortunate to play parts that have not been just, 'Oh, you need a fat person to play this part.' It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-jones/i-have-been-very-fortunate-to-play-parts-that-have-not-been-just-oh/) [Ruth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-jones/) > [Anytime a person can play the blues, he has a soul and he has a 'lift' to play anything else he wants to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-rushing/anytime-a-person-can-play-the-blues-he-has-a-soul-and-he-has-a-lift/) [Jimmy Rushing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-rushing/) > [Yes I still enjoy playing him. He's the best person to play isn't he?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/yes-i-still-enjoy-playing-him-he-s-the-best-person-to-play-isn-t-he/) [Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/) > [I can't just say the words, do a lot of one-liners. I love each person I play; I have to be that person. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pryor/i-can-t-just-say-the-words-do-a-lot-of-one-liners-i-love-each-person/) [Richard Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pryor/) > [I can tell whether a person can play just by the way he stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-davis/i-can-tell-whether-a-person-can-play-just-by-the-way-he-stands/) [Miles Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-davis/) > [There isn't just one kind of person that can play a superhero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-dennison/there-isn-t-just-one-kind-of-person-that-can-play-a-superhero/) [Julian Dennison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-dennison/) > [I think that every single person should play sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donovan-bailey/i-think-that-every-single-person-should-play-sports/) [Donovan Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donovan-bailey/) ## More by Christopher Walken > [One thing that's happened to me is I've been around a long time and I've played a lot of villains and so forth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/one-thing-that-s-happened-to-me-is-i-ve-been-around-a-long-time-and-i/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I grew up in the '50s, in New York City, where television was born. There were 90 live shows every week, and they used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-grew-up-in-the-50s-in-new-york-city-where-television-was-born-there/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think that a good movie creates its own world, and that world needn't refer to anything that's real. If it's consistent, if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-that-a-good-movie-creates-its-own-world-and-that-world-needn/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [An audience is the most dangerous thing in the world, because they paid, and they're looking at you. And they paid! And there's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/an-audience-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-in-the-world-because-they/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I make movies that nobody will see. I've made movies that even I have never seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-make-movies-that-nobody-will-see-i-ve-made-movies-that-even-i-have/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [For me, in movies, it's always a mixed bag. I've never made a movie where I thought, "You were really good in that movie;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/for-me-in-movies-it-s-always-a-mixed-bag-i-ve-never-made-a-movie/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think the fact that I was raised in show business, in New York City, in the '50s, that's affected my personality to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-the-fact-that-i-was-raised-in-show-business-in-new-york-city/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Obviously an actor draws on his own experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/obviously-an-actor-draws-on-his-own-experience/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [In rehearsal you have a good accident that you can repeat.In the movies if you have a good accident you hope the camera's running.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-rehearsal-you-have-a-good-accident-that-you-can-repeat-in-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I was never a child actor. I was a child performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-was-never-a-child-actor-i-was-a-child-performer/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I have been in movies that I thought I wasn't very good in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-have-been-in-movies-that-i-thought-i-wasn-t-very-good-in/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think I'm getting a little bit of Alzheimer's. Just a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-i-m-getting-a-little-bit-of-alzheimer-s-just-a-little/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [It's very bizarre though when you get hired and then the director will say, "I know how this goes." And you're thinking, "Wait a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/it-s-very-bizarre-though-when-you-get-hired-and-then-the-director/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [It's interesting - a lot of good actors are good mimes. But I'm terrible. If I tried to do an impression, nobody would know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/it-s-interesting-a-lot-of-good-actors-are-good-mimes-but-i-m-terrible/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) [Explore all 209 Christopher Walken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As an actor you become that lighting rod between the person who made the play and the audience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Walken" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod-between-the-person-who-made/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod-between-the-person-who-made/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33f/christopher-walken-1773_actor_as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod_786565.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an actor you become that lighting rod between the person who made the play and the audience.” — Christopher Walken", "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": "Christopher Walken", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As an actor you become that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod-between-the-person-who-made/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/as-an-actor-you-become-that-lighting-rod-between-the-person-who-made/#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 } } ] } ```