--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was 18 and not sure whether I…" description: "\"When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an actor, I realised that a playwright has no voice without an actor. That's my reason for acting: to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/david-suchet-15725_acting_when-i-was-18-and-not-sure-whether-i-wan_655487.png" --- # When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an… ![“When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an actor, I realised that a playwright has no voice without an actor. That's my reason for acting: to get that character as right as possible for my writer. And I have never changed my philosophy.” quote by David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/david-suchet-15725_acting_when-i-was-18-and-not-sure-whether-i-wan_655487.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/david-suchet-15725_acting_when-i-was-18-and-not-sure-whether-i-wan_655487.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/671/david-suchet-15725_acting_when-i-was-18-and-not-sure-whether-i-wan_655487.png) > “When I was 18 and not sure whether I wanted to be an actor, I realised that a playwright has no voice without an actor. That's my reason for acting: to get that character as right as possible for my writer. And I have never changed my philosophy.” [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) ## 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 depends on a playwright’s words; without the actor, the playwright’s voice is silent. **In simple terms:** Actors give life to writers’ words. Key Takeaway Honor the writer by fully embodying the role. Themes collaboration craft interpretation Mood respectful dedicated Type professional philosophical When to use this quote - rehearsal - character study - director communication - script analysis Key Concepts theatre creative partnership Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance fidelity to text with personal interpretation? - What responsibility do you feel to the writer? A Different Perspective A playwright can also shape performance, limiting actor autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Playwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playwright/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Voice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voice/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I know it sounds very typical to say, but the best part of being an actor, and the reason why I think a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ferrara/i-know-it-sounds-very-typical-to-say-but-the-best-part-of-being-an/) [Jerry Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ferrara/) > [I still don't think I'm a good actor. The only reason I'm doing it is because I've got a lot of support behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-broussard/i-still-don-t-think-i-m-a-good-actor-the-only-reason-i-m-doing-it-is/) [Israel Broussard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-broussard/) > [As long as the character is interesting and I have something to do as an actor, there is no reason to turn it down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-kapur/as-long-as-the-character-is-interesting-and-i-have-something-to-do-as/) [Pankaj Kapur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-kapur/) > [One of the occupational hazards of being an actor, the reason why so many actors are insecure, is that the only way we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/one-of-the-occupational-hazards-of-being-an-actor-the-reason-why-so/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I admire actors that consistently challenge themselves and play a wide range of different roles. 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I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/an-article-on-playwrights-in-the-daily-mail-listed-according-to-hard/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I think the only real referent for anybody writing drama is probably Hamlet. You have the most extreme tragic drama, this sort of blood-boltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-think-the-only-real-referent-for-anybody-writing-drama-is-probably/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) ## More by David Suchet > [When I was 16, I made some little 35mm documentaries about the poor in London. I went round Notting Hill, which was a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/when-i-was-16-i-made-some-little-35mm-documentaries-about-the-poor-in/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I'm never bored, never ever bored. If I've got a day off I'll sit in a cafe and watch and observe. I'm a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/i-m-never-bored-never-ever-bored-if-i-ve-got-a-day-off-i-ll-sit-in-a/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [When you're doing characters from famous novels, you have a responsibility as an actor to make it what the writer intended. 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Reality TV…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/i-think-it-s-very-dangerous-the-idea-of-celebrity-you-have-to-be/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I became fascinated by the fact that people write to give away rather than write to be read. It's the difference between playwrights and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/i-became-fascinated-by-the-fact-that-people-write-to-give-away-rather/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I am very traditional as a man. I am not modern and never have been. I think I was born 50 years of age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/i-am-very-traditional-as-a-man-i-am-not-modern-and-never-have-been-i/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [Deep inside, I am desperate to do comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/deep-inside-i-am-desperate-to-do-comedy/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I can't try to convert anybody. It's not in me to do that. 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I enjoy becoming characters but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/my-fun-as-an-actor-and-my-task-as-an-actor-is-to-transform-myself-to/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) [Explore all 42 David Suchet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. 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