--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing you can ask, I think, is…" description: "\"The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get paid a living wage. I would like it if all the repertory theatres that currently exist could do ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg" --- # The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get… ![“The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get paid a living wage. I would like it if all the repertory theatres that currently exist could do that. It would make a huge difference.” quote by Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg) > “The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get paid a living wage. I would like it if all the repertory theatres that currently exist could do that. It would make a huge difference.” [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors deserve a living wage to sustain artistic work and personal wellbeing. **In simple terms:** Actors need fair pay. Key Takeaway Support policies for equitable theatre wages. Themes fair labor theatre arts living wage Mood concerned hopeful Type advocacy inspirational When to use this quote - budget planning for repertory theatres - grant applications - union negotiations - public fundraising Key Concepts economic justice artistic sustainability Questions to Reflect On - What funding models can support higher wages? - How can audiences help sustain fair pay? A Different Perspective Funding constraints may hinder wage increases; audience ticket prices may rise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Huge difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge-difference/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-wage/) [Repertory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repertory/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Wage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wage/) ## Related quotes > [When I left Cambridge, I applied to regional repertory theaters in the U.K. and got accepted by one of them... And here I am,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-i-left-cambridge-i-applied-to-regional-repertory-theaters-in-the/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The huge difference in my lifetime is that you can just go up to somebody and make a pass. You couldn't do that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-huge-difference-in-my-lifetime-is-that-you-can-just-go-up-to/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It is about time that TV actors were paid as well as film stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-singh/it-is-about-time-that-tv-actors-were-paid-as-well-as-film-stars/) [Mona Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-singh/) > [I think actors get paid a lot and technicians don't get paid enough and I think that it should change because a good film,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoya-akhtar/i-think-actors-get-paid-a-lot-and-technicians-don-t-get-paid-enough/) [Zoya Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoya-akhtar/) > [There's never been a time in history, no matter what the public thinks, when actors have been paid more than they should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/there-s-never-been-a-time-in-history-no-matter-what-the-public-thinks/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [We all, in fact, carry so many people inside us; the only difference is that actors get paid for it, and we sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/we-all-in-fact-carry-so-many-people-inside-us-the-only-difference-is/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [And to Tom Cruise, for if you had won this, your asking price would have gone down so fast. Do you have any idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/and-to-tom-cruise-for-if-you-had-won-this-your-asking-price-would/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I don't like it when people ask actors to work for free – on the fringe – as if it's some kind of virtue.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-scott/i-don-t-like-it-when-people-ask-actors-to-work-for-free-on-the-fringe/) [Andrew Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-scott/) > [I was brought up the Mexican way, where actors are paid very little and every part you take is an act of faith. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/i-was-brought-up-the-mexican-way-where-actors-are-paid-very-little/) [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/) > [ONLY ACTORS GET PAID FOR TRYNA BE SOMEBODY ELSE YOU](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drq/only-actors-get-paid-for-tryna-be-somebody-else-you/) [DRQ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drq/) > [“More waiting...actors are paid to wait. We do the acting for free.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-chan/more-waiting-actors-are-paid-to-wait-we-do-the-acting-for-free/) Jason Chan > [If you grow up poor you're always going to worry about money, no matter how successful or lucky you become. I'm not moaning about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-flemyng/if-you-grow-up-poor-you-re-always-going-to-worry-about-money-no/) [Jason Flemyng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-flemyng/) > [“Each writer is born with a repertory company in his head. Shakespeare has perhaps 20 players. … I have 10 or so, and that’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/each-writer-is-born-with-a-repertory-company-in-his-head-shakespeare/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Ballet in September used to be dead as a dodo. Now, with City Ballet's ingenious decision to give us four weeks of repertory in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/ballet-in-september-used-to-be-dead-as-a-dodo-now-with-city-ballet-s/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [I was a repertory actor, which meant that I did a play every week. I was a different character every week; for a year,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/i-was-a-repertory-actor-which-meant-that-i-did-a-play-every-week-i/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) ## More by Ian Mckellen > [I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-longed-for-the-theatre-and-acting-to-be-popular-no-actor/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It's my impression that I've done every job that I've been asked to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/it-s-my-impression-that-i-ve-done-every-job-that-i-ve-been-asked-to-do/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm fortunate to be famous for two rather imposing characters like Magneto and Gandalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-fortunate-to-be-famous-for-two-rather-imposing-characters-like/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/tolkien-is-as-good-as-dickens-at-sketching-a-scene/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Godot is whatever it is in life that you are waiting for: 'I'm waiting to win the lottery. I'm waiting to fall in love'.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/godot-is-whatever-it-is-in-life-that-you-are-waiting-for-i-m-waiting/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm only an actor. I'm not a writer. I'm not going to leave any legacy. All I've ever done is learn the lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-only-an-actor-i-m-not-a-writer-i-m-not-going-to-leave-any-legacy/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'd never read 'Lord of the Rings' until I was asked to play Gandalf, so I didn't really know it was a frightfully famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-d-never-read-lord-of-the-rings-until-i-was-asked-to-play-gandalf-so/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [You might be surprised by how interested young people are in older people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/you-might-be-surprised-by-how-interested-young-people-are-in-older/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The strength of British theatre should be that these actors in their middle years know what they're doing and are good at it. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-strength-of-british-theatre-should-be-that-these-actors-in-their/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Until I came out, my acting was all about disguise, and thereafter it became about telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/until-i-came-out-my-acting-was-all-about-disguise-and-thereafter-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/elijah-looks-angelic-but-his-beauty-of-spirit-is-what-makes-his-frodo/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > ['The Lego Movie?' I've never heard of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-lego-movie-i-ve-never-heard-of-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-i-appeared-in-coronation-street-i-lived-in-manchester-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef - but that's only when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/before-acting-i-wanted-to-become-a-journalist-i-also-toyed-with-the/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) [Explore all 247 Ian Mckellen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## 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": "The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get paid a living wage. I would like it if all the repertory theatres that currently exist could do that. It would make a huge difference.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian Mckellen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-that-actors-get-paid-a-living/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-that-actors-get-paid-a-living/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eff/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-tha_1747193.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The one thing you can ask, I think, is that actors get paid a living wage. I would like it if all the…” — Ian Mckellen", "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": "Ian Mckellen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The one thing you can ask,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-that-actors-get-paid-a-living/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-one-thing-you-can-ask-i-think-is-that-actors-get-paid-a-living/#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 } } ] } ```