Actor Quote by Jane Fonda
““I think most of us have many personas inside us at the outset, but over time we lean to the one that is dominant and the others atrophy for lack of use. The difference with actors is that we are paid to become all the people inside us and to bring into us all the people we may have met along the way. Thus we remain instinctively aware of, unsettled by, curious about, empathetic toward, and eager to display all those potential beings we carry. Of all these, the empathy part is the most important and is, I believe, why actors—the good ones—tend to be open, progressive creatures: We are asked to get inside the skin of “other,” to feel with “other,” to understand “other.” Being able to see from this “other” point of view gives actors compassion.””
About This Quote
People develop dominant personas over time, while acting forces exploration of all inner selves, fostering empathy and openness.
In simple terms: Acting reveals many inner selves, building empathy.
Key Takeaway
Embrace varied perspectives.
Themes
identity
empathy
creativity
Mood
reflective
inspirational
Type
philosophical
motivational
When to use this quote
- theatre workshops
- personal development
- team building
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
psychology
role theory
self‑actualization
Questions to Reflect On
- What inner selves are you neglecting?
- How can you nurture them?
A Different Perspective
Dominant personas may suppress useful traits.
![“From a performance standpoint, it just gives [actors] so much - I had such a great cast [ in Valley of Violence] - and it gives them the ability to go wild with it and to have performances that are memorable.” quote by Ti West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/105/ti-west-2310_ability_from-a-performance-standpoint-it-just-gi_1042593.jpg)
