--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting became a powerful tool for change…" description: "\"Acting became a powerful tool for change. You had to tell stories that were important to you.\" — John Kani" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/john-kani-7300_acting_acting-became-a-powerful-tool-for-change_969509.jpg" --- # Acting became a powerful tool for change. You had to tell… ![“Acting became a powerful tool for change. You had to tell stories that were important to you.” quote by John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/john-kani-7300_acting_acting-became-a-powerful-tool-for-change_969509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/john-kani-7300_acting_acting-became-a-powerful-tool-for-change_969509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffc/john-kani-7300_acting_acting-became-a-powerful-tool-for-change_969509.jpg) > “Acting became a powerful tool for change. You had to tell stories that were important to you.” [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes acting as a medium for personal and societal transformation through meaningful storytelling. **In simple terms:** Acting can drive change. Key Takeaway Use storytelling to inspire. Themes art activism storytelling Mood motivational inspirational Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - theater productions - community workshops - educational programs Key Concepts cultural impact personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What stories need to be told now? - How can you ensure stories resonate? A Different Perspective Impact depends on audience reception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ## Related quotes > [If you have to ask someone to change, to tell you they love you, to bring wine to dinner, to call you when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/if-you-have-to-ask-someone-to-change-to-tell-you-they-love-you-to-2/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [The only reason to build a website is to change someone. 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But it's clear I will always be the same until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/when-my-mama-asks-me-will-i-ever-change-i-tell-her-yeah-but-it-s/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [People do not change when you tell them they should; they change when they tell themselves they must,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/people-do-not-change-when-you-tell-them-they-should-they-change-when/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [“If I have to sacrifice to give you everything you want, if I have to change who I am, whatever I have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-ryan/if-i-have-to-sacrifice-to-give-you-everything-you-want-if-i-have-to/) [Kendall Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-ryan/) > [I can't change how you see yourself, I can only tell you what I see](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-can-t-change-how-you-see-yourself-i-can-only-tell-you-what-i-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that the debate of 'Who should tell indigenous stories?' is very important. It's something that should be talked about. I'm totally up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niki-caro/i-believe-that-the-debate-of-who-should-tell-indigenous-stories-is/) [Niki Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niki-caro/) > [“Stories are important. We need them. It is through telling and hearing stories that we make sense of the world. Like dreams, they come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-joyce/stories-are-important-we-need-them-it-is-through-telling-and-hearing/) [Rachel Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-joyce/) > [Yes, I believe stories are very important to all performances. The life story of the performer shapes their work, and the life stories of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-abramovic/yes-i-believe-stories-are-very-important-to-all-performances-the-life/) [Marina Abramovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-abramovic/) > [Stories are important, but I'm really into characters, and if you can give birth to a good one, that's true success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/stories-are-important-but-i-m-really-into-characters-and-if-you-can/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [“Stories let us see and hear and feel what someone else does,” she explained. “They build bridges to the other islands. That’s why stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-hand/stories-let-us-see-and-hear-and-feel-what-someone-else-does-she/) [Cynthia Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-hand/) > [I do believe in the power of story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/i-do-believe-in-the-power-of-story-i-believe-that-stories-have-an/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) ## More by John Kani > [All over the world, there is someone sitting in a cell because he or she is not allowed freedom of expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/all-over-the-world-there-is-someone-sitting-in-a-cell-because-he-or/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I'm Dad at home, not John Kani.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-m-dad-at-home-not-john-kani/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I always say my first break was a dead man's break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-always-say-my-first-break-was-a-dead-man-s-break/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I still remember the moment when my teacher, Mr. Budaza, walked into class and said, 'Today we are going to study 'Julius Caesar,' one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-still-remember-the-moment-when-my-teacher-mr-budaza-walked-into/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I have never been attracted to television work. Even to appear in series and soapies. I have always appeared in theatre and major movies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-have-never-been-attracted-to-television-work-even-to-appear-in/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I spent 51 years under apartheid. I don't imagine suffering. I know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-spent-51-years-under-apartheid-i-don-t-imagine-suffering-i-know-it/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [Working with my friend Sir Antony Sher is truly one of the highlights of my career as an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/working-with-my-friend-sir-antony-sher-is-truly-one-of-the-highlights/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [In Australia, I almost became a counsellor. At the end of each performance there would be a queue of sobbing people backstage. They all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-australia-i-almost-became-a-counsellor-at-the-end-of-each/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [What does Macbeth want? What does Shakespeare want? What does Othello want? What does James want? What does Arthur Miller want when he wrote?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/what-does-macbeth-want-what-does-shakespeare-want-what-does-othello/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [In 'Lion King,' the music is brilliant. The CGI is amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-lion-king-the-music-is-brilliant-the-cgi-is-amazing/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [Every time there is a movie that tells a South African story, it is done by someone who must be taught the right way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/every-time-there-is-a-movie-that-tells-a-south-african-story-it-is/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [In South Africa, it is different. When you are born not even your father knows what is going to happen in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/in-south-africa-it-is-different-when-you-are-born-not-even-your/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [I'd read Shakespeare in school, translated into isiXhosa, and loved the stories, but I hadn't realised before I started reading the English text how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-d-read-shakespeare-in-school-translated-into-isixhosa-and-loved-the/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [We are sort of not at the level of entertainment that the Western world is. Everything we see on the play in the screen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/we-are-sort-of-not-at-the-level-of-entertainment-that-the-western/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [We haven't got those dreams: 'I wish to become doctor or a lawyer.' Black people in South Africa have been barred in doing anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/we-haven-t-got-those-dreams-i-wish-to-become-doctor-or-a-lawyer-black/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) [Explore all 92 John Kani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) ## 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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