--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were all employed full time as…" description: "\"“They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could understand and applaud.” “So life became a w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg" --- # They were all employed full time as actors in a play they… ![“They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could understand and applaud.” “So life became a work of art,” I marveled.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg) > ““They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could understand and applaud.” “So life became a work of art,” I marveled.”” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors fully embody a universally understandable play, turning life into an artistic performance that resonates with everyone. **In simple terms:** Life becomes an art when we understand and share universal stories. Key Takeaway Live life as a universally understood performance. Themes art universality performance understanding humanity Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical artistic When to use this quote - public speaking - teaching - community events Key Concepts theatrical metaphor shared experience Questions to Reflect On - How can I make my actions universally relatable? - What art does life become for me? A Different Perspective Universal understanding may be idealized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Authenticity isn't just something to say to make people applaud; it is the life you have done your best to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bidemi-mark-mordi/authenticity-isn-t-just-something-to-say-to-make-people-applaud-it-is/) [Bidemi Mark-Mordi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bidemi-mark-mordi/) > [Actors play a small part in all the things that go into the making of a movie. I want to know about pre-production, post-production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/actors-play-a-small-part-in-all-the-things-that-go-into-the-making-of/) [Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/) > [Actors are different. Some actors play themselves very successfully, but I come from the theater. Having done Shakespeare, we sometimes did three or four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/actors-are-different-some-actors-play-themselves-very-successfully/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [“I marveled at the circumstances that had brought me to this moment. Was I really anything like these people? Did we share any of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-niva/i-marveled-at-the-circumstances-that-had-brought-me-to-this-moment/) [Loren Niva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-niva/) > [“When she closed her eyes, he let his gaze travel over her. She lay on her side and he marveled at the perfect slopes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-lynn-perry/when-she-closed-her-eyes-he-let-his-gaze-travel-over-her-she-lay-on/) [Amber Lynn Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-lynn-perry/) > [“Lyra marveled at the effect hope could have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-pullman/lyra-marveled-at-the-effect-hope-could-have/) [Phillip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-pullman/) > [“and when he sat against trees to catch his breath he marveled at how full life felt when a person got to be excellent,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kurson/and-when-he-sat-against-trees-to-catch-his-breath-he-marveled-at-how/) [Robert Kurson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kurson/) > [As actors, you play people who are not yourselves!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/as-actors-you-play-people-who-are-not-yourselves/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I always think the great parts outlive the actors that play them and that's a stage tradition, that goes back hundreds of years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/i-always-think-the-great-parts-outlive-the-actors-that-play-them-and/) [Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/) > [“Emotional intentionality is not about manipulating the actors in your play to create the right scene. It is about improvising and getting in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/emotional-intentionality-is-not-about-manipulating-the-actors-in-your/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [ I'm there \[on Moana\] with the other actors, so you play off one another. It's not just your idea of what the character is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-m-there-on-moana-with-the-other-actors-so-you-play-off-one-another/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [It's quite common for actors to have that, to play younger than themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-llewellyn/it-s-quite-common-for-actors-to-have-that-to-play-younger-than/) [Dylan Llewellyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-llewellyn/) > [ That movie \[Jawbreaker\] was so much fun to shoot. We were all in our mid-20s at the time, playing high school students. Which was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/that-movie-jawbreaker-was-so-much-fun-to-shoot-we-were-all-in-our-mid/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [“We live like actors in a play who are given only one line at a time, going through the motions without understanding the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/we-live-like-actors-in-a-play-who-are-given-only-one-line-at-a-time/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The show is like an Edwardian play - emotional life gets stepped on for the sake of accepted manners, and that's terrific for actors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/the-show-is-like-an-edwardian-play-emotional-life-gets-stepped-on-for/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could understand and applaud.” “So life became a work of art,” I marveled.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-actors-in-a-play-they-understood/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-actors-in-a-play-they-understood/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/kurt-vonnegut-41_actors_they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-acto_153436.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They were all employed full time as actors in a play they understood, that any human being anywhere could…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "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": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“They were all employed full time...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-actors-in-a-play-they-understood/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-all-employed-full-time-as-actors-in-a-play-they-understood/#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 } } ] } ```