--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in…" description: "\"I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving the theatre promising ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg" --- # I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then… ![“I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving the theatre promising myself that one day I would have a go at this play and then pretty much forgot it for 50 years.” quote by Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg) > “I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving the theatre promising myself that one day I would have a go at this play and then pretty much forgot it for 50 years.” [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing Waiting for Godot at 17 sparked a lifelong, delayed desire to perform the play, illustrating postponed dreams. **In simple terms:** He saw Godot at 17 and later remembered wanting to act in it. Key Takeaway Revisit and pursue delayed artistic aspirations. Themes theater delayed ambition memory artistic longing Mood nostalgic inspired Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - community theater - acting workshops - personal goal setting - life retrospection Key Concepts dramatic literature personal growth career reflection Questions to Reflect On - What stopped you from acting earlier? - How can you act on postponed dreams now? A Different Perspective Procrastination can lead to missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-called-1602509/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Godot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/godot/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [One day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-day/) [Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peter/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Playing Vladimir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-vladimir-1602508/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Saws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saws/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Theatre Promising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre-promising-1602510/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) [Waiting for godot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-for-godot/) [Waiting Godot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-godot-429665/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/what-are-we-doing-here-that-is-the-question-and-we-are-blessed-in/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [ Waiting for the implosion \[of the government of Romano Prodi\] is risking to turn into Waiting for Godot. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-fini/waiting-for-the-implosion-of-the-government-of-romano-prodi-is/) [Gianfranco Fini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-fini/) > [Waiting for Godot was not allowed. Neither was Henry Miller. The Soviets condemned them both. Miller would have been used as an example of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-rosset/waiting-for-godot-was-not-allowed-neither-was-henry-miller-the/) [Barney Rosset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-rosset/) > [Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot,' billed as 'the laugh sensation of two continents,' made its American debut at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, in Miami,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/samuel-beckett-s-waiting-for-godot-billed-as-the-laugh-sensation-of/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [I belong to that generation who, as students, had before their eyes, and were limited by, a horizon consisting of Marxism, phenomenology and existentialism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/i-belong-to-that-generation-who-as-students-had-before-their-eyes-and/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [Let's go." "We can't." "Why not?" "We're waiting for Godot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/let-s-go-we-can-t-why-not-we-re-waiting-for-godot/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [When we'd suggested doing it, the Theatre Royal management had said, 'Nobody wants to see Waiting for Godot.' As it happened, every single ticket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-we-d-suggested-doing-it-the-theatre-royal-management-had-said/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Waiting for Godot . . . has achieved a theoretical impossibility—a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps the audience glued to their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/waiting-for-godot-has-achieved-a-theoretical-impossibility-a-play-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I played Lucky in Waiting for Godot at Yale and it was a thing that Stanislavski talks about: he says you don't need his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-waterston/i-played-lucky-in-waiting-for-godot-at-yale-and-it-was-a-thing-that/) [Sam Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-waterston/) > [We are waiting not for a Godot but for another-doubtless very different-St. Benedict,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-macintyre/we-are-waiting-not-for-a-godot-but-for-another-doubtless-very/) [Alasdair MacIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-macintyre/) > [I've played Beckett. I put on in the 1950s the first Australian production of 'Waiting for Godot.' I played Estragon. The most interesting conversation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-humphries/i-ve-played-beckett-i-put-on-in-the-1950s-the-first-australian/) [Barry Humphries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-humphries/) > [“I have been against all that is ascetic; even that word was not known to me in those days, but I could smell something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osho/i-have-been-against-all-that-is-ascetic-even-that-word-was-not-known/) [Osho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osho/) > [When I was 14, I saw 'Waiting for Godot.' It's one of those plays that if it's done badly is absolutely dire and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-harington/when-i-was-14-i-saw-waiting-for-godot-it-s-one-of-those-plays-that-if/) [Kit Harington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-harington/) > ['Waiting for Godot,' when it first came out in 1950, was a very different sort of play to the plays that were in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/waiting-for-godot-when-it-first-came-out-in-1950-was-a-very-different/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [When I tried to do 'Waiting for Godot, it was such a controversy. I was tired of political theatre. All I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/when-i-tried-to-do-waiting-for-godot-it-was-such-a-controversy-i-was/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) ## More by Patrick Stewart > [At 12 years old in the dangerous world that I was in, with a very difficult home life, I found the stage was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/at-12-years-old-in-the-dangerous-world-that-i-was-in-with-a-very/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I am told that there have been over the years a number of experiments taking place in places like Massachusetts Institute of Technology that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-am-told-that-there-have-been-over-the-years-a-number-of-experiments/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [Having played many roles of scientific intellect I do have an empathy for that world. It's been hard on me because flying the Enterprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/having-played-many-roles-of-scientific-intellect-i-do-have-an-empathy/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I think I came back from America a funnier and nicer person than I went.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-think-i-came-back-from-america-a-funnier-and-nicer-person-than-i/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [The truth of the matter is, all of those guys on Star Trek: The Next Generation actually want to be me. These impersonations they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-all-of-those-guys-on-star-trek-the-next/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [One of the things that I've come to understand is that as I talk a lot about Picard, what I find is that I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/one-of-the-things-that-i-ve-come-to-understand-is-that-as-i-talk-a/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I was just excited by the whole prospect of working in a television series in Hollywood. I had never anticipated that as an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-was-just-excited-by-the-whole-prospect-of-working-in-a-television/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I would like to see us get this place right first before we have the arrogance to put significantly flawed civilizations out onto other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-would-like-to-see-us-get-this-place-right-first-before-we-have-the/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I am not the archetypal leading man. This is mainly for one reason: as you may have noticed, I have no hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-am-not-the-archetypal-leading-man-this-is-mainly-for-one-reason-as/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [Creating a believable world on the ship was very important, and technically they got better and better and better at showing the ship too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/creating-a-believable-world-on-the-ship-was-very-important-and/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [During the course of the seven years I played scenes with an oil slick, I played a scene with a grain of rice. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/during-the-course-of-the-seven-years-i-played-scenes-with-an-oil/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I certainly wanted to maintain some sense of mystery about Picard and that's why we never allowed certain situations to fully evolve, like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-certainly-wanted-to-maintain-some-sense-of-mystery-about-picard-and/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [During my time we had two chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, at different times of course, on the bridge, both of whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/during-my-time-we-had-two-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff-at/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [I wouldn't know a space-time continuum or warp core breach if they got into bed with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-wouldn-t-know-a-space-time-continuum-or-warp-core-breach-if-they/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) > [Encouraging people to believe in it was the most important thing of all. It's one of the reasons I was always uncomfortable whenever film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/encouraging-people-to-believe-in-it-was-the-most-important-thing-of/) [Patrick Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) [Explore all 78 Patrick Stewart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/) ## 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": "I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing Vladimir. I remember leaving the theatre promising myself that one day I would have a go at this play and then pretty much forgot it for 50 years.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Stewart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in-rep-with-a-then-unknown/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in-rep-with-a-then-unknown/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ba/patrick-stewart-8794_actors_i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in_142142.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I saw Waiting for Godot when I was 17 in rep with a then unknown actor called Peter O'Toole playing…” — Patrick Stewart", "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": "Patrick Stewart", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stewart/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I saw Waiting for Godot when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in-rep-with-a-then-unknown/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stewart/i-saw-waiting-for-godot-when-i-was-17-in-rep-with-a-then-unknown/#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 } } ] } ```