--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to say, doing theater, that's what…" description: "\"I have to say, doing theater, that's what you're trained to do. Doing film, when I first started doing it, felt like something else entirely. It felt l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/viola-davis-1174_acting_i-have-to-say-doing-theater-that-s-what_1710323.png" --- # I have to say, doing theater, that's what you're trained… ![“I have to say, doing theater, that's what you're trained to do. Doing film, when I first started doing it, felt like something else entirely. It felt like the difference between, I don't know, waiting tables and painting a great work of art. It's night and day. I didn't feel like it was even acting.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/viola-davis-1174_acting_i-have-to-say-doing-theater-that-s-what_1710323.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/viola-davis-1174_acting_i-have-to-say-doing-theater-that-s-what_1710323.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de6/viola-davis-1174_acting_i-have-to-say-doing-theater-that-s-what_1710323.png) > “I have to say, doing theater, that's what you're trained to do. Doing film, when I first started doing it, felt like something else entirely. It felt like the difference between, I don't know, waiting tables and painting a great work of art. It's night and day. I didn't feel like it was even acting.” [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Transitioning from theater to film feels like moving from a craft to a different artistic medium, highlighting distinct skill sets. **In simple terms:** Switching acting mediums feels like a big change. Key Takeaway Recognize and adapt to new creative demands. Themes adaptation craft artistic growth Mood inspired thoughtful Type career artistic When to use this quote - audition preparation - career pivot - directing - script analysis Key Concepts method acting cinematic storytelling performance dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What skills from theater can enhance film work? - How do you maintain authenticity across mediums? A Different Perspective Film may demand less spontaneity than theater. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Waiting tables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting-tables/) [Works of art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/works-of-art/) ## Related quotes > [It's really hard to say how long the show will last and will continue. I hope it lasts for a very long time. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-burns/it-s-really-hard-to-say-how-long-the-show-will-last-and-will-continue/) [Steve Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-burns/) > [I'm theater trained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-zahn/i-m-theater-trained/) [Steve Zahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-zahn/) > [I want to keep working. I want to step away from young adult fiction. I want to do theater periodically - Farragut North reminded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-irons/i-want-to-keep-working-i-want-to-step-away-from-young-adult-fiction-i/) [Max Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-irons/) > [The biggest battle for a lot of people who come out of the theater, which is where I was trained, is that they can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/the-biggest-battle-for-a-lot-of-people-who-come-out-of-the-theater/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [I have a coach, but I'm not theater-trained or a technical actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-kekilli/i-have-a-coach-but-i-m-not-theater-trained-or-a-technical-actor/) [Sibel Kekilli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-kekilli/) > [I'm the journeyman actor that you saw in one scene here, two scenes there. I've been eking out a living doing theater - Broadway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-m-the-journeyman-actor-that-you-saw-in-one-scene-here-two-scenes/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [Before I quit waiting tables, I never had more than like three days off in a row really for many, many years. I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/before-i-quit-waiting-tables-i-never-had-more-than-like-three-days/) [Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/) > [I can always go back to waiting tables, but I won't be very good at it. I'll never be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/i-can-always-go-back-to-waiting-tables-but-i-won-t-be-very-good-at-it/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [Waiting tables has never paid my bills, a fact which I prefer to hide from my colleagues with deep sighs about the price of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/waiting-tables-has-never-paid-my-bills-a-fact-which-i-prefer-to-hide/) [David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/) > [I was a waitress years ago when I was first trying to become an actress, waiting tables in New York City.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dickens/i-was-a-waitress-years-ago-when-i-was-first-trying-to-become-an/) [Kim Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dickens/) > [I want to quit. Not performing, but being a woman altogether. I want to throw my hands in the air, after reading a mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-want-to-quit-not-performing-but-being-a-woman-altogether-i-want-to/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [I stopped waiting tables in my 40s, and I think that's the story of a lot of people around me. We're all in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/i-stopped-waiting-tables-in-my-40s-and-i-think-that-s-the-story-of-a/) [Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/) > [“When Marino's needs us, we chip in.I just hate when chipping involves waiting tables. I have to write down orders so I don't forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-jensen/when-marino-s-needs-us-we-chip-in-i-just-hate-when-chipping-involves/) [Melissa Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-jensen/) > [In the creative arts you draw a special power. The discipline required is awesome to be an actor or an actress, to be really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/in-the-creative-arts-you-draw-a-special-power-the-discipline-required/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I really believe waiting tables, and service industry jobs in general, make you a better person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-really-believe-waiting-tables-and-service-industry-jobs-in-general/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) ## More by Viola Davis > [I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was 165 pounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-look-back-at-pictures-of-myself-and-i-remember-thinking-i-was-so/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am not a glam woman - this definitely is a mask I put on for the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-not-a-glam-woman-this-definitely-is-a-mask-i-put-on-for-the/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I was bullied at school. The black girl in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in 1973. There'd be 8 or 10 boys; I would count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-was-bullied-at-school-the-black-girl-in-central-falls-rhode-island/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's why there's so much bad acting out there, because you could see actors watching themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-there-s-so-much-bad-acting-out-there-because-you-could-see/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I want my work to reflect my level of gifts and talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-want-my-work-to-reflect-my-level-of-gifts-and-talent/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I don’t want anyone putting any limits on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-don-t-want-anyone-putting-any-limits-on-me/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ I think that's why August \[Wilson\] named her Rose \[in "Fences"\]; I really do. 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