--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm the journeyman actor that you saw in…" description: "\"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, Off Broadway - film s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/viola-davis-1174_actor_i-m-the-journeyman-actor-that-you-saw-in_2884241.png" --- # I'm the journeyman actor that you saw in one scene here… ![“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, Off Broadway - film supporting roles, that I'm just excited to be a part of the conversation.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/viola-davis-1174_actor_i-m-the-journeyman-actor-that-you-saw-in_2884241.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/viola-davis-1174_actor_i-m-the-journeyman-actor-that-you-saw-in_2884241.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f1d/viola-davis-1174_actor_i-m-the-journeyman-actor-that-you-saw-in_2884241.png) > “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, Off Broadway - film supporting roles, that I'm just excited to be a part of the conversation.” [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. She acknowledges her modest, varied acting roles while expressing excitement about contributing to larger conversations. **In simple terms:** She values every role and wants to join bigger dialogues. Key Takeaway Stay engaged and value each opportunity. Themes humility career conversation growth representation Mood hopeful determined inspirational Type motivational career inspirational When to use this quote - theater auditions - film sets - industry panels - networking events Key Concepts acting craft industry dialogue personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How can small actors influence broader narratives? - What does “conversation” mean in art? A Different Perspective Risk of being typecast despite diverse work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Broadway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broadway/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Doing Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-theater/) [Film Supporting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-supporting-4015021/) [Journeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journeyman/) [Journeyman Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journeyman-actor-522007/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Supporting roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supporting-roles/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a journeyman actor. My experience as a journeyman actor is that you have to go where the work is. I've never been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-m-a-journeyman-actor-my-experience-as-a-journeyman-actor-is-that/) [Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/) > [I'm a journeyman actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/i-m-a-journeyman-actor/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [In this business, it's important: if you consider yourself a journeyman actor like I do, you need to stay topical. So I'm always looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/in-this-business-it-s-important-if-you-consider-yourself-a-journeyman/) [Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/) > [I always wanted to be a journeyman actor. I wanted to be able to do comedy and drama, classical and contemporary. I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-pierce/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-journeyman-actor-i-wanted-to-be-able-to-do/) [Wendell Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-pierce/) > [I think of myself as a journeyman actor. I've got some talent and I work hard, but people like Brando or Pacino - those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-think-of-myself-as-a-journeyman-actor-i-ve-got-some-talent-and-i/) [Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/) > [It's hard to make a living in this business. Unions aren't as strong as they used to be. 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With romantic-lead dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sanderson/i-m-a-journeyman-actor-and-i-don-t-ever-want-to-forget-that-with/) [William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sanderson/) > [I want to be a recording artist for my whole entire life. But Broadway is something I would come back to at any given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariana-grande/i-want-to-be-a-recording-artist-for-my-whole-entire-life-but-broadway/) [Ariana Grande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariana-grande/) > [I love doing both theater and television. I definitely foresee more Broadway, but I think I would like to keep the singing and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-rannells/i-love-doing-both-theater-and-television-i-definitely-foresee-more/) [Andrew Rannells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-rannells/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-have-to-say-doing-theater-that-s-what-you-re-trained-to-do-doing/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ The idea of a journeyman actor, people sort of say negatively - "Someone who never made it for real" - \[but\] I think a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aya-cash/the-idea-of-a-journeyman-actor-people-sort-of-say-negatively-someone/) [Aya Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aya-cash/) > [I'm really lucky. I never really felt like LA was the Mecca, that you "made it" if you made it somewhere else. I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-m-really-lucky-i-never-really-felt-like-la-was-the-mecca-that-you/) [Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/) > [No, I never thought of it in those terms. I used to go into agents' offices and they'd have pictures of these handsome movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-wallach/no-i-never-thought-of-it-in-those-terms-i-used-to-go-into-agents/) [Eli Wallach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-wallach/) ## 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. She's a rose in her sweetness and her kindness and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-think-that-s-why-august-wilson-named-her-rose-in-fences-i-really-do/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I suffered from low self-esteem for much of my life. And now to feel like maybe something that I'm projecting or saying could mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-suffered-from-low-self-esteem-for-much-of-my-life-and-now-to-feel/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-tell-my-daughter-every-morning-now-what-are-the-two-most-important/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-started-a-production-company-out-of-necessity-the-need-for-great/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out-2/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ It was hard, that confrontation scene \[in "Fences"\], that was a hard one. 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