--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ultimately, it's not your job, as an…" description: "\"Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. Even in your life, you are just who you a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png" --- # Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy… ![“Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. Even in your life, you are just who you are.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png) > “Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. Even in your life, you are just who you are.” [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. An actress should stay true to herself rather than conform to external expectations, both on stage and in personal life. **In simple terms:** Be authentic, not a performance for others. Key Takeaway Live authentically. Themes authenticity self‑acceptance identity artistry Mood reflective empowering Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - acting auditions - social media presence - personal relationships - career decisions Key Concepts self‑concept social pressure personal integrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish your true self from others' expectations? - What steps help you stay authentic under pressure? A Different Perspective External expectations can limit creative freedom and cause self‑doubt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actresses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actresses/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [When you're training, there's no preparation for the media aspect of the profession, which is like another job in itself. 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I just have this flashy, wacky job \[actress\] that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-roberts/i-do-think-that-i-am-fundamentally-the-same-relatively-simple-person/) [Julia Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-roberts/) > [My job as an actress was to be a good scene partner to Martin Wallstrom, who plays Tyrell Wellick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-corneliussen/my-job-as-an-actress-was-to-be-a-good-scene-partner-to-martin/) [Stephanie Corneliussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-corneliussen/) > [My job as the actress playing Hanna Schmitz, as the actress playing any part, is to understand the character, and to ultimately love the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/my-job-as-the-actress-playing-hanna-schmitz-as-the-actress-playing/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [I think one of my big skills is making unlikable characters likable or real in some way. No matter how hateful people are, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-janney/i-think-one-of-my-big-skills-is-making-unlikable-characters-likable/) [Allison Janney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-janney/) > [It was a really fun idea to have a fashion label with my sister but I don't have an awful lot of time for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-miller/it-was-a-really-fun-idea-to-have-a-fashion-label-with-my-sister-but-i/) [Sienna Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-miller/) > [The first job of an actress, for me, is creating relationships with other characters, and you have to achieve that almost instantly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-james/the-first-job-of-an-actress-for-me-is-creating-relationships-with/) [Geraldine James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-james/) > [My job as an actress is to make things work and come up with reasons of my own and not just fill in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-adams/my-job-as-an-actress-is-to-make-things-work-and-come-up-with-reasons/) [Amy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-adams/) > [I only began to sing because I couldn't get a job as an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbra-streisand/i-only-began-to-sing-because-i-couldn-t-get-a-job-as-an-actress/) [Barbra Streisand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbra-streisand/) > [Every time I do anything, I have to ask myself: Is it a good role, and is it right to do it? There may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/every-time-i-do-anything-i-have-to-ask-myself-is-it-a-good-role-and/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [“I wasn't born to satisfy people, I was born to satisfy myself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maaithaa/i-wasn-t-born-to-satisfy-people-i-was-born-to-satisfy-myself/) Maaithaa > [Being cool is not about being part of some crowd. But learning to be your own man. Drive yourself don't be pulled to satisfy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-matobo/being-cool-is-not-about-being-part-of-some-crowd-but-learning-to-be/) [Frank Matobo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-matobo/) > [I'm not in the business of satisfying everybody. I'm in the business of trying to satisfy the people who elected me governor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/i-m-not-in-the-business-of-satisfying-everybody-i-m-in-the-business/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [There is no one artform that is going to satisfy all human beings, and there's no one way of talking about difficult stuff that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-beatriz/there-is-no-one-artform-that-is-going-to-satisfy-all-human-beings-and/) [Stephanie Beatriz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-beatriz/) ## 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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I felt like it was relentless, I never felt like I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/it-was-hard-that-confrontation-scene-in-fences-that-was-a-hard-one-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am addicted to any facial product that's anti-aging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-addicted-to-any-facial-product-that-s-anti-aging/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Explore all 279 Viola Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ## More Actress quotes > [Sigourney Weaver is a wonderful person. I was so lucky to have the opportunity to meet and work with such an amazing actress. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-henn/sigourney-weaver-is-a-wonderful-person-i-was-so-lucky-to-have-the/) [Carrie Henn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-henn/) > [People forget I'm an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-heatherton/people-forget-i-m-an-actress/) [Joey Heatherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-heatherton/) > [I adore Kelly Bishop as a human being and as an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-gunn/i-adore-kelly-bishop-as-a-human-being-and-as-an-actress/) [Sean Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-gunn/) > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Marilyn was a great actress, not a dumb blond bombshell. She was very smart, very astute and a good businesswoman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/marilyn-was-a-great-actress-not-a-dumb-blond-bombshell-she-was-very/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [I'm an actress, not a pin-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/i-m-an-actress-not-a-pin-up/) [Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/) > [My father was a GP; my mother was a teacher and amateur actress. My father was a bit of a storyteller, but the acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciaran-hinds/my-father-was-a-gp-my-mother-was-a-teacher-and-amateur-actress-my/) [Ciaran Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciaran-hinds/) > [I never wished that I was a superstar. Hell, I never even wished that I was an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/i-never-wished-that-i-was-a-superstar-hell-i-never-even-wished-that-i/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [Many of the heroines from outside Karnataka have worked in my films, but the attitude and adjusting nature of top South Indian actress Nayantara…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rockline-venkatesh/many-of-the-heroines-from-outside-karnataka-have-worked-in-my-films/) [Rockline Venkatesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rockline-venkatesh/) > [There are a lot of great actresses out there. You learn to appreciate each one for what they offer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/there-are-a-lot-of-great-actresses-out-there-you-learn-to-appreciate/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [There's certain things I try to avoid, as an actress, just to keep my world from being as narrow as it could be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/famke-janssen/there-s-certain-things-i-try-to-avoid-as-an-actress-just-to-keep-my/) [Famke Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/famke-janssen/) > [I never wanted to be an opera singer. I wanted to be an actress, maybe a rock singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristine-opolais/i-never-wanted-to-be-an-opera-singer-i-wanted-to-be-an-actress-maybe/) [Kristine Opolais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristine-opolais/) > [When an actor charges high fees, nobody says anything. But when an actress does the same, it becomes news.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijayashanti/when-an-actor-charges-high-fees-nobody-says-anything-but-when-an/) [Vijayashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijayashanti/) > [I am going to be a great actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivien-leigh/i-am-going-to-be-a-great-actress/) [Vivien Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivien-leigh/) > [As a black actress you've got to work doubly hard. But it doesn't ever get me to the point where I give up on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naturi-naughton/as-a-black-actress-you-ve-got-to-work-doubly-hard-but-it-doesn-t-ever/) [Naturi Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naturi-naughton/) Browse all 2,244 Actress quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. 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