John Rhys-Davies Quotes

Powerful John Rhys-Davies for Daily Growth

About John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies, born on May 8, 1944, in Ammanford, Wales, is a renowned British actor known for his deep, distinctive voice and versatile acting skills. He gained international recognition for his portrayal of Gimli the Dwarf in the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy and Sallah in the "Indiana Jones" series. Rhys-Davies' passion for acting was ignited at an early age, performing in school plays and local theatre productions. After serving in the military, he pursued a career in acting, initially finding success on British television with roles in shows like "The Onedin Line" and "Upstairs, Downstairs." His breakthrough role came in 1981 when he was cast as Charles de Gaulle in the historical miniseries "War and Remembrance." This led to his collaboration with director Ridley Scott, who cast him as Sallah in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) and subsequent Indiana Jones films. His role as Gimli in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy cemented Rhys-Davies' status as a beloved figure in fantasy film. He has since appeared in various television shows, movies, and documentaries, showcasing his versatility as an actor. Off-screen, Rhys-Davies is known for his political views and support for Israel. He has written several books on the subject, including "Slaughterhouse Live" and "The Raging Spirit." Throughout his career, John Rhys-Davies has embodied a wide range of characters, making significant contributions to film and television. His powerful presence and rich Welsh voice continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Fear is the little-death that gnaws at the edges of the soul."

This quote highlights how fear, a common human emotion, can be destructive, much like death in its gradual and insidious nature. The "little-death" refers to the slow erosion of one's vitality and courage, eating away at the soul. In other words, fear can gradually diminish our spirit, making us hesitant, timid, and disconnected from our full potential. The quote serves as a reminder that facing fears head-on can help preserve and protect our essence, empowering us to live more fully and courageously.


"There's a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is having secrets and wisdom is knowing when to share them."

This quote emphasizes that there's a distinction between possessing information (knowledge) and using it judiciously (wisdom). Knowledge, being the acquisition of facts or secrets, does not inherently imply understanding or discernment. Wisdom, on the other hand, is the ability to apply that knowledge in appropriate contexts and at the right times. It's a testament to the idea that having knowledge doesn't necessarily make one wise, but sharing it wisely demonstrates wisdom.


"You must learn from the mistakes of others. You can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself."

This quote emphasizes the importance of learning from the experiences, especially the mistakes, of others. It suggests that instead of making every error on one's own, it's wiser to learn from those who have gone before, thus shortening the path towards wisdom and success. In essence, it advocates for growth through the sharing of knowledge rather than repeated trials and errors.


"The greatest trick the devil ever played, was convincing the world he didn't exist."

This quote by John Rhys-Davies, often attributed to the movie "The Usual Suspects," suggests that sometimes the most dangerous or influential forces are those we choose to ignore or deny. The "devil" in this context symbolizes any powerful entity that is hidden, unacknowledged, or underestimated – be it an actual evil force, a personal weakness, societal injustice, or even oneself. By pretending such forces do not exist, we allow them to thrive and exert more control over our lives. The quote serves as a reminder to stay vigilant against denial and confront the realities that might be uncomfortable, for it is only then we can overcome our challenges effectively.


"I have seen things that would turn you as white as this wall, and keep you awake at night."

This quote suggests that the speaker has witnessed events so profoundly troubling, horrifying, or shocking that they could cause profound emotional distress, insomnia (restless nights), and a permanent change in one's outlook on life. It implies a profound encounter with reality beyond the ordinary, evoking feelings of awe, fear, and introspection.


Actors endow the villain in fiction with a warmth and quality that makes them memorable. I think we like fictional villains because they're the Mr. Hyde of our own dreams. I've met a few real villains in my time, and they weren't the least bit sympathetic.

- John Rhys-Davies

Villain, I Think, Endow, Warmth

'Indiana Jones' wasn't physically tough, but they are the only two films I've ever been ill on. On 'The Last Crusade,' I got sciatica. That's when the sciatic nerve, which goes through the funny hole in your pelvis down your leg, swells and rubs against the nerves.

- John Rhys-Davies

Through, Been, Crusade, Rubs

I found it marvelous that the great supporters of America in Europe are, of course, those countries that American consistency and firmness in the Cold War ended up liberating.

- John Rhys-Davies

War, American, Cold, Liberating

Villains are a lot of fun. My villains have a lot of tongue-in-cheek. They are sometimes conscious of and a little bit gleeful of their villainy.

- John Rhys-Davies

Sometimes, Villains, Villainy

Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg are men at the top of their game, and Jackson especially is going to change the nature of film-making.

- John Rhys-Davies

Game, Going, Spielberg, Steven

Spying is a like a game of chess: Sometimes you have to withdraw, sometimes you have to sacrifice one of your pieces to win - preferably a knight rather than a king or queen.

- John Rhys-Davies

Game, Chess, Like, Knight

It's not hard to get people to take a premise and accept it.

- John Rhys-Davies

Hard, Get, Take, Premise

There's nothing like the discipline of having to work on a cold film set on the Danubian plain in Bulgaria. Boy, does it get cold.

- John Rhys-Davies

Like, Set, Having, Film Set

I'd love to spend more time on the Isle of Man. I love the anonymity of putting on a boiler suit and going down to buy parts for the compressor. And Norman Wisdom's a neighbour; I salute him occasionally.

- John Rhys-Davies

Love, Going, Putting, Salute

If I had a bloody tattoo for every film I'd done, I'd be a walking billboard.

- John Rhys-Davies

Walking, Tattoo, Had, Billboard

Films are fun, but life is much richer.

- John Rhys-Davies

Life, Fun, Films, Richer

Actors are always looking for actor-proof parts. A part so good you can't screw it up!

- John Rhys-Davies

Good, Always, Part, Screw

Many do not understand how precarious Western civilization is and what a joy it is. From it, we get real democracy. From it, we get the sort of intellectual tolerance that allows me to propound something that may be completely alien to you.

- John Rhys-Davies

Civilization, May, Tolerance

Just think about it: in every shop in the reading world since 1956, there has been two feet of book-space devoted to Tolkien.

- John Rhys-Davies

Feet, Think, Been, Tolkien

People have become disillusioned with Parliament, and that threatens democracy.

- John Rhys-Davies

Parliament, Disillusioned, Threatens

Faith is not a rational thing, and yet to understand the universe, rationality alone will not give it to us. Our understanding of the universe must transcend the rational.

- John Rhys-Davies

Give, Understand, Will, Transcend

Actually, I'm addicted to science fiction. Let me make my diction clear - I love sci-fi.

- John Rhys-Davies

Love, Fiction, Addicted, Science Fiction

I think I have more stamps in my passport than most stamp collectors have in their collections.

- John Rhys-Davies

Think, More, I Think, Collections

I do not want to see a society where, should I ever have any, my granddaughters have their fingernails pulled out because they are wearing nail varnish.

- John Rhys-Davies

Want, Nail, Pulled, Fingernails

When you get back to fundamental questions - 'Why should anything exist?' A, I'm not sure what the answer is in terms of the science, and B, I'm not sure that science can even ask that question.

- John Rhys-Davies

Questions, Question, Sure, Fundamental Questions

I enjoy acting. It's not that I begin to think I'm getting better. I now fully know that I've made no improvement whatsoever since I was 20. I can live with it.

- John Rhys-Davies

Think, Made, Whatsoever, Fully

I am a believer in the evolutionary process, and yet I have sympathy for the friends of mine who are creationists. I don't find the positions incompatible.

- John Rhys-Davies

Process, Mine, Positions, Creationist

When you've opened your heart to a child as you have to, there's always the fear that you may discover that the child is not viable. Losing that child is not a position you want to find yourself in.

- John Rhys-Davies

Discover, Always, May, Viable

A solitary child growing up in Africa, you're really quite dependent on books.

- John Rhys-Davies

Growing Up, Growing, Africa, Dependent

Unkindness is quite a major sin.

- John Rhys-Davies

Sin, Major, Quite, Unkindness

We live in a modest system, a galaxy called the Milky Way. If we named every star in the Milky Way and put them in the Hollywood telephone directory and stacked those telephone directories up, we'd have a pile of telephone directories 70 miles high.

- John Rhys-Davies

Hollywood, Named, Stacked, Galaxy

When the writers themselves are a bit out of control, and their lives are collapsing around them, they seem to rejoice in misery and celebrate the wrong sort of things.

- John Rhys-Davies

Celebrate, Misery, Lives, Rejoice

The universe starts off with the Big Bang theory, and the first thing that emerged from the Big Bang is essentially hydrogen and then helium. And that's what combusts in stars. Finally, stars implode, and they build heavier elements out of that. And those heavier elements are reconstituted in the heart of other stars, eventually.

- John Rhys-Davies

Big, Other, Eventually, Bang

In the film world, we can all be heroes. In the real world, where heroism can cost you your life or the life of the ones you love, people aren't so willing to make those sacrifices. When they do, they are set apart from the rest of us.

- John Rhys-Davies

Love, Willing, Your, Apart

To be an actor for 30-odd years trying to become recognized, and to end up playing a full prosthetic and a character 3 foot 9', or something like that, is... well, it just shows that you can get actors to do anything.

- John Rhys-Davies

Like, Years, Recognized, Prosthetic

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