Kelli O'Hara Quotes

Powerful Kelli O'Hara for Daily Growth

About Kelli O'Hara

Kelli O'Hara is an acclaimed American actress and singer, renowned for her exceptional talent in both theater and music. Born on February 19, 1976, in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Hara spent her formative years in the small town of Saltillo before moving to Oklahoma to attend Oklahoma City University. Her love for performing arts blossomed early when she began participating in local productions at a young age. Her breakthrough role came in 2000 when she made her Broadway debut as Amalia Balash in 'She Loves Me.' This performance garnered her a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Over the years, O'Hara has become a familiar face on Broadway, with notable roles in productions like 'The Pajama Game,' 'South Pacific,' and 'The King and I.' Her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'The King and I' earned her the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 2015. O'Hara's influences span across various genres, including classical music, jazz, and country. Her unique vocal range and versatile acting skills have led to collaborations with artists like Josh Groban and Idina Menzel. In 2018, she released her debut solo album, 'The Knowing,' which showcases her abilities as a singer-songwriter. In addition to her professional achievements, O'Hara is an advocate for mental health awareness and has been open about her own struggles with anxiety and depression. She uses her platform to raise awareness and encourage conversations around mental health issues. Kelli O'Hara continues to captivate audiences with her exceptional talent and dedication to the arts. Her career is a testament to her resilience, passion, and commitment to excellence in all her endeavors.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I think I've always been drawn to things that scare me a little."

Kelli O'Hara suggests that she is attracted to challenges or experiences that provoke a sense of fear, indicating a propensity for embracing growth opportunities that lie outside her comfort zone. This mentality fosters personal development by encouraging individuals to push their boundaries and face their apprehensions, ultimately leading to self-discovery and empowerment.


"You have to be fearless in your dreams and patient in their coming true."

Kelli O'Hara suggests that one should boldly pursue their dreams without fear, maintaining perseverance and patience during the realization process. This implies that while it's important to dream big and aspire for greatness, achieving those dreams may not happen overnight, and requires continuous effort, resilience, and a mindset of endurance.


"I believe in working hard, dreaming big, and staying positive."

This quote by Kelli O'Hara emphasizes the importance of diligence, ambition, and maintaining a positive outlook. "Working hard" implies dedicating effort, time, and resources to achieve one's goals. "Dreaming big" suggests having aspirations that are not limited by current circumstances or perceived limitations. Lastly, "staying positive" underscores the significance of maintaining an optimistic mindset amid challenges and setbacks in pursuit of those dreams. Together, these three elements form a powerful formula for personal growth and success.


"When you are on stage, you are not just an actor. You are part of the music, part of the story, part of the audience's experience."

Kelli O'Hara suggests that acting is a collaborative and immersive art form. As an actor, she embodies not only her character but also the emotional resonance of the music and storyline. Moreover, she implies that the audience plays a crucial role as well, creating an interactive experience where actors, music, and audiences intertwine to create the magic of live theater.


"Life is short, so do what makes your heart sing."

This quote highlights the importance of living a life that aligns with one's passions and values, as time is precious and limited. By pursuing activities or careers that resonate deeply within us (those things that "make our hearts sing"), we are more likely to experience fulfillment, happiness, and purpose in our lives. It serves as a reminder that we should seize opportunities for joy and self-expression, not just for ourselves, but also for the positive impact it can have on those around us.


In my special place, room service could only consist of my husband making me a breakfast of eggs, avocados, and hummus. And coffee with milk.

- Kelli O'Hara

Eggs, Making, Could, Room Service

Playing characters allows me to do things I may not always do, while singing in concerts allows me to really find my own voice and grow.

- Kelli O'Hara

Voice, Grow, Always, I May Not

We didn't have a lot of live theater in Oklahoma. I didn't visit New York when I was growing up. I watched movie musicals, and I believed in an idealistic, idyllic version of Broadway.

- Kelli O'Hara

New, Movie, Broadway, Idealistic

With a revival, you're compared to somebody else.

- Kelli O'Hara

You, Somebody, Else, Revival

I was able to do concerts all the way up until two weeks before I had the baby; I thought I was stopping a month ahead, but he was three weeks early.

- Kelli O'Hara

Thought, Before, Weeks, Two Weeks

The 'Carousel' overture has always been one of my all-time favorite pieces of music.

- Kelli O'Hara

Pieces, Always, Been, All-Time

Shakespeare has great ability to skirt around a subject and portray human nature.

- Kelli O'Hara

Nature, Subject, Shakespeare, Skirt

It is such a luxury to open a new book that's highly recommended by friends - either an inspirational yet humorously self-deprecating memoir, or a page-turning piece of fiction.

- Kelli O'Hara

New, Fiction, Memoir, Recommended

When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions become necessary, when they aren't camp, that, to me, is magic. I've done musical comedies and enjoyed them, but subject matter that's deeper and more realistic is always what's appealed to me most.

- Kelli O'Hara

Magic, Subject, Appealed, Transitions

Every part has its relief when I'm done with it.

- Kelli O'Hara

Done, Part, Every, Relief

Corned beef and cabbage - that's our favorite holiday meal when all the O' Haras gather around the table.

- Kelli O'Hara

Beef, Cabbage, Gather, Table

You breathe fast when you're scared.

- Kelli O'Hara

Fast, Breathe, You, Scared

I suppose there are a lot of reasons to be jaded or sarcastic or bitter in life, but I hang on to the reasons why life is beautiful.

- Kelli O'Hara

Why, Hang, Reasons, Jaded

I've had great opportunities to show different sides of myself, but the challenge will always be getting either people to let you do it or finding the right things to do in order to do it.

- Kelli O'Hara

Myself, Will, Always, Different Sides

'South Pacific' has a definite heaviness that people don't realize. It's got a seriousness and a message.

- Kelli O'Hara

Seriousness, Definite, South, Pacific

The hardest role that I've ever tried to play was Clara Johnson in 'Light in the Piazza' at Lincoln Center. It was the least fun I've ever had, but the most beautiful experience I've ever had. I could not understand her. I could not put my feet in her shoes. I came home every night, and I was depressed.

- Kelli O'Hara

Feet, Play, Role, Every Night

When I've done TV and film, when it's offered to me, I loved doing it, and I would do it again, but the ins and outs of auditioning is - that's time away from my kids.

- Kelli O'Hara

Doing, Away, TV, TV And Film

I've always wanted my characters to have more dimension and realistic cores than the ingenue material often provides. It's been a challenge.

- Kelli O'Hara

Always, Been, Ingenue, Dimension

I don't have that many family and friends.

- Kelli O'Hara

Family, Friends, Many, Family And Friends

I'm a mother, and when you have children, there's a protection. You'll do a lot to protect them, to do what's best for them.

- Kelli O'Hara

Mother, Children, Lot, Protect

When you're pregnant, things - at least for me - get very sincere and very wholesome, and it's about family, and singing becomes about warmth.

- Kelli O'Hara

Singing, Warmth, Very, Pregnant

I don't mind talking about my family and how to balance it all. But, in today's world, we should probably be asking both women and men about work and family and how to balance the two.

- Kelli O'Hara

Work, Mind, Asking, Women And Men

I've always wanted to do a Shakespeare play.

- Kelli O'Hara

Play, Always, Wanted, Shakespeare

I was raised in Oklahoma. I was actually born in Tulsa, but I grew up in a small town on the west side of Oklahoma called Elk City on a farm, where my dad grew up, actually.

- Kelli O'Hara

Small, Town, Side, Farm

I grew up on a farm.

- Kelli O'Hara

Up, Grew, Farm

My great-grandfather, Peter O'Hara, was born in Ireland, I believe, in County Clare. His father, my great-great-grandfather, had actually come to America a generation before when times were very bad in Ireland. He worked in the Pennsylvania area and did well with horses and farming.

- Kelli O'Hara

Bad, Before, Very, I Believe In

There is such a cliche to certain roles that all I can do is to try to make them realistic and work for the times, and so the audience actually won't see me as a caricature of something, but rather as an actual person.

- Kelli O'Hara

Audience, Caricature, Actual, Realistic

I don't ever sing classically when I am singing a contemporary score - I kind of try to fit in whatever needs to happen.

- Kelli O'Hara

Singing, Happen, Needs, Contemporary

My mom's side of the family is from Arkansas!

- Kelli O'Hara

Family, Mom, Side, Arkansas

Some songs depend heavily on the character, but, for the most part, a great song begs for reinterpretation every time it is sung, even when in character.

- Kelli O'Hara

Song, Depend, Some, Sung

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