Laura Donnelly Quotes

Powerful Laura Donnelly for Daily Growth

About Laura Donnelly

Laura Donnelly is a renowned British actress, playwright, and author who has made significant contributions to the world of literature and performing arts. Born on October 31, 1985, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Donnelly developed a love for storytelling from an early age. She attended Methodist College Belfast before moving to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London to pursue her acting career. Donnelly's professional journey began in 2006 with roles in several British television series, including "Misfits" and "Silent Witness." However, she gained widespread recognition for her role as Jenny Fraser in the Starz series "Outlander," based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling books. In addition to her acting career, Donnelly is also a prolific writer. Her debut play, "Portia Coughlan," was produced by the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 2014 and won the Stewart Parker Award for Best New Play. The play revolves around Portia, a young woman struggling with mental illness, and explores themes of loss, family, and identity. Donnelly's writing career took another significant leap with the publication of her debut novel, "Our Feet Can't Fail Us," in 2017. The book is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of family relationships, set against the backdrop of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Laura Donnelly continues to push boundaries in both acting and writing, using her platform to tell captivating stories that resonate with audiences worldwide. Her work serves as a testament to her talent, versatility, and commitment to storytelling.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The only way to be truly satisfied is to first be responsible. Take responsibility for your actions, not your consequences."

This quote emphasizes self-accountability and personal growth. It suggests that to find true satisfaction in life, one must take ownership of their actions and decisions, rather than focusing solely on the outcomes or consequences. This perspective encourages individuals to learn from their mistakes, grow, and make better choices in the future, fostering a sense of fulfillment and self-improvement.


"Believe in yourself even when no one else does. That's what makes you a winner every time."

This quote by Laura Donnelly emphasizes self-belief as a crucial element for success, irrespective of external validation. It encourages individuals to trust their abilities, even when others may doubt them. By doing so, they are essentially setting themselves up for personal victories in any endeavor they pursue. Essentially, this quote is about persevering and maintaining confidence in oneself, which can lead to triumph over adversity.


"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

This quote emphasizes the idea that personal growth, identity, and self-realization are not passive experiences, but rather active endeavors. It suggests that instead of waiting to "find" oneself, individuals should actively create their own lives, identities, and purposes. The journey of self-discovery is seen as a process of building, shaping, and crafting who we become, rather than a simple uncovering or discovery of an already existing identity. Essentially, it encourages us to take control of our lives and shape them according to our values, aspirations, and experiences.


"The universe always gives you exactly what you ask for, so be careful with your words."

This quote suggests that our thoughts, words, and intentions play a significant role in shaping our experiences and outcomes in life. It implies that if we consistently focus on and express positive or negative thoughts, the universe will respond by delivering corresponding events or circumstances into our lives. In essence, it encourages mindfulness over words and actions, as they have the power to manifest reality.


"Everyone has the power to change their life. You just have to decide that it's worth the effort."

This quote emphasizes that each individual possesses an inherent ability to shape their own destiny. The transformation can only occur when one makes a conscious decision to invest time, energy, and effort into positive changes in their life. Essentially, it suggests personal empowerment and the understanding that our actions determine our outcomes.


Judi Dench has always been the benchmark for me. Everything I have seen her do is incredible. I also really admire Cate Blanchett. In terms of people I have worked with, there is no one more admirable than Hugh Jackman, for his spirit, energy, generosity and hard work.

- Laura Donnelly

Admire, Been, Dench, Generosity

You never want to sound bitter about critics, because they're entitled to do their job, too, but I place much more trust in a person who I can look in the eye and someone who I know I share some kind of taste with - so my friends, for instance. For me, a critic is unknown and therefore irrelevant.

- Laura Donnelly

Trust, Some, Entitled, Irrelevant

Throughout my childhood, I did a form of Irish dancing that was kind of the precursor to 'Riverdance.' It was a mixture of ballet and Irish dancing that my teacher, Patricia Mulholland, had invented, essentially. It was Irish ballet, and she would create performances based around the myths and legends of Ireland.

- Laura Donnelly

Dancing, Irish, Had, Ireland

I respect the system out there in Hollywood, I really do, but I'm very intent on art versus commerce. I want to do it all - film, TV and theatre - if it's the right job.

- Laura Donnelly

Art, Very, TV, Versus

I've had people break into profiles on my Internet; they got into my accounts. This was at the beginning of my career. There is a fair bit of alarm when something like that happens. It definitely bothered me a lot at the time. But you move on from these things.

- Laura Donnelly

Beginning, Career, Had, Alarm

Any rehearsal process - I find, anyway - does have quite an effect on me, and I very much live in that world for the whole period of time that I'm involved with the production. But normally, afterwards with a little bit of space, I can come right back out of it again.

- Laura Donnelly

Back, Production, Very, Normally

Fly-fishing is really addictive.

- Laura Donnelly

Really, Addictive

Once, and only once, I walked on stage and my mind went utterly blank! I had no idea why I was there! My fellow actors had to rescue me. I was very young and new to the business, so I'm glad it didn't give me stage fright for the rest of my life!

- Laura Donnelly

My Life, Very, Stage Fright, Rescue

My first mentor and inspiration was my Irish Dancing teacher Patricia Mulholland. She created her own form of dance known as Irish ballet and created stage productions of old Irish myths and legends. They were my first experiences on stage. She told my mum I was destined for the stage, and I took that as my cue.

- Laura Donnelly

Dancing, Mentor, Mum, Cue

It's a funny thing when you know someone and you meet their siblings - you get so much a sense of who they are because when you can recognize similar traits in the family, you understand exactly why they are the way they are.

- Laura Donnelly

Why, Get, Traits, Sibling

To be honest, accents are one of those things for me, personally, that usually come quite naturally by just listening to the people.

- Laura Donnelly

Listening, Accents, Come, To Be Honest

'Outlander' is filmed mostly around Glasgow and the central belt of Scotland, so it's lovely for me because I get to go up and spend time in the place that I lived for three years. I've got a bunch of friends in the cast because a lot of them studied at the same college as I did, and I get to see my family, most of whom now live in Scotland.

- Laura Donnelly

College, Around, Mostly, Scotland

I was watching the Danish version of 'The Killing' when I got the audition for 'The Fall,' and I loved it; it was so original. I approached 'The Fall' with that in mind. I'd no problem with the violence - it was very clear from the script how horrifying the crimes were and that had to be shown, without going to extremes.

- Laura Donnelly

Watching, Very, Had, Version

When I first read 'The River,' I had theories on what it was about, but once we got into rehearsal, I realized it's much simpler: It's about how human beings try to connect. The play holds a mirror up to the audience, and they take from it what's relevant to their lives.

- Laura Donnelly

Mirror, Play, About, Simpler

It's not easy being Hugh Jackman, but he wears the attention better than anyone I've ever met. He treats every person he meets the same and finds joy in everything he does. The lesson I've learned is that if you work incredibly hard, and you're nice to everybody, you'll be fine.

- Laura Donnelly

Same, Everybody, Finds, Treats

Fishing is very meditative; you need to be able to give up control and cast out the line and then hope for the best, so in that way, it's quite like acting.

- Laura Donnelly

Give, Need, Very, Fishing

I'm not really into method acting - the way I was taught was the good old-fashioned British way of just doing your research and getting on with it.

- Laura Donnelly

Doing, British, Method, Old-Fashioned

I've still got a few moves from my days as a gymnast.

- Laura Donnelly

Few, Still, Gymnast, Moves

It's not my job to get really personal in how I express myself. I've met fans, and they've been lovely. But letting my personal life out there, I don't think is a good idea for me. I think the more you do that, the more you can be accused of encouraging that kind of attention.

- Laura Donnelly

Idea, Been, I Think, Accused

I always look to play flawed characters. I'm not very interested in playing somebody that's just, you know, the very nice one or the attractive one, or whatever, which a lot of female parts can just be written that way.

- Laura Donnelly

Play, Very, Lot, Flawed

I was only 23 and just out of college when I filmed 'Casualty' and so nervous, but it was brilliant fun. I was really lucky, and it really helped my career.

- Laura Donnelly

College, Career, Lucky, Brilliant

If you're searching for quotes on a different topic, feel free to browse our Topics page or explore a diverse collection of quotes from various Authors to find inspiration.