Ruth Negga Quotes

Powerful Ruth Negga for Daily Growth

About Ruth Negga

Ruth Negga is a captivating and accomplished actress of Ethiopian and Irish descent, born on January 7, 1982, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After spending her early years in Africa, Negga moved to Ireland at the age of six, where she was raised by her single mother, a nurse. Negga's passion for acting ignited during her time at Trinity College Dublin, where she studied Acting and French. Her breakthrough role came in 2011 with her portrayal of Marnie in the BBC series 'Misfits.' This performance earned her widespread recognition and established her as a talented actress. In 2016, Negga starred alongside Joel Edgerton in the critically acclaimed film 'Loving,' for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The film told the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a racially mixed couple whose challenge to their state's laws against interracial marriage in 1967 ultimately led to the landmark decision legalizing such marriages across America. Negga's work is deeply influenced by her multicultural background and her desire to tell stories that explore the complexities of identity, race, and love. She has been quoted as saying, "I think I've always tried to find roles where there was a depth of character." In addition to her acting career, Negga is an advocate for women's rights and social justice, using her platform to raise awareness about issues such as gender equality and racial discrimination. Her quotes often reflect her strong beliefs and passion for creating change. For instance, she once said, "I don't believe in boundaries. I believe in the power of human potential." Negga continues to captivate audiences with her powerful performances in films like 'Preacher,' 'Ad Astra,' and 'Passing.' Her remarkable talent, versatility, and advocacy make her a significant figure in both the entertainment industry and beyond.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I think people are more aware now that they have choices, and we all have a responsibility to make them."

This quote emphasizes the importance of individual autonomy in decision-making and highlights our collective duty to exercise this freedom wisely. It suggests that in today's world, people are increasingly aware of the numerous options they have, and with this awareness comes a responsibility to make informed and thoughtful choices. These choices not only affect us as individuals but also contribute to the larger societal context, underscoring the interconnectedness of our actions.

"I'm always curious about people who have this rigid idea of how things should be. It's fascinating but also quite scary."

This quote by Ruth Negga suggests that she finds it intriguing, yet slightly disconcerting, when individuals hold onto fixed notions about how the world or situations should be. She seems to imply that such a mindset can limit flexibility and adaptability, potentially stifling growth and exploration of new ideas or experiences. It's a call for empathy and understanding in embracing the diversity and complexity that life offers.

"I think it's important for everyone to recognize their own power, and not feel helpless or marginalized."

This quote emphasizes the significance of self-empowerment and discourages feelings of helplessness or marginalization. It encourages individuals to recognize and embrace their personal power, promoting a mindset that emphasizes agency, resilience, and self-worth. In essence, Ruth Negga is advocating for self-awareness, self-belief, and taking control of one's life circumstances, regardless of societal or systemic limitations.

"Being an artist is a great privilege. It means that you get to explore ideas in an open and expansive way."

This quote by Ruth Negga underscores the unique value and freedom that being an artist represents. As an artist, one has the opportunity to delve deeply into concepts, thoughts, and ideas with a sense of openness and expansiveness. The artistic process allows for the exploration of diverse perspectives, fostering creativity, understanding, and growth in both the artist and their audience.

"I like to work with people who challenge me and make me think differently."

This quote indicates that Ruth Negga values collaboration with individuals who stimulate her intellectually and push her beyond her comfort zone. She seeks out partners in creative endeavors who bring fresh perspectives, encouraging her to reconsider her own ideas and broaden her understanding. In essence, she is expressing a desire for meaningful, thought-provoking interactions that drive personal growth and development.

When I was a kid in Ireland, there were not very many black people. I was very much like the strange brown thing, intriguing and cute. I didn't experience racism there. The first time I did was in London. It was that moment that you realize you're black. A kind of lifting of the veil.

- Ruth Negga

London, Kid, Very, Brown

Ninety percent of my roles, I've had to fight for. It's only a really small percentage of people who get handed roles.

- Ruth Negga

Small, Ninety, Roles, Percentage

Often, it's easier to play someone further away from you because it's clearer who they are. I think if you want to make a performance authentic, there are a certain amount of leaps of faith into the unknown that you have to take. Otherwise, you're not really risking anything.

- Ruth Negga

Play, Away, I Think, Risking

I think if you want to make a performance authentic, there are a certain amount of leaps of faith into the unknown that you have to take. Otherwise, you're not really risking anything. I think if you don't risk something in art, it's not really important.

- Ruth Negga

Faith, Unknown, I Think, Risking

I think if we don't understand history, if we don't keep referring back to it, we become complacent. And complacency, as we all know, it leads to repeating history.

- Ruth Negga

Complacency, Think, I Think, Complacent

I'm all for philosophical debates about race, but if you look at history, you see that the status quo has power when it's unchallenged. So these conversations about inequality are crucial.

- Ruth Negga

Race, About, Crucial, Status Quo

People ask me where I'm from. I say Ireland, and they are like 'Really? You don't look Irish.' Then you have to explain... people are intrigued, but sometimes you think, 'Why do I have to tell my whole story every time I open my mouth?

- Ruth Negga

Sometimes, Tell, Explain, Intrigued

I didn't have that many black people in my life, so I had to sort of search them out. And I didn't grow up in America, but I identified as much with their writing about the black experience as I did with their writing about the human experience.

- Ruth Negga

My Life, About, Had, Identified

If people want to invade your privacy, they want to invade your privacy. I find it chilling, and I find it awful, and it makes me really nervous. It hasn't happened to me much, but when you have a taste of it, it's bitter.

- Ruth Negga

Want, Taste, Invade, Chilling

In many ways, playing a real person is slightly easier because you have a road map. When you're playing someone fictitious, there's myriad ways in. With a real person, there's boundaries, and that sometimes makes the work easier.

- Ruth Negga

Work, Sometimes, Slightly, Map

I was an attention seeker, always in trouble.

- Ruth Negga

Attention, Trouble, Always, Seeker

I had quite a scattered childhood. I was Irish in London, because I had my secondary school education there. I never really fitted anywhere. I didn't feel it was a negative thing, and I was never made to feel different - I just knew I was.

- Ruth Negga

Education, London, Irish, Secondary

I'm not the most articulate person.

- Ruth Negga

Person, Most, Articulate

I'm always very careful to say I'm Irish-Ethiopian because I feel Ethiopian and I look Ethiopian and I am Ethiopian. But there are 81 languages in Ethiopia, and I don't know any of them.

- Ruth Negga

Always, Very, Languages, Ethiopia

I had a very peripatetic childhood, so I bounced around. Lived in Ethiopia until I was, like, three or four and then lived between Ireland and London.

- Ruth Negga

Childhood, London, Very, Ethiopia

I've gone into auditions, and I think they have an assumption about me when they see my photo, and then I open my mouth, and they say, 'Where exactly are you from? And you were born in Ethiopia? But you're Irish, but you also kind of sound English. That's really strange.'

- Ruth Negga

Sound, I Think, Auditions, Ethiopia

You know when you're a kid and you get to pick a movie every Friday? I watched everything. There's no particular genre that was appealing. I just loved the idea that you could dress up and play.

- Ruth Negga

Dress, Play, Movie, Friday

When you label someone 'up and coming' or 'the new breakout,' there's this kind of expectation. And I think, like I said before, it's very hard to live up to that expectation when you really don't have that much power as an actor - in terms of your career path and the timing.

- Ruth Negga

Career, I Think, Very, Breakout

I like connecting with people, and that's what good art is: a point of connection. There's nothing better, on stage or on film.

- Ruth Negga

Art, Nothing, Like, Good Art

I've always been very talkative, very chatty, quite hyperactive. I grew up with a lot of cousins, and most of them were boys. Four in particular and I were the demolition squad. Havoc.

- Ruth Negga

Always, Talkative, Very, Havoc

I grew up in an area of Ireland where there weren't many black or mixed-race children. But I never had any hassle; maybe I've blocked it out, but I don't think so.

- Ruth Negga

Think, Maybe, Area, Hassle

You don't come to see a Greek play and not want blood and gore and depth of feeling from your boots up.

- Ruth Negga

Play, Want, Greek, Boots

I've always had sort of an interest in American history, full stop, and especially people who contributed to the civil rights struggle.

- Ruth Negga

American, Always, Had, Struggle

I become very territorial about my identity because it's been hijacked by so many people with their own projections.

- Ruth Negga

Own, Been, Very, Hijacked

There are no actions involved in 'beautiful.' It's such an inactive thing, and it's so subject to each individual's taste and appreciation. It's a lovely word, but I feel like it's been hijacked by really boring, dull people who don't understand how to use words.

- Ruth Negga

Been, Use, Subject, Hijacked

People have always made assumptions about me. I become very territorial about my identity because it's been hijacked by so many people with their own projections.

- Ruth Negga

Always, Been, Very, Hijacked

What I have wanted to do is take roles that are unexpected for people who look like me. Roles that the establishment would say, 'Oh, she couldn't possibly be that.'

- Ruth Negga

Unexpected, Like, Roles, Possibly

Sometimes, people know me from Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' But that usually only happens in America.

- Ruth Negga

Me, Sometimes, Marvel, Agents

Bette Davis is my hero. I'm obsessed with her. I base everything I do on her.

- Ruth Negga

Her, Obsessed, Bette, Base

When I was little, I thought that everyone wanted to hold me as a baby because I was this thing of fascination. But rather than this thing that wasn't quite right, I just felt that my difference was something that was probably very exotic.

- Ruth Negga

Thought, Rather, Very, Exotic

I don't think I have ever thought of myself as a movie star. I think when I was about seven, I thought it must be lovely to have an Oscar. But the more involved you are in this business, the more that pretence disappears, and you really get to see what you love about it, and what I love is working.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Thought, I Think, Disappears

What's really important is the people, first of all. I like working with people who are kind, above all else. I don't really want to work with someone who will manipulate me. The idea that you must treat actors a certain way in order to get a performance out of them kind of disturbs me, and it's disregarding what we do. Our job is to do our job.

- Ruth Negga

Treat, Idea, Certain Way, Manipulate

I don't believe that directors need to essentially manipulate actors into doing things. You can suffer for your art, and you can make your own self suffer for your art. You don't need anyone else to do it for you. I work best when there's a safety trampoline of kindness.

- Ruth Negga

Doing, Own, Directors, Manipulate

I think it's a good thing for everybody that we see the entire world reflected back at us on our screens.

- Ruth Negga

Think, Everybody, I Think, Screens

The god of theater laughs in your face at planning. You can't plan as an actor; there's no way, because so much of it is dependent on other people's choices and decisions that you're at the whim of fate, really.

- Ruth Negga

Fate, Other, Whim, Dependent

Violence in film and television is an ongoing conversation, and I like eavesdropping on it, but I'm never sure what my opinion is. I like watching creative violence, but I don't know.

- Ruth Negga

Television, Like, Sure, Conversation

We need to have a conversation about the fact that black faces are not as visible as they should be, that there is huge inequality everywhere in terms of race.

- Ruth Negga

Fact, Race, Visible, Conversation

I don't know why women aren't allowed to have the same sort of breadth and scope and flaws of men.

- Ruth Negga

Why, Breadth, Allowed, Flaws

Sometimes it's hard to play someone so similar to you, because you can muddy the character. Often, it's easier to play someone further away from you, because it's clearer who they are.

- Ruth Negga

Play, Away, Similar, Muddy

I'm not in any rush to get anywhere. There's a pressure on actors to get somewhere before it's over. But everyone wants longevity, don't they? It's a career. Why be that flash-in-the-pan, taking every job out of worry it'll soon be over?

- Ruth Negga

Career, Why, Before, Longevity

I have not been aggressive in my pursuit of being a star. I've never had a plan. Maybe I need to be more aggressive, because it's quite tough!

- Ruth Negga

Star, Been, Maybe, Aggressive

I auditioned for 'Loving' two years before we started shooting, so in the hopes that I would be playing Mildred, I watched it again. Also it's one of the best documentaries I've seen. I found this couple interminably fascinating; even if I didn't get the part, I just wanted to know more about them and their story.

- Ruth Negga

Before, Part, Couple, Documentaries

My job as an artist is to speak up for those who might be perceived as the losers. Or those who can't shout. No wonder public-school people always get into politics or acting: they're taught to shout that much more loudly.

- Ruth Negga

Politics, Artist, Loudly, Shout

History is written by the winners. My job as an artist is to speak up for those who might be perceived as the losers. Or those who can't shout.

- Ruth Negga

Artist, Winners, Might, Shout

My family very much adored me, and at school, I was an object of fascination.

- Ruth Negga

School, Very, Fascination, Object

Some people say to me, 'You don't sound very Irish.' It's because I have this tendency to iron out my accent: not because I'm ashamed of it but because it makes my life easier if I don't keep having to repeat myself.

- Ruth Negga

My Life, Some, Very, Accent

I use the term 'spine' for people when I think that they may seem on the surface sort of reticent, shy, self-deprecating, shying away from the spotlight. Quiet.

- Ruth Negga

Think, Self-Deprecating, Spine

Women always have to have this soft, maternal, sort of - I don't know - moral center.

- Ruth Negga

Know, Always, Center, Soft

Ireland is home. And I'd love to move home. That's always been the plan.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Always, Move, Ireland

I don't really know how strong someone is if they're compelled to a life of violence. Is that strong? No. That's damaged.

- Ruth Negga

Life, Strong, Really, Compelled

America has a black president, but there are no black studio heads, and there just aren't that many black people working anywhere on film sets, let alone in positions of power in Hollywood. That's what needs to change.

- Ruth Negga

Hollywood, Needs, Studio, Heads

I think a lot of actors feel like outsiders or miscreants. This profession provides an opportunity to play out all the different parts of ourselves.

- Ruth Negga

Play, Think, Profession, Outsiders

My favorite film is 'All About Eve'.

- Ruth Negga

Film, Favorite, About, Eve

I'm interested in the idea that we all start off as these lovely little babies with all this potential but that circumstances mean that we don't always live the life we should.

- Ruth Negga

Lovely, Always, Idea, Potential

When you connect to someone on a human level, and you get to know about them, you can begin to love the things that make them different.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Level, About, To Love

When you connect to someone on a human level, and you get to know about them, you can begin to love the things that make them different. That's when fear dissipates, and that's when we can live the life that we're all supposed to be living.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Life, About, To Love

I don't think I've necessarily been able to pick and choose in my career; I don't know how many people do. But I'll tell you what I've been able to do: I've been able to say no. It is the only thing you can hold on to sometimes, is that ability to say 'no.' And I think that in that way, you can create some kind of career.

- Ruth Negga

Career, Some, Been, Pick And Choose

I trained, went to college, trained, and got a job. Then got another job. When I wasn't working I worked at a bar, then got another job.

- Ruth Negga

College, Another, Trained, Bar

Diversity needs to operate on every level. It's great that the Oscars have highlighted it, but black actors getting nominated shouldn't be the only result. There's so much more that needs to be done.

- Ruth Negga

More, Level, Needs, Oscars

The good thing about auditioning is that you get to test yourself and see if you can play this character - you're also auditioning yourself.

- Ruth Negga

Play, Test, About, Auditioning

I think if you don't risk something in art, it's not really important.

- Ruth Negga

Art, Think, Important, Risk

People have these ideas about comic books and their adaptations as flashy and sort of surface-y, broad-strokes-type projects, but they're not, really.

- Ruth Negga

Projects, About, Comic Books, Comic

I don't like hobbies. I read and travel and see my friends before they disown me.

- Ruth Negga

See, Like, Read, Hobbies

I am not hugely famous; I am not a name. For me, it's not the size of the role, it's the material and the people you are working with.

- Ruth Negga

Famous, Role, Hugely, Size

My whole life is an interracial relationship! It's inescapable. I am who I am.

- Ruth Negga

Relationship, I Am, Whole, Inescapable

I grew up in a lot of different places, so I pick up accents pretty quickly.

- Ruth Negga

Places, Pretty, Lot, Accents

I think kids are amazing. You kind of just deal with stuff, don't you? It's only years later that you have to spend thousands in therapy.

- Ruth Negga

Think, Deal, I Think, Thousands

Stories about race and identity pique my interest for obvious reasons. That's in my body, my brain, my history, my memories - it's all part of my toolbox as an actor.

- Ruth Negga

Race, Stories, Reasons, Memories

I've met loads of black and brown and various people who are well into comics.

- Ruth Negga

Various, Comics, Loads, Brown

I was moved by the 'Lovings' story because of my own background as a mixed-race person.

- Ruth Negga

Person, My Own, Moved, Background

I work best when there's a safety trampoline of kindness.

- Ruth Negga

Work, Best, Safety, Trampoline

I know I've said it before in interviews, but the idea that all actors have their eye on some sort of prize - it being an Oscar, or fame, or whatever - not all actors I know are like that.

- Ruth Negga

Some, Before, Oscar, Interviews

I don't like the term 'colour-blind' - because I don't want people to be blind to my colour.

- Ruth Negga

Blind, Want, Like, Colour

The idea that you must treat actors a certain way in order to get a performance out of them kind of disturbs me, and it's disregarding what we do. Our job is to do our job.

- Ruth Negga

Treat, Idea, Certain Way, Performance

I love the Greeks. There's no messing around - it's all do or die with them.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Die, Messing, Greeks

When you work with directors who really love actors, who love their contribution, it feels amazing. But sometimes when you work with directors, you feel like you're in the way.

- Ruth Negga

Love, Like, Feels, Directors

You can suffer for your art, and you can make your own self suffer for your art. You don't need anyone else to do it for you.

- Ruth Negga

Art, Need, Suffer, Anyone Else

I didn't become an actor to make money. And I didn't become an actor to be famous - though people always gasp if you say that, as if it's unfathomable that an actor doesn't want to be a star.

- Ruth Negga

Famous, Always, Though, Unfathomable

I'm shy at public speaking, which is tough.

- Ruth Negga

Speaking, Public, Which, Public Speaking

I think that is important, to not make people feel alien.

- Ruth Negga

Think, Important, I Think, Alien

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.