Ving Rhames Quotes

Powerful Ving Rhames for Daily Growth

About Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames, born on May 12, 1959, in New York City, is an acclaimed American actor, voice actor, and musician known for his powerful performances and distinctive baritone voice. Raised by his grandmother in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, Rhames developed a love for music at an early age, learning to play the piano, trumpet, and guitar. This musical background would later influence his decision to pursue acting. His acting career began in the late 1980s, with roles in television shows such as "A Menace to Society" and "Miami Vice." However, it was his portrayal of Marsellus Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994) that catapulted him to international fame. His memorable performance earned him a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and established him as a versatile actor capable of handling dramatic and comedic roles. Rhames continued to impress audiences with his roles in films such as "Con Air" (1997), where he played the menacing Cyrus 'Cherokee' Washington, and the "Mission: Impossible" series, where he portrayed loyal sidekick Luther Stickell opposite Tom Cruise. Away from acting, Rhames is an active philanthropist, supporting various charities including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the National Kidney Foundation, reflecting his personal experience as a kidney transplant recipient in 2013. Today, Ving Rhames continues to act in films and television shows while also pursuing music. His dynamic career spans over three decades, showcasing his versatility as an artist and solidifying his status as a cultural icon.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I'm not a praying man, but tonight I send a prayer. I ask God to put his hands on this young man, and heal him."

This quote by Ving Rhames demonstrates compassion, empathy, and a desire for healing. Despite not being a religious person himself, he expresses the wish to seek divine intervention in times of need, specifically requesting God's help for a young man who is ill or injured. It reveals his concern for others and his humble plea for recovery and well-being.


"The greatest thing you can do for another human being is to help them find themselves."

This quote by Ving Rhames emphasizes the importance of facilitating self-discovery in others as the most meaningful act of kindness one person can extend towards another. By helping someone understand their identity, passions, strengths, and weaknesses, we enable them to lead fulfilling lives, grow personally, and contribute positively to society. This support and guidance are crucial for nurturing self-awareness and self-realization in others.


"To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence."

This quote by Ving Rhames suggests that a certain level of self-assuredness (confidence) and lack of awareness or doubt (ignorance) can contribute to success in life. It's important to recognize, however, that this is a somewhat controversial perspective as it implies that success might come at the expense of knowledge or self-reflection. In a more positive light, it could be interpreted as emphasizing the importance of taking calculated risks and believing in oneself, even if one lacks complete understanding or experience. Ultimately, the quote encourages readers to find their unique path to success, with confidence serving as a powerful tool to overcome challenges and obstacles along the way.


"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it."

This quote suggests that while external events and circumstances (the 10%) play a role in our lives, our responses, attitudes, and actions towards these events (the 90%) have a far greater impact on the overall outcome or experience of those events in our life. It emphasizes the importance of self-control, resilience, and personal perspective in shaping our experiences and ultimately, our lives.


"You can't change the cards you are dealt, just how you play the game."

The quote emphasizes that people cannot control the circumstances or challenges they face in life (the "cards" they are dealt), but they do have the power to determine their response and actions towards those situations (how they play the game). It encourages resilience, adaptability, and personal responsibility in navigating through life's obstacles.


I'm from New York, and yet I've done only one film executive-produced by Spike Lee and have never done a film that Spike Lee directed. I've never done a film that Keenan Wayans has directed, or Bill Duke.

- Ving Rhames

New, Directed, Bill, Duke

You get Don King's point of view in what is almost a Shakespearean, classical technique. He comes across almost like a lovable rogue, like Iago in 'Othello' or Richard III. He's doing all these bad things, but I kind of like him. It's like 'Pulp Fiction': Everybody's a bad guy, yet you like them.

- Ving Rhames

Doing, Bad, Everybody, III

I can always do theater; I can do Ibsen, I can do Macbeth, I can do Chekhov, I can do Moliere, Othello, I can do Richard III.

- Ving Rhames

Always, Richard, Othello, III

The more versatile you make yourself, the more work you get. Training makes you more versatile and ultimately gets you more work. Julliard taught me that.

- Ving Rhames

Work, More, Makes, Versatile

The training at Juilliard School is classical training, and it really makes one very versatile.

- Ving Rhames

School, Very, Juilliard, Versatile

How do you cut off the human side and just maintain being professional? So what I've done is I've incorporated that with Kojak - there's times when he allows the human condition, the human experience, to integrate into him as a professional.

- Ving Rhames

Human Condition, Cut, Integrate

When I look at the world, I recognize that unfortunately, it sometimes takes an atrocity like 9/11 to force us to come together.

- Ving Rhames

Sometimes, Like, Atrocity

Quite honestly I never had a desire to be an actor. I tell people, I did not choose acting; acting chose me. I never grew up wanting to be an actor. I wanted to play football. In about 9th grade an English teacher told me I had a talent to act. He said I should audition for a performing arts high school so I did on a whim. I got accepted.

- Ving Rhames

Play, Wanting, Whim, Chose

I was more interested in playing sports than acting. I didn't take acting too seriously until the end of my junior year.

- Ving Rhames

Sports, Year, More, Junior

Quite honestly I never had a desire to be an actor. I tell people, 'I did not choose acting; acting chose me.' I never grew up wanting to be an actor. I wanted to play football.

- Ving Rhames

Play, Desire, Wanting, Play Football

Don King is as American as apple pie. He is America.

- Ving Rhames

King, Apple, Don King, Apple Pie

I spent three days with Don King, and I interviewed 45 people. I studied his speech, his mannerisms. He invited me to a couple of fights, and I watched him.

- Ving Rhames

King, Couple, Mannerisms, None

I grew up in Harlem, and the kids used to tease me. You know that song 'Bingo'? Well, they used to sing, 'V-i-n-g-o, and Vingo was his name-o.'

- Ving Rhames

Song, Used, Grew, Tease

Since God is the foundation of my life, anything that streams from that can only be positive.

- Ving Rhames

Foundation, My Life, Only, Streams

I graduated on a Friday. By Monday, I was doing Shakespeare in the Park.

- Ving Rhames

Doing, Graduated, Friday

A lot of times, scripts are written so the character is all one way. Even with 'Bringing Out the Dead,' the character was written a little more generic.

- Ving Rhames

Dead, More, Way, Scripts

You don't have to make, you know, $3 Million dollars a movie, or $20 Million dollars a movie, but if you make a living doing what you love doing, then that's success to me.

- Ving Rhames

Love, Doing, Living, Million Dollars

My approach to the work is the same, whether I had the lead or a supporting role. I consider myself a character actor in the true sense of the word. Unless I'm doing my autobiography, I'm playing a character.

- Ving Rhames

Doing, Role, Had, Supporting Role

The character of the computer whiz is not one that would normally be associated with me.

- Ving Rhames

Character, Computer, Would, Normally

I think quite a bit of organized religion has become big business. Jesus Christ never sold the word of God. He never gave a sermon and then said, 'For $8.99, you can buy the CD.'

- Ving Rhames

Big, I Think, Buy, Big Business

I try to base my life on the principles of Christ. I try to raise my family on the principles of Christ. I don't know if that makes me religious.

- Ving Rhames

My Life, Christ, Religious, Base

If someone's intimidated by me, that's something they have to deal with. When I walk down the streets of New York and an old woman grabs her purse when I pass by, I'm not going to give it a whole lot of energy because I'm not in the wrong. I'm a millionaire, and I'm not thinking about grabbing an old woman's purse.

- Ving Rhames

Woman, Deal, Streets, Grabbing

I grew up in a poverty-stricken neighborhood, but I didn't really know I was a deprived, poverty-stricken child until the media made me aware of it.

- Ving Rhames

Media, Made, Grew, Neighborhood

I don't know if I hadn't grown up poor, and in the neighborhood I did, if I would have had that much to bring to my art form. I call upon my past with characters.

- Ving Rhames

Art, Past, Bring, Neighborhood

I've known Laurence Fishburne for about twenty years.

- Ving Rhames

About, Known, Laurence, Twenty

My wife is a former homicide detective, LAPD. The wonderful thing that I was able to capture is my wife's experiences from human and professional, and how do you deal with some of the atrocities that happen in L.A. and not bring them home.

- Ving Rhames

Some, Deal, Bring, Homicide

Rottweilers are victims of a stereotype. They're not that bad.

- Ving Rhames

Bad, Victims, Stereotype

I think God has blessed each of us with at least one gift. So I think it's a matter of do we find it within our lifetime.

- Ving Rhames

Gift, Think, I Think, At Least One

Since I graduated college, all I have ever done for a living was acting.

- Ving Rhames

College, Living, Ever, Graduated

I graduated college in 1983, so that's 32 years, and all I've done for a living is act or commercials or voiceovers. So I have nothing to complain about.

- Ving Rhames

College, Living, Commercials, Graduated

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.