Hattie McDaniel famous quotes

03-28-2025

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests: This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble; and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Art #Kindness #Humble
The only choice permitted us is either to be servants for $7 a week or to portray them for $700 per week.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Choices #Week #Servant
A woman's gifts will make room for her.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Rooms
I did my best, and God did the rest.
-- Hattie McDaniel
We all respect sincerity in our friends and acquaintances, but Hollywood is willing to pay for it.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Hollywood #Pay #Sincerity
Every actor and actress is possessed of the absorbing passion to create something distinctive and unique.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Passion #Unique #Actors
As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I'll take roast chicken and dumplings.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Culinary #Dumplings #Chickens
I am loathe to get married again. I've been married enough; I just prefer to forget it.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Married #Forget #Enough
I don't belong on this earth. I always feel out of place - like a visitor.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Earth #Visitors #Feels
Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Eddie Cantor... help us keep our balance.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Balance #Bob #Red
You can best fight any existing evil from the inside.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Fighting #Evil
That's a powerful lucky rabbit's foot. I got the part in Gone With the Wind because of it. I got my Warner contract, thanks to it.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Powerful #Feet #Wind
Why should I complain about making $7,000 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Complaining #Maids #Week
I'd rather make $700 a week playing a maid than earn $7 a day being a maid.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Maids #Week
I'd rather play a maid than be one.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Play #Maids
When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that Mother forget to teach me how to stop using them!
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Mother #Knives #Littles
In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Book #Character #Breathing
When I was 8 years old, I knew what I was going to beâ€”an actress.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Years #Actresses
I'm letting no man handle my bank account.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Letting Go #Men #Bank Accounts
The entire race is usually judged by the actions of one man or woman
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Men #Race #Action
Playing the Mammy of Miss Leigh was just about the biggest thrill I've ever had
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Missing #Thrill
It sure looks good to see an honest-to-goodness audience after looking at you all for so long from the silver screen
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Long #Looks #Honest
What is the thing that Hollywood demands most? Sincerity. No place in the world will pay such a high price for this admirable trait
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Hollywood #World #Demand
My desire for the part of Mammy was not dominated by selfishness for Hollywood has been good to me and I am grateful
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Grateful #Desire #Selfishness
I've played everything but a harp.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Harps
I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race, and to the motion picture industry.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Race #Credit #Motion Pictures
Faith is the black person's federal reserve system.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Black #Federal Reserve #Persons
Putting a little time aside for clean fun and good humor is very necessary to relieve the tensions of our time.
-- Hattie McDaniel

#Fun #Littles #Tension
I always have the best of everything.
-- Hattie McDaniel

You may also like:

Ann Rutherford
Film actress
Ava Gardner
Actress
Bette Davis
Actress
Butterfly McQueen
Film actress
Clark Gable
Film actor
David O. Selznick
Film Producer
Dorothy Dandridge
Film actress
Elizabeth Taylor
Actress
Ethel Waters
Vocalist
Evelyn Keyes
Film actress
George Cukor
Film director
Halle Berry
Actress
Katharine Hepburn
Actress
Laurence Olivier
Actor
Lionel Barrymore
Actor
Margaret Mitchell
Author
Olivia de Havilland
Film actress
Sidney Howard
Playwright
Sidney Poitier
Actor
Vivien Leigh
Film actress