"Having done something like The Thorn Birds gives you enormous longevity. You can keep picking and choosing the roles for a bit longer"
About this Quote
Ward’s line has the relaxed candor of someone describing the entertainment industry the way it actually runs: as a marketplace of attention, not a meritocracy of craft. “Longevity” here isn’t about artistic immortality; it’s the practical afterglow of a phenomenon. The Thorn Birds wasn’t just a credit on a resume - it was a cultural event, a mass-audience mini-series that turned a performer into a household fixture. That kind of visibility becomes a form of career capital you can spend.
The key phrase is “something like.” She’s acknowledging the category: one big, sticky hit that lodges in public memory long after the reviews fade. The subtext is unsentimental and strategic. Actors are often told to chase “great roles,” but Ward is pointing to the quieter truth that fame buys time - time to say no, time to wait out dry spells, time to avoid the panic-acceptance projects that erode reputations. “Picking and choosing” is the luxury being described, and “for a bit longer” is the hedge that makes it honest: this currency depreciates.
Context matters: for actresses, especially in the post-80s landscape Ward came up through, longevity has historically been harder-won and shorter-lived. Her comment carries an implicit critique of an industry that treats women’s careers as perishable, unless a blockbuster narrative grants them extended shelf life. It’s not bragging. It’s a clear-eyed description of how one iconic job can function like an annuity - not forever, but long enough to reclaim agency in a business built to take it away.
The key phrase is “something like.” She’s acknowledging the category: one big, sticky hit that lodges in public memory long after the reviews fade. The subtext is unsentimental and strategic. Actors are often told to chase “great roles,” but Ward is pointing to the quieter truth that fame buys time - time to say no, time to wait out dry spells, time to avoid the panic-acceptance projects that erode reputations. “Picking and choosing” is the luxury being described, and “for a bit longer” is the hedge that makes it honest: this currency depreciates.
Context matters: for actresses, especially in the post-80s landscape Ward came up through, longevity has historically been harder-won and shorter-lived. Her comment carries an implicit critique of an industry that treats women’s careers as perishable, unless a blockbuster narrative grants them extended shelf life. It’s not bragging. It’s a clear-eyed description of how one iconic job can function like an annuity - not forever, but long enough to reclaim agency in a business built to take it away.
Quote Details
| Topic | Career |
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