"I do finish reading a script and say, Why are they making it and what are they talking about? I like to try and be responsible in my choices in that way"
About this Quote
The second half - "what are they talking about?" - sharpens the blade. It’s a refusal to confuse plot with purpose. Hollywood is fluent in events; it’s far less consistent about ideas. Connelly frames selection as ethical labor, not just career management. "Responsible" is doing a lot of work here: responsibility to her audience (don’t waste their time), to the culture (don’t help launder lazy messages), and to herself (don’t outsource your values to a paycheck).
The subtext is also about leverage. Actors at Connelly’s level are constantly offered work; discernment becomes a form of authorship. In an era of endless IP, reboots, and "prestige" that sometimes mistakes gloom for depth, her criteria sound almost radical: intention matters, and ambiguity isn’t automatically insight. The line lands because it’s both modest and pointed - a professional saying, without grandstanding, that art has consequences and the default setting should not be noise.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Connelly, Jennifer. (2026, January 17). I do finish reading a script and say, Why are they making it and what are they talking about? I like to try and be responsible in my choices in that way. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-do-finish-reading-a-script-and-say-why-are-they-55378/
Chicago Style
Connelly, Jennifer. "I do finish reading a script and say, Why are they making it and what are they talking about? I like to try and be responsible in my choices in that way." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-do-finish-reading-a-script-and-say-why-are-they-55378/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I do finish reading a script and say, Why are they making it and what are they talking about? I like to try and be responsible in my choices in that way." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-do-finish-reading-a-script-and-say-why-are-they-55378/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.






