"I filmed underwater for two days in the open ocean with dolphins"
About this Quote
The intent reads as proof-of-work without the usual self-mythologizing. Quinlan isn’t selling inspiration; she’s establishing credibility in the only currency that really counts on set: what you endured and still delivered. “Filmed underwater” signals technical discipline and physical risk; “open ocean” strips away the controlled safety of a tank; “with dolphins” adds a surreal, almost childlike wonder that also hints at unpredictability. Dolphins aren’t props. They’re wild animals with their own agenda, which means the performance is happening inside a moving, unrepeatable environment.
The subtext is also about visibility. Underwater labor is famously hard to translate on screen: the audience sees minutes, not the hours of breath control, cold, pressure, and disorientation. Quinlan’s matter-of-fact phrasing insists on the off-camera reality without pleading for applause. It taps into a broader cultural fascination with “authentic” filmmaking, where suffering becomes a backstage featurette and an actor’s body becomes part of the production design. The dolphins provide the glamour; the open ocean provides the truth.
Quote Details
| Topic | Ocean & Sea |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Quinlan, Kathleen. (2026, January 16). I filmed underwater for two days in the open ocean with dolphins. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-filmed-underwater-for-two-days-in-the-open-107444/
Chicago Style
Quinlan, Kathleen. "I filmed underwater for two days in the open ocean with dolphins." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-filmed-underwater-for-two-days-in-the-open-107444/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I filmed underwater for two days in the open ocean with dolphins." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-filmed-underwater-for-two-days-in-the-open-107444/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.



