Daily Inspiration Quote by Glenda Jackson

It’s a dagger wrapped in a show tune: a perfectly timed bit of diva mischief that flatters Jackson’s own seriousness while taking a swipe at prestige musicals that mistake importance for pleasure. “I want to do a musical movie” sounds like career housekeeping, the kind of late-stage pivot actors announce to prove they’re still game. Then comes the pivoted blade: “Like Evita, but with good music.” That “but” isn’t just a critique of one score; it’s a challenge to an entire mode of cultural consumption where audiences and critics nod along because the subject matter signals Taste.

Jackson’s intent reads as twofold. First, she’s staking claim to range. Musicals can be a trap for actors who aren’t perceived as “musical” performers; by name-checking Evita, she aligns herself with a high-profile, theatrically literate benchmark. Second, she’s puncturing reverence. Evita is often treated as unimpeachable: historical sweep, iconic role, political pageantry. Jackson’s line suggests that none of that exempts it from the basic test of a musical: do the songs actually sing?

The subtext is classically actorly: give me material that honors the craft without asking me to apologize for enjoying myself. It’s also cultural positioning. Coming from an actress known for intelligence and steel, the jab lands as permission to be discerning about “serious” art that’s technically accomplished yet emotionally thin. The joke works because it’s a little rude, a little accurate, and fully uninterested in playing nice with the canon.