"I'd rather do theater and British films than move to LA in hopes of getting small roles in American films"

A declaration of priorities rings through: the pursuit of craft over the pursuit of clout. The emphasis falls on theater and British cinema, spaces often associated with character-driven storytelling, rigorous rehearsal, and ensemble ethos, over the lure of Hollywood proximity. The choice resists an industry logic that equates geographical relocation and relentless networking with artistic progress. It values roots, discipline, and autonomy, insisting that meaningful work need not be outsourced to a system premised on visibility before substance.

There’s also a refusal to accept the apprenticeship of anonymity that Los Angeles can demand: years of small, interchangeable parts offered as stepping stones to hypothetical recognition. The line pushes back against the passivity implied by “hopes,” preferring active selection of roles that promise depth. Embedded here is a vote of confidence in the UK’s creative ecology, regional theaters, national companies, and a film tradition comfortable with flawed protagonists and moral ambiguity. It’s a wager that excellence attracts opportunity, not merely the other way around.

Theater, with its immediacy and repetition, tends to privilege growth over profile; it develops stamina, voice, and presence. British film, often made on leaner budgets, rewards nuance and interiority. Together they offer an artistic training ground that can inoculate against becoming a product rather than a performer. There’s a soft critique of the American studio system’s narrow casting and market calculus, especially for women, who have historically been channeled into reductive roles. Choosing to stay put becomes an act of self-definition and boundary-setting.

The line also hints at a broader philosophy: career arcs are not simply ladders to climb but landscapes to inhabit. Place matters, community, collaborators, and cultural texture shape performance. Patience matters, waiting for roles worth inhabiting, not just credits worth listing. Integrity matters, aligning ambition with the kind of artist one hopes to be. The message is less about rejecting America than about rejecting contingency as a strategy and clinging to craft as a compass.