"I'm always looking for something to do. I enjoy life, and I enjoy trying new things. I enjoy the work I do, so it's not tiring to me"
About this Quote
Restlessness, in Catherine O'Hara's mouth, isn’t a pathology; it’s a creative engine with good manners. The line reads like casual gratitude, but the subtext is sharper: longevity in show business isn’t powered by “passion” in the abstract. It’s powered by appetite - for characters, for risk, for the next odd little turn that keeps you from calcifying into your own brand.
Notice how she repeats “I enjoy” three times. It’s a deliberate deflection of the martyr mythology we love to attach to artistic work. No tortured-genius posturing, no talk of “sacrifice.” Instead, she reframes labor as play without denying it’s labor. That’s a quietly radical posture in an industry where exhaustion can become a status symbol and “busy” is treated like moral proof.
There’s also craft pride hiding in the simplicity. “I enjoy the work I do” lands as a boundary: she’s not chasing novelty for novelty’s sake; she’s chasing the right kind of work, the kind that energizes rather than drains. Coming from an actress known for precision comedy and uncanny character work, it hints at a career built on curiosity and ensemble instinct - the willingness to try a voice, a posture, a ridiculous commitment to a bit, then do it again tomorrow.
Context matters: O'Hara’s generation of performers had to be versatile to survive shifting tastes and formats. Her cheerfully pragmatic ethos reads like a survival strategy that also happens to be a worldview. It’s not self-help; it’s how you stay interesting, and stay hired, without losing yourself.
Notice how she repeats “I enjoy” three times. It’s a deliberate deflection of the martyr mythology we love to attach to artistic work. No tortured-genius posturing, no talk of “sacrifice.” Instead, she reframes labor as play without denying it’s labor. That’s a quietly radical posture in an industry where exhaustion can become a status symbol and “busy” is treated like moral proof.
There’s also craft pride hiding in the simplicity. “I enjoy the work I do” lands as a boundary: she’s not chasing novelty for novelty’s sake; she’s chasing the right kind of work, the kind that energizes rather than drains. Coming from an actress known for precision comedy and uncanny character work, it hints at a career built on curiosity and ensemble instinct - the willingness to try a voice, a posture, a ridiculous commitment to a bit, then do it again tomorrow.
Context matters: O'Hara’s generation of performers had to be versatile to survive shifting tastes and formats. Her cheerfully pragmatic ethos reads like a survival strategy that also happens to be a worldview. It’s not self-help; it’s how you stay interesting, and stay hired, without losing yourself.
Quote Details
| Topic | Happiness |
|---|
More Quotes by Catherine
Add to List






