Katharine Hepburn: It's Not Enough To Be Talented

Photograph by George Hurrell/1938.

Katharine Hepburn

Interview

New York City

1990

From Artistic Suicide

Well, it's not enough to be talented. There's a lot of talent out

 there, but it's owned by lazy, stupid, or essentially boring 

people. You can't just be talented: You have to be terribly 

smart and energetic and ruthless. You also have to become 

necessary to people, by working hard and well and bringing 

more than your bones and your skin to the project. Don't just

 show up. Transform the work, yourself, and everybody 

around you. Be needed. Be interesting. Be something no one 

else can be--and consistently. 

©2013 by James Grissom