"There are no small roles, only small actors"--who said that?

"Grant Hurlock" wrote in message news:M32W9.58$[email]...

only

Not sure where it's from originally, but it had to have been the inspiration for a George Costanza line on Seinfeld (from the episode entitled "The Burning"):

Kramer enters.

Kramer: Well, I got gonorrhea.

Elaine: That seems about right.

Kramer: That's what they gave me.

George: They? The Government?

Jerry: No, no. He's pretending he's got gonorrhea so med students can diagnose it.

Kramer: And it's a waste of my talent. It's just a little burning. Mickey, he got bacterial meningitis.

George: Well, I guess there are no small diseases, only small actors.

<Jerry, Elaine and Kramer laugh.>

George (leaving): Alright! That's it for me! Goodnight, everybody! <Exits.>

Elaine: What was that?

Jerry: Showmanship. George is trying to get out on a high note.

Kramer: See, showmanship. Maybe that's what my gonorrhea is missing.

Jerry: Yes! Step into that spotlight and belt that gonorrhea out to the back row.

Kramer: Yes, yes I will! I'm gonna make people feel my gonorrhea! And feel the gonorrhea themselves!

-B.

Brian wrote:

Did you do that from memory? I thought I was one for Seinfeld quotes (as well as Simpsons, Blackadder, and MST3K), but dang, that was extended.

"Grant Hurlock" wrote in message news:M32W9.58$[email]...

It is a very old expression from theatre. Far earlier, probably, than television.

"The News Guy(Mike)" wrote in message news:[email]...

Gee, you think?

One site (a theater program at Roan State C.C., Harriman, Tennessee) I was looking at attributed the quotation to "Laurence Oliver", so you can judge how authoritative you want to take that.

"The News Guy(Mike)" wrote in message news:[email]...

There is an echo of the phrase in Gloria Swanson's famous 'I am big; it's the pictures that got small' in Sunset Boulevard. Alan

On Sat, 18 Jan 2003 20:12:31 -0000, "Alan" wrote:

. . .

And does Helena say anything like that in The Trip?

In article , [email] says...

[The Little Kicks] Jerry: I'm still big. It's the bootlegs that got small.

On Tue, 21 Jan 2003 12:06:07 +0200, Noone wrote:

Good one. I will add it to my Movies page.

Mike

(Go Haley!!)