Olympia Dukakis was an American actress, director, producer, teacher, and activist. She performed in over 130 stage productions, over 60 films, and in 50 television series throughout her career. She’s won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, among other accolades for her performance in Moonstruck. She’s been nominated numerous times for the Golden Globe and Emmy awards. In 2020, a feature-length documentary about her life, titled Olympia, was released theatrically in the United States.
Olympia Dukakis was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on June 20, 1931. She majored in physical therapy at Boston University, where she graduated with a BA. She practiced as a physical therapist during the polio epidemic. Prior to her film career, Dukakis began a decades-long stage life from 1961. She’s received many accolades for both her stage and cinematic performances. She passed away at her home in Manhattan on May 1, 2021.
1 I think it’s because most of us talk one way and live another, There are a few people who truly, truly walk the talk. -Olympia Dukakis
I think it’s because most of us talk one way and live another, There are a few people who truly, truly walk the talk. -Olympia Dukakis
2 But if we’re not willing to be honest with ourselves about what we feel, we don’t evolve. -Olympia Dukakis
Be true to yourself no matter the cost. There’s no point in trying to be someone you are not. Only if you can be what you really are can you truly grow.
3 Most of us are not real eager to grow, myself included, We try to be happy by staying in the status quo. -Olympia Dukakis
If you stay in your comfort zone, you’ll never be able to grow or evolve. You need to have the courage to get out of your bubble of comfort and experience things for yourself. Only through constant growth and success will you achieve happiness.
4 Thankfully, it became clear to me that when I compete, I lose my connection to the passion I have for my work. -Olympia Dukakis
Sometimes, a sense of competition blinds you from your real passion. You need to be able to feel that passion within you. The only person that you need to compete with is yourself. Everything else is just unnecessary noise.
5 We’ve learned certain skills, we’ve learned to prevail somewhat, but we’ve not made it over the mountain. -Olympia Dukakis
No matter how far you come, it’s stupid to think that you have achieved everything in life. There’s always so much more to achieve. And if you let yourself stop and be stagnant, you’ll always be stuck in one place.
6 I don’t think you have to know a lot to have a spiritual life, but knowing gives life richness. -Olympia Dukakis
Knowledge is not a prerequisite for spirituality. But knowledge gives you strength. It sets you free. Knowledge, after all, is true wealth.
7 I sometimes truly despair at ever being meaningfully altered and affected by the things I claim are so important to me. -Olympia Dukakis
Sometimes, the things that are most important to you end up hurting you. They can affect you profoundly and change you so much. They may hold so much power over you.
8 God is not something I think about but something I experience as an energy, a Presence. -Olympia Dukakis
God is not someone that you need to pray to. God does not have to inspire fear or spirituality in you. Instead, He is something that you feel; a passionate energy that rages within you.
9 Follow your heart, your instincts, People might try to dissuade you from your passion, but no one can live your life but you. -Olympia Dukakis
People will often try to pull you down. What matters is that you follow your heart. Follow your passion because that is where you need to go. It’s stupid to be lead by the whims of others. The only person who gets to have a say in your life is you.
10 The rest of us are still trying to find ways to live in the world with spiritual values, Myself included. -Olympia Dukakis
Spirituality is not something that someone else can teach you or plaster on you. It’s something that you need to discover yourself. Take your time and work your way around it.
10 Best Quotes from the Steel Magnolias actress, Olympia Dukakis
1. I think it’s because most of us talk one way and live another, There are a few people who truly, truly walk the talk. -Olympia Dukakis
2. But if we’re not willing to be honest with ourselves about what we feel, we don’t evolve. -Olympia Dukakis
3. Most of us are not real eager to grow, myself included, We try to be happy by staying in the status quo. -Olympia Dukakis
4. Thankfully, it became clear to me that when I compete, I lose my connection to the passion I have for my work. -Olympia Dukakis
5. We’ve learned certain skills, we’ve learned to prevail somewhat, but we’ve not made it over the mountain. -Olympia Dukakis
6. I don’t think you have to know a lot to have a spiritual life, but knowing gives life richness. -Olympia Dukakis
7. I sometimes truly despair at ever being meaningfully altered and affected by the things I claim are so important to me. -Olympia Dukakis
8. God is not something I think about but something I experience as an energy, a Presence. -Olympia Dukakis
9. Follow your heart, your instincts, People might try to dissuade you from your passion, but no one can live your life but you. -Olympia Dukakis
10. The rest of us are still trying to find ways to live in the world with spiritual values, Myself included. -Olympia Dukakis