Ethel Barrymore: An Actress Has To Be A Goddess in Every Way!

For an actress to have success, she must have the face of a Venus, the brains of a Minerva, the grace of Terpsichore,  the figure of Juno, and the hide of a rhinoceros.

Ethel Barrymore

So let’s see how we could describe, in more words, Ethel Barrymore’s ideal of a perfect actress:

• “the face of a Venus”: Venus was a major Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty and fertility. Venus was commonly associated with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. So an actress has to be beautiful and kind.
• “the brains of a Minerva”: Minerva  was the Roman goddess equated with the Greek goddess Atena. She was the virgin goddess of wisdom. So an actress has to be an intelligent woman.
• “the grace of Terpsichore”: Terpsichore is the Muse of dancing and the dramatic chorus and of lyric poetry. So she needs to be sensitive and opened to what is creative.
• “the figure of Juno” : Juno was an Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. Her Greek equivalent is Hera. So an actress has to be strong. After all an actor is not just a person who reproduces, but one who re-creates what the script says.
• “the hide of a rhinoceros”: indeed, because the Hollywood world is a tough one and only those who know how to keep themselves away from intrigues are those who can become real actresses.