Top 37 Quotes & Sayings by Hattie McDaniel

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American actress Hattie McDaniel.

Last updated on December 23, 2024.

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 2006 she became the first Black Oscar winner honored with a U.S. postage stamp. In 2010, she was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. In addition to acting, McDaniel recorded 16 blues sides between 1926 and 1929 and was a radio performer and television personality; she was the first Black woman to sing on radio in the United States. Although she appeared in more than 300 films, she received on screen credits for only 83.

American - Actress | June 10, 1895 - October 26, 1952

Source: Wikipedia

In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book.

Hattie McDaniel

Bob Hope, Red Skelton, and Eddie Cantor... help us keep our balance.

Hattie McDaniel

Every actor and actress is possessed of the absorbing passion to create something distinctive and unique.

Hattie McDaniel

What is the thing that Hollywood demands most? Sincerity. No place in the world will pay such a high price for this admirable trait.

Hattie McDaniel

When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that Mother forget to teach me how to stop using them!

Hattie McDaniel

My desire for the part of Mammy was not dominated by selfishness for Hollywood has been good to me and I am grateful.

Hattie McDaniel

I've played everything but a harp.

Hattie McDaniel

That's a powerful lucky rabbit's foot. I got the part in Gone With the Wind because of it. I got my Warner contract, thanks to it.

Hattie McDaniel

I did my best, and God did the rest.

Hattie McDaniel

I am loathe to get married again. I've been married enough; I just prefer to forget it.

Hattie McDaniel

I always have the best of everything.

Hattie McDaniel

I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race, and to the motion picture industry.

Hattie McDaniel

It sure looks good to see an honest-to-goodness audience after looking at you all for so long from the silver screen.

Hattie McDaniel

We all respect sincerity in our friends and acquaintances, but Hollywood is willing to pay for it.

Hattie McDaniel

As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I'll take roast chicken and dumplings.

Hattie McDaniel

You can best fight any existing evil from the inside.

Hattie McDaniel

I don't belong on this earth. I always feel out of place - like a visitor.

Hattie McDaniel

Playing the Mammy of Miss Leigh was just about the biggest thrill I've ever had.

Hattie McDaniel

Putting a little time aside for clean fun and good humor is very necessary to relieve the tensions of our time.

Hattie McDaniel

The entire race is usually judged by the actions of one man or woman.

Hattie McDaniel

A woman's gifts will make room for her.

Hattie McDaniel

I'm letting no man handle my bank account.

Hattie McDaniel

Faith is the black person's federal reserve system.

Hattie McDaniel

I'd rather play a maid than be one.

Hattie McDaniel

What is the thing that Hollywood demands most? Sincerity. No place in the world will pay such a high price for this admirable trait

Hattie McDaniel

I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race and the motion picture industry.

Hattie McDaniel

The entire race is usually judged by the actions of one man or woman

Hattie McDaniel

It sure looks good to see an honest-to-goodness audience after looking at you all for so long from the silver screen

Hattie McDaniel

When I was 8 years old, I knew what I was going to be—an actress.

Hattie McDaniel

The only choice permitted us is either to be servants for $7 a week or to portray them for $700 per week.

Hattie McDaniel

In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book

Hattie McDaniel

Playing the Mammy of Miss Leigh was just about the biggest thrill I've ever had

Hattie McDaniel

I'd rather make $700 a week playing a maid than earn $7 a day being a maid.

Hattie McDaniel

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests. This is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards for your kindness. It has made me feel very, very humble and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel, and may I say thank you and God bless you.

Hattie McDaniel

Always remember this: There are only eighteen inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rump.

Hattie McDaniel

Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn't, I'd be making $7 a week being one.

Hattie McDaniel