What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two fully readable publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Andy Serkis said elsewhere, not written here
Be in the moment.

Rosanna Greenstreet, The Q&A, The Guardian, 1 July 2017 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 141 →
Mohamed ElBaradei Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, 1997-2009; Nobel Peace Prize 2005
I think that is the most important lesson you learn in life, that you have to be ready to make a compromise. You do not compromise your principles, but you have to be ready to compromise. You have to understand that you cannot get your way 100 percent. Life is too complicated. You are not an island, and you work in a social setting, and you need to understand that you work always — at the family level, at the society level — to work out the compromise that is perceived to be fair. You don’t get 100 percent of what you want, but at least you will get the basic minimum that you require.
Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, 2006 source ↗
Maya Jama British television and radio presenter
You’ve got to keep trying because you don’t know what amazing things are round the corner. Also, always be grateful – at one point you wished to be where you are today.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 17 June 2023 source ↗
Henry Marsh Neurosurgeon and writer
A close, loving family and work position in society which is meaningful, which is about making the world a better place rather than getting a bigger - having a bigger bank account.
Recorded Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR, 21 January 2023 source ↗

More from Andy Serkis

View profile →
Question Which writers or artists most influenced your work? Taste & recommendation
During the ’80s, when I was in college, on the American side, it was Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen in Apocalypse Now, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, etc. All of those guys – I was blown away by the emotional impact and sincerity of their performances. And then of course, in the UK, I was going to a lot of theater at the time and watching great on stage performances from people like Jonathan Price, Albert Finney, Anthony Hopkins – all of whom really influenced me as well.
Recorded Mark Sells, MovieMaker Magazine, 31 January 2023 source ↗
Question How does a new work begin for you? Craft & work
It begins with knowing the story you want to tell. There are thousands of stories contained within the world that Samantha has created – we have to be very disciplined about opening up the world in a way that will lead us on to further investigation in the rest of the series. We need to find the emotional heart of the story; the relationships; the tension; the suspense and the drive; and of course working closely with Samantha is going to make it much easier.
Recorded greendragon, TheOneRing.net, 30 September 2013 source ↗

More on time & hindsight

Also answered this

Matthew Modine, Sofia Coppola, Paapa Essiedu, Helen George, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Search the directory for somebody in particular.

Explore further

Report this answer