Not all actors were created equal, in the same way that not all entertainment mediums were created equal. Each medium has its own appeals and drawbacks, but each is vital to the entertainment industry as a whole.

Although he was primarily known for his work on The Waltons, Ralph Waite wasn't especially fond of the medium. For many years, Waite played Walton patriarch, John Walton Sr. It was a role he excelled at, and audiences adored him for it.

But during an interview with the Gannett News Service, Waite revealed that there were more disadvantages to working in television if you were hoping to become a serious actor.

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"Actors do TV, but I don't think any real actors like to do TV," said Waite. "It's simply not creatively fulfilling."

As harsh as Waite was on television as a whole, he certainly had a soft spot for his own series, The Waltons.

"If you're going to do TV, The Waltons is by far the best of it - the most honest, real," he said. 

However, Waite preferred to act on stage, because it allowed him to fully immerse himself in the character he was playing. It was a privilege that the fast-paced world of television simply didn't allow for.

"On television, the character becomes you; on stage, you become the character," he said. "On stage, you must mount a consistent character every performance. You get up in the morning, and you spend the entire day becoming the character."