--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It harms me when people say I am…" description: "\"It harms me when people say I am 'non-mainstream' or 'non-commercial' actor. I try to fight off such labels.\" — Abhay Deol" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/abhay-deol-5665_actor_it-harms-me-when-people-say-i-am-non-mai_217589.jpg" --- # It harms me when people say I am 'non-mainstream' or… ![“It harms me when people say I am 'non-mainstream' or 'non-commercial' actor. I try to fight off such labels.” quote by Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/abhay-deol-5665_actor_it-harms-me-when-people-say-i-am-non-mai_217589.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/abhay-deol-5665_actor_it-harms-me-when-people-say-i-am-non-mai_217589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f60/abhay-deol-5665_actor_it-harms-me-when-people-say-i-am-non-mai_217589.jpg) > “It harms me when people say I am 'non-mainstream' or 'non-commercial' actor. I try to fight off such labels.” [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Labels like “non‑mainstream” limit an actor’s identity; fighting them preserves artistic freedom. **In simple terms:** Labels restrict artistic identity. Key Takeaway Resist limiting labels. Themes identity art industry self‑definition Mood defiant thoughtful Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - casting decisions - public perception - career choices - media interviews Key Concepts typecasting creative autonomy Questions to Reflect On - Do you feel pressured by industry labels? - How can you maintain authenticity? A Different Perspective Labels can affect marketability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Mainstream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mainstream/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [It's not that I don't want to do different films. The non-mainstream stuff that I did started to get successful... But for an industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/it-s-not-that-i-don-t-want-to-do-different-films-the-non-mainstream/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I basically never believed that I was a commercial actor. Just because of the outcome of many auditions over time. No one hired me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-basically-never-believed-that-i-was-a-commercial-actor-just-because/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [I couldn't be a conventional commercial actor without being a star-kid. That kind of a big film needs a certain mounting, a little paraphernalia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-couldn-t-be-a-conventional-commercial-actor-without-being-a-star/) [Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/) > [Non-mainstream people seem to balk at the idea of 12-step. A lot of us think 12-step recovery means sitting in a church basement full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bucky-sinister/non-mainstream-people-seem-to-balk-at-the-idea-of-12-step-a-lot-of-us/) [Bucky Sinister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bucky-sinister/) > [I think when you make something that is non-mainstream and people don't have automatic way of consuming, like you don't have a big star,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-rao/i-think-when-you-make-something-that-is-non-mainstream-and-people-don/) [Kiran Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-rao/) > [I want an actor to try to give me what I ask in the best and most exact way possible. He mustn't try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelangelo-antonioni/i-want-an-actor-to-try-to-give-me-what-i-ask-in-the-best-and-most/) [Michelangelo Antonioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelangelo-antonioni/) > [I think it's sort of a rite of passage for a British actor to try and get the American accent and have a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/i-think-it-s-sort-of-a-rite-of-passage-for-a-british-actor-to-try-and/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [As an actor, you try to bring as much of yourself to a part to try and create a feeling of authenticity and emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/as-an-actor-you-try-to-bring-as-much-of-yourself-to-a-part-to-try-and/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [I always considered myself as a character actor. I always try to be versatile to show different sides of human experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/i-always-considered-myself-as-a-character-actor-i-always-try-to-be/) [Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/) > [My only job as an actor is to try and understand the character and, to the best of my ability, bring this character to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-warburton/my-only-job-as-an-actor-is-to-try-and-understand-the-character-and-to/) [Patrick Warburton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-warburton/) > [As an actor, you never try to be someone else. 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But I have found, later on, that the lighter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/when-i-was-a-younger-actor-i-would-try-to-keep-it-serious-all-day-but/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I think it's a real danger, as an actor, when you try to make some statement through your career about what the business should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-think-it-s-a-real-danger-as-an-actor-when-you-try-to-make-some/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) ## More by Abhay Deol > [I know there is a higher being and I respect that force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-know-there-is-a-higher-being-and-i-respect-that-force/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [It's not that I don't want to do different films. The non-mainstream stuff that I did started to get successful... But for an industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/it-s-not-that-i-don-t-want-to-do-different-films-the-non-mainstream/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [Tamil for me is my cousin Esha. I even told her that I was preparing to play a Tamilian and asked her if she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/tamil-for-me-is-my-cousin-esha-i-even-told-her-that-i-was-preparing/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I don't even know if I'd get married. 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So now when the industry and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/after-socha-na-tha-flopped-nobody-wanted-to-work-with-me-i-became/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [Los Angeles is much like Mumbai, the film industry rules the city over most other professions, so it feels like home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/los-angeles-is-much-like-mumbai-the-film-industry-rules-the-city-over/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I was always looking for relatability, because I am not someone cut out for larger than life roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-was-always-looking-for-relatability-because-i-am-not-someone-cut/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I always wanted my work to speak for itself but I realized you have to show people a little bit of yourself and interact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-always-wanted-my-work-to-speak-for-itself-but-i-realized-you-have/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [The kind of content I want to be part of is hardly made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/the-kind-of-content-i-want-to-be-part-of-is-hardly-made/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [If we are not affected by our environment, then we have somewhere become insensitive. It might be good in a way because you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/if-we-are-not-affected-by-our-environment-then-we-have-somewhere/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [Half your battle is won when the writing is good, and then you as an artist bring your personality into it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/half-your-battle-is-won-when-the-writing-is-good-and-then-you-as-an/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [It would be great to read a script, which is an action script uniquely written so that it doesn't cost an arm or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/it-would-be-great-to-read-a-script-which-is-an-action-script-uniquely/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [I grew up in this industry. I've seen fame up close.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-grew-up-in-this-industry-i-ve-seen-fame-up-close/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) [Explore all 100 Abhay Deol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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