--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Chekhov was as important to me as anybody…" description: "\"Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.\" — Al Pacino" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg" --- # Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer. ![“Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.” quote by Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg) > “Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.” [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chekhov’s work profoundly influences my writing, showing the power of universal human experience. **In simple terms:** Chekhov shaped my writing deeply. Key Takeaway Study Chekhov to enrich your craft. Themes influence literature craftsmanship Mood thoughtful inspired Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - writing workshops - script analysis - theatre rehearsals Key Concepts dramatic structure character depth humanism Questions to Reflect On - How does Chekhov’s style inform your work? - What other voices balance his influence? A Different Perspective Relying heavily on one influence may limit originality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Sheer obstinacy is very very important for anybody who wants to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-white/sheer-obstinacy-is-very-very-important-for-anybody-who-wants-to-create/) [Wayne White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-white/) > [Privacy is important. Anybody who doesn't think that, they're crap. But I know I'm going to lose some of that and that's something I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-craig/privacy-is-important-anybody-who-doesn-t-think-that-they-re-crap-but/) [Daniel Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-craig/) > [I really believe being a good listener is important for anybody, and particularly for somebody who wants to be a leader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-really-believe-being-a-good-listener-is-important-for-anybody-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [It's important for anybody who finds success to show other people where to find it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skepta/it-s-important-for-anybody-who-finds-success-to-show-other-people/) [Skepta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skepta/) > [We can't make it important to anybody else. Some of the audience we serve doesn't really care about what you did yesterday and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cornelius/we-can-t-make-it-important-to-anybody-else-some-of-the-audience-we/) [Don Cornelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cornelius/) > [One of the things that made me want to be an actor more than ever was seeing a Chekhov play, "The Sea Gull," when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/one-of-the-things-that-made-me-want-to-be-an-actor-more-than-ever-was/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [As Michael (Chekhov)'s pupil, I learned more about acting. I learned psychology, history, and the good manners of art - taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/as-michael-chekhov-s-pupil-i-learned-more-about-acting-i-learned/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [Chekhov will seek out the key situation in the life of a cabman or a charwoman, and make them glow for a brief moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson-lynd/chekhov-will-seek-out-the-key-situation-in-the-life-of-a-cabman-or-a/) [Robert Wilson Lynd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson-lynd/) > [“Any idiot can face a crisis, it is day to day living that wears you out. —Anton Chekhov”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-idiot-can-face-a-crisis-it-is-day-to-day-living-that-wears-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think my looks are modern. I always imagined I'd end up doing Chekhov, Ibsen and Shakespeare all my life and never play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kingston/i-don-t-think-my-looks-are-modern-i-always-imagined-i-d-end-up-doing/) [Alex Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kingston/) > [“He keeps going, going, going on; his people groan and fall one after the other, but he keeps on going, going and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/he-keeps-going-going-going-on-his-people-groan-and-fall-one-after-the/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Chekhov is this poet of melancholy and isolation and of wishing you were somewhere else than where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/chekhov-is-this-poet-of-melancholy-and-isolation-and-of-wishing-you/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“He did not want to be original; he made superhuman efforts to be like everybody else: but there is no escaping one's destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/he-did-not-want-to-be-original-he-made-superhuman-efforts-to-be-like/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [There are no whys in a person's life, and very few hows. In the end, in search of useful wisdom, you could only come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/there-are-no-whys-in-a-person-s-life-and-very-few-hows-in-the-end-in/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [“Art, science, love, inspiration, ideals—choose out all the words with which humanity is wont, or has been in the past, to be consoled or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/art-science-love-inspiration-ideals-choose-out-all-the-words-with/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) ## More by Al Pacino > [Take a look at Israel's history and you would know who the terrorist is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/take-a-look-at-israel-s-history-and-you-would-know-who-the-terrorist/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [Failure's relative. I've always felt, even early on, if I lose the freedom to fail, something's not right about that. It's how you treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/failure-s-relative-i-ve-always-felt-even-early-on-if-i-lose-the/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [Who speaks of triumph? To endure is everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/who-speaks-of-triumph-to-endure-is-everything/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [Opinions I have about anything are in my personal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/opinions-i-have-about-anything-are-in-my-personal-life/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [The fruit falls off the tree. You don't shake it off before it's ready to fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/the-fruit-falls-off-the-tree-you-don-t-shake-it-off-before-it-s-ready/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [“Attica! Attica! Attica!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/attica-attica-attica/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I always had this thing, when I was younger especially, I didn't want to do movies that much. I found they took a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-always-had-this-thing-when-i-was-younger-especially-i-didn-t-want/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [There has been a lot of self-doubt and unwelcome events in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/there-has-been-a-lot-of-self-doubt-and-unwelcome-events-in-my-life/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [ I think what you see \[in Salome the play backstage\] is an artist having this fit of temperament. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-think-what-you-see-in-salome-the-play-backstage-is-an-artist-having/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [ When \[Julia Marie Pacino\] was 5 or 6 years old, we were in an Italian restaurant, and these people came by the table and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/when-julia-marie-pacino-was-5-or-6-years-old-we-were-in-an-italian/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I went to Performing Arts because that was the only school that would accept me. My scholastic level was not very high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-went-to-performing-arts-because-that-was-the-only-school-that-would/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [My first language was shy. Its only by having been thrust into the limelight that I have learned to cope with my shyness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/my-first-language-was-shy-its-only-by-having-been-thrust-into-the/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [When I was younger, there was the sex thing. That's par for the course.When you're a movie star, it went with it. It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/when-i-was-younger-there-was-the-sex-thing-that-s-par-for-the-course/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [An actor with too much money will usually find a way to get rid of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/an-actor-with-too-much-money-will-usually-find-a-way-to-get-rid-of-it/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) > [I'm an actor, not a star. Stars are people who live in Hollywood and have heart-shaped swimming pools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/i-m-an-actor-not-a-star-stars-are-people-who-live-in-hollywood-and/) [Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) [Explore all 219 Al Pacino quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/) ## More Chekhov quotes > [“Art, science, love, inspiration, ideals—choose out all the words with which humanity is wont, or has been in the past, to be consoled or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/art-science-love-inspiration-ideals-choose-out-all-the-words-with/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [There are no whys in a person's life, and very few hows. In the end, in search of useful wisdom, you could only come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/there-are-no-whys-in-a-person-s-life-and-very-few-hows-in-the-end-in/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [“He did not want to be original; he made superhuman efforts to be like everybody else: but there is no escaping one's destiny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-shestov/he-did-not-want-to-be-original-he-made-superhuman-efforts-to-be-like/) [Lev Shestov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-shestov/) > [Chekhov is this poet of melancholy and isolation and of wishing you were somewhere else than where you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/chekhov-is-this-poet-of-melancholy-and-isolation-and-of-wishing-you/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“He keeps going, going, going on; his people groan and fall one after the other, but he keeps on going, going and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/he-keeps-going-going-going-on-his-people-groan-and-fall-one-after-the/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [I don't think my looks are modern. I always imagined I'd end up doing Chekhov, Ibsen and Shakespeare all my life and never play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-kingston/i-don-t-think-my-looks-are-modern-i-always-imagined-i-d-end-up-doing/) [Alex Kingston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-kingston/) > [“Any idiot can face a crisis, it is day to day living that wears you out. —Anton Chekhov”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-idiot-can-face-a-crisis-it-is-day-to-day-living-that-wears-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Chekhov will seek out the key situation in the life of a cabman or a charwoman, and make them glow for a brief moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson-lynd/chekhov-will-seek-out-the-key-situation-in-the-life-of-a-cabman-or-a/) [Robert Wilson Lynd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson-lynd/) > [As Michael (Chekhov)'s pupil, I learned more about acting. I learned psychology, history, and the good manners of art - taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/as-michael-chekhov-s-pupil-i-learned-more-about-acting-i-learned/) [Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/) > [If we're lucky, writer and reader alike, we'll finish the last line or two of a short story and then just sit for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/if-we-re-lucky-writer-and-reader-alike-we-ll-finish-the-last-line-or/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [Chekhov said: let's put God - and all these grand progressive ideas - to one side. Let's begin with man; let's be kind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vasily-grossman/chekhov-said-let-s-put-god-and-all-these-grand-progressive-ideas-to/) [Vasily Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vasily-grossman/) > [Reading Chekhov was just like the angels singing to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/reading-chekhov-was-just-like-the-angels-singing-to-me/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [When we remove the snowdrift piled up over Chekhov in recent years, we uncover a man profoundly agitated by social problems; a writer whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yevgeny-zamyatin/when-we-remove-the-snowdrift-piled-up-over-chekhov-in-recent-years-we/) [Yevgeny Zamyatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yevgeny-zamyatin/) > [Read the great stuff, but read the stuff that isn't so great, too. Great stuff is very discouraging. If you read only Beckett and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/read-the-great-stuff-but-read-the-stuff-that-isn-t-so-great-too-great/) [Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/) > [I'll never forget reading Chekhov's "A Doctor's Visit" on a train to Hawthorne, New York, and I got to the end - the scene…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ross/i-ll-never-forget-reading-chekhov-s-a-doctor-s-visit-on-a-train-to/) [Adam Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ross/) Browse all 132 Chekhov quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Al Pacino" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybody-as-a-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chekhov" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybody-as-a-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/al-pacino-1656_chekhov_chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybod_1509048.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Chekhov was as important to me as anybody as a writer.” — Al Pacino", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Al Pacino", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Chekhov was as important to me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybody-as-a-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/chekhov-was-as-important-to-me-as-anybody-as-a-writer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```