--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's one of the most important things…" description: "\"That's one of the most important things about acting is not just when you're speaking but when you're taking in from someone else. So I often go to the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/annette-bening-3058_acting_that-s-one-of-the-most-important-things_3111307.jpg" --- # That's one of the most important things about acting is… ![“That's one of the most important things about acting is not just when you're speaking but when you're taking in from someone else. So I often go to the theater and I'm watching the person who's not talking. I love that.” quote by Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/annette-bening-3058_acting_that-s-one-of-the-most-important-things_3111307.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/annette-bening-3058_acting_that-s-one-of-the-most-important-things_3111307.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/annette-bening-3058_acting_that-s-one-of-the-most-important-things_3111307.jpg) > “That's one of the most important things about acting is not just when you're speaking but when you're taking in from someone else. So I often go to the theater and I'm watching the person who's not talking. I love that.” [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective acting requires listening as much as speaking, absorbing others' emotions and cues. **In simple terms:** Acting is about listening and feeling. Key Takeaway Observe and respond to others. Themes acting listening empathy Mood reflective insightful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - theater rehearsal - conversation practice - team meetings Key Concepts performance communication presence Questions to Reflect On - How does listening change your own expression? - What do you notice when you focus on others? A Different Perspective Listening alone doesn't guarantee authentic performance; requires emotional honesty. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Taking Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-theater-350468/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theater Watching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater-watching-478038/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Things Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-acting-918390/) ## Related quotes > [My father is an actor, so he brought me into his agency when I was young. 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It shaped how I look at the world. My imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/the-greatest-experience-i-ve-ever-had-in-a-movie-theater-was-watching/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [When you're sitting in the theater watching your own work be performed, you get to see people's reactions immediately. Unlike with a book, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mccauley/when-you-re-sitting-in-the-theater-watching-your-own-work-be/) [Stephen McCauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mccauley/) > [I do not understand those who spend hours at the theater watching scenes between people whom they would not listen to for five minutes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-clifford-barney/i-do-not-understand-those-who-spend-hours-at-the-theater-watching/) [Natalie Clifford Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-clifford-barney/) > [The problem was to sustain at any cost the feeling you had in the theater that you were watching a real person, yes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-problem-was-to-sustain-at-any-cost-the-feeling-you-had-in-the/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [One of the nice things about acting is that it allows you to open up to the other people within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/one-of-the-nice-things-about-acting-is-that-it-allows-you-to-open-up/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) > [One of the things about acting is you can always use your life. You have to recall how you are and how people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ritter/one-of-the-things-about-acting-is-you-can-always-use-your-life-you/) [John Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ritter/) > [One of the things about acting is it allows you to live other people's lives without having to pay the price.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-de-niro/one-of-the-things-about-acting-is-it-allows-you-to-live-other-people/) [Robert De Niro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-de-niro/) > [I didn't even have a career before 'Stranger Things' - it was my first acting job, my first time on a professional set, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-purser/i-didn-t-even-have-a-career-before-stranger-things-it-was-my-first/) [Shannon Purser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-purser/) > [I like to do a wide variety of things, and acting, particularly in the theatre, has given me that opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-allam/i-like-to-do-a-wide-variety-of-things-and-acting-particularly-in-the/) [Roger Allam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-allam/) > [Listening and hearing are two different things, and acting is comprehending what the person is saying, thinking how it makes you feel and responding.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wenham/listening-and-hearing-are-two-different-things-and-acting-is/) [David Wenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wenham/) ## More by Annette Bening > [I never thought my private life would be newsworthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-never-thought-my-private-life-would-be-newsworthy/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I do have to take care of myself, not only because I'm in the movies, just for mental health reasons. I exercise for me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-do-have-to-take-care-of-myself-not-only-because-i-m-in-the-movies/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We all get lost along the way, but hopefully we figure out some sort of path. It helps if you can imagine the process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-all-get-lost-along-the-way-but-hopefully-we-figure-out-some-sort/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [One of the things on a very practical level as an actor or actress is that when you do a play, you do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/one-of-the-things-on-a-very-practical-level-as-an-actor-or-actress-is/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [We want to be seen for who we really are, and each person has his own complex story and reasons for doing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-want-to-be-seen-for-who-we-really-are-and-each-person-has-his-own/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I don't see myself as competing with other actresses. I mean, I went through a time when I was in New York, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-don-t-see-myself-as-competing-with-other-actresses-i-mean-i-went/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I'm lucky: almost all my family has lived to be very old. I have one grandfather who lived to be 100.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-m-lucky-almost-all-my-family-has-lived-to-be-very-old-i-have-one/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [It's always tricky to watch yourself, always. When I first had to watch myself, it was really hard because I'd done quite a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/it-s-always-tricky-to-watch-yourself-always-when-i-first-had-to-watch/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [To me, I didn't think of acting as being a young thing only.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/to-me-i-didn-t-think-of-acting-as-being-a-young-thing-only/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I act, but I am a mother first and wife second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-act-but-i-am-a-mother-first-and-wife-second/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Why I love acting is that it's totally subjective and I like that. I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/why-i-love-acting-is-that-it-s-totally-subjective-and-i-like-that-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Somebody said something really smart: It's like you end up being the defense attorney for your role. Your job is to defend their point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/somebody-said-something-really-smart-it-s-like-you-end-up-being-the/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [Anybody who has children and children who are well feels a sense of responsibility towards parents and kids and families that are struggling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/anybody-who-has-children-and-children-who-are-well-feels-a-sense-of/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I just want to be educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-just-want-to-be-educated/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I remember hearing someone say that good acting is more about taking off a mask than putting one on, and in movie acting, certainly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/i-remember-hearing-someone-say-that-good-acting-is-more-about-taking/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) [Explore all 141 Annette Bening quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. 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