---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm…"
description: "\"There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is what I do.\" — Anthony Anderson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png"
---

#  There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is…

![“There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is what I do.” quote by Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png)

> “There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is what I do.”

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Acting is a profession defined by performance, not a switch to be flipped.

**In simple terms:** Acting is a continuous craft, not a toggle.

Key Takeaway

Commit to the craft continuously.

Themes

acting profession identity

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

career creative

When to use this quote

- theatre
- film
- personal branding

Key Concepts

performing arts career development

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you sustain artistic growth?
- What defines your acting identity?

A Different Perspective

Skill may be limited by typecasting.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [Days when you just don't have it, you don't mail it in, you don't pack it in, you give it everything you've got. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-woods/days-when-you-just-don-t-have-it-you-don-t-mail-it-in-you-don-t-pack/)

[Tiger Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-woods/)

> [You're like a light switch..You turn me on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-re-like-a-light-switch-you-turn-me-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Now when I thnk back the days you were mine. Oh how I wish I can flip a switch to turn back the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-leslie/now-when-i-thnk-back-the-days-you-were-mine-oh-how-i-wish-i-can-flip/)

[Ryan Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-leslie/)

> [“I find that fame tends to turn one from an actor and a human being into a piece of merchandise, a public institution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/i-find-that-fame-tends-to-turn-one-from-an-actor-and-a-human-being/)

[Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/)

> [I have to say, when you make a movie, you really have no idea how it's going to turn out as an actor. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-have-to-say-when-you-make-a-movie-you-really-have-no-idea-how-it-s/)

[Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/)

> [Doing 'Not Going Out' has been fantastic and it's a great job, but it is different because you turn up and you're an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-wix/doing-not-going-out-has-been-fantastic-and-it-s-a-great-job-but-it-is/)

[Katy Wix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-wix/)

> [I was always enamored with TV shows and movies. But you didn't grow up in my town and turn into an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-wolf/i-was-always-enamored-with-tv-shows-and-movies-but-you-didn-t-grow-up/)

[Scott Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-wolf/)

> [I think having worked in a department store setting, if my life had not taken a drastically different turn when I became an actor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-monteith/i-think-having-worked-in-a-department-store-setting-if-my-life-had/)

[Cory Monteith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-monteith/)

> [I always remember what my dad told me when I decided to turn into an actor. He was emphatic that whatever I do, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthi/i-always-remember-what-my-dad-told-me-when-i-decided-to-turn-into-an/)

[Karthi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthi/)

> [It's so weird to turn on a switch and be the role model for all women, for all African-Americans. That doesn't happen that easily.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabourey-sidibe/it-s-so-weird-to-turn-on-a-switch-and-be-the-role-model-for-all-women/)

[Gabourey Sidibe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabourey-sidibe/)

> [My career is media. One can turn on the TV or look at a magazine and see me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leryn-franco/my-career-is-media-one-can-turn-on-the-tv-or-look-at-a-magazine-and/)

Leryn Franco

> [Turn off your brain and turn on your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axwell/turn-off-your-brain-and-turn-on-your-heart/)

[Axwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axwell/)

> [I was growing up with a single mom who'd be at work when I came home from school. So I'd just turn on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-chase/i-was-growing-up-with-a-single-mom-who-d-be-at-work-when-i-came-home/)

[Bailey Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-chase/)

> [Yes, I always say that we're a National League band. What I mean is, if you play an instrument, you have to sing. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/yes-i-always-say-that-we-re-a-national-league-band-what-i-mean-is-if/)

[Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/)

> [Tune in, turn on, and drop out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/tune-in-turn-on-and-drop-out/)

[Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/)

## More by Anthony Anderson

> [It takes all sorts to make a world - saints as well as soldiers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/it-takes-all-sorts-to-make-a-world-saints-as-well-as-soldiers/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [Leo couldnt deliver Mr. Martin Scorsese his Oscar with The Aviator, but I will go on record to say I will do so in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/leo-couldnt-deliver-mr-martin-scorsese-his-oscar-with-the-aviator-but/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [My wife and I have always trusted each other, and I have to thank her strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/my-wife-and-i-have-always-trusted-each-other-and-i-have-to-thank-her/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [If you respect the art and you have some talent about you, I'm on your team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/if-you-respect-the-art-and-you-have-some-talent-about-you-i-m-on-your/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [Independent films are where you really get to cut your teeth and have some fun and do the things that mainstream Hollywood doesn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/independent-films-are-where-you-really-get-to-cut-your-teeth-and-have/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [More oftentimes than not, you're automatically guilty before innocent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/more-oftentimes-than-not-you-re-automatically-guilty-before-innocent/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [I provide a little comic relief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-provide-a-little-comic-relief/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [I'm not a comedian. I'm an actor who just happens to be funny on occasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-m-not-a-comedian-i-m-an-actor-who-just-happens-to-be-funny-on/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [I always thought I was the finest thing around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-always-thought-i-was-the-finest-thing-around/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [The first time I walked onto the Megatron set, I said 'Wow!' I did. I had my son with me that day, and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/the-first-time-i-walked-onto-the-megatron-set-i-said-wow-i-did-i-had/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [I ain't got nothing. I've got this watch, and these shoes, and that's about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-ain-t-got-nothing-i-ve-got-this-watch-and-these-shoes-and-that-s/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [There are going to be ups and downs in any relationship. It's a team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/there-are-going-to-be-ups-and-downs-in-any-relationship-it-s-a-team/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [Romeo Must Die was the first film that I did where I was able to just be free as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/romeo-must-die-was-the-first-film-that-i-did-where-i-was-able-to-just/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [Tom Arnold and I, we have a huge firefight scene on top of a German tank. I get to shoot 50 caliber rounds. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/tom-arnold-and-i-we-have-a-huge-firefight-scene-on-top-of-a-german/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

> [I learned never to say, 'That's too tight.' If a woman puts it on and feels good about herself, then it's for her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/i-learned-never-to-say-that-s-too-tight-if-a-woman-puts-it-on-and/)

[Anthony Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

[Explore all 54 Anthony Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/)

## 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. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/)

[Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/)

[Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

> [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/)

> [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/)

[Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/)

> [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/)

[Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is what I do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anthony Anderson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m-an-actor-this-is-what-i-do/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m-an-actor-this-is-what-i-do/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a9/anthony-anderson-12594_actor_there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m_3049678.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There isn't a switch that I turn on. I'm an actor. This is what I do.” — Anthony Anderson",
                "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": "Anthony Anderson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-anderson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There isn't a switch that I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m-an-actor-this-is-what-i-do/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-anderson/there-isn-t-a-switch-that-i-turn-on-i-m-an-actor-this-is-what-i-do/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
