--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Knock wood, but I started acting…" description: "\"Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself since then.\" — Anthony Edwards" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png" --- # Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was… ![“Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself since then.” quote by Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png) > “Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself since then.” [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Starting a professional career early and consistently supporting oneself demonstrates self-reliance and perseverance. **In simple terms:** Early work leads to self-sufficiency. Key Takeaway Value early responsibility and independence. Themes career self-reliance perseverance independence Mood proud confident Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - young adulthood - career planning - financial independence - entrepreneurship - skill development Key Concepts sociology psychology economics Questions to Reflect On - What skills have you cultivated to sustain independence? - How can early workers adapt to changing markets? A Different Perspective Early success may not guarantee long-term stability without adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [I started writing when I started acting professionally because, with acting, there's so much time when you're not working, and there's so much rejection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finn-wittrock/i-started-writing-when-i-started-acting-professionally-because-with/) [Finn Wittrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finn-wittrock/) > [Early on, when I first started acting professionally, it was really important for me to get my parents on board, because they were so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/early-on-when-i-first-started-acting-professionally-it-was-really/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I remember when Victoria Wood started to come through, and I thought she was great, though she and I are very different in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-remember-when-victoria-wood-started-to-come-through-and-i-thought/) [Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/) > [I started acting professionally when I was about 17. I worked immediately, but a year into it, I did an independent film in Canada,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-about-17-i-worked/) [Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/) > [I started acting professionally when I was 10. I've always been in and out of school. I remember feeling so out of place. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-thatcher/i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-10-i-ve-always-been-in-and/) [Sophie Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-thatcher/) > [When I started acting professionally, it really felt like an extension of just playing around - it was all very organic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ophelia-lovibond/when-i-started-acting-professionally-it-really-felt-like-an-extension/) [Ophelia Lovibond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ophelia-lovibond/) > [My sister started acting professionally when she was twelve, but I wanted to go to college first](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rooney-mara/my-sister-started-acting-professionally-when-she-was-twelve-but-i/) [Rooney Mara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rooney-mara/) > [I started in television as a youngster and was 14 when I started acting professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-nevin/i-started-in-television-as-a-youngster-and-was-14-when-i-started/) [Brooke Nevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-nevin/) > [I started acting professionally at age 19.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-boxleitner/i-started-acting-professionally-at-age-19/) [Bruce Boxleitner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-boxleitner/) > [I did community theater and kids programs at professional theaters and plays at school and voice lessons for seven years. I stopped because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/i-did-community-theater-and-kids-programs-at-professional-theaters/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [I started working as an actor, semi-professionally, when I was 16, and got my first professional gig at 19. I guess I've kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-started-working-as-an-actor-semi-professionally-when-i-was-16-and/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I've acted professionally since I was 16.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/i-ve-acted-professionally-since-i-was-16/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [I mean, I've acted professionally since I was 16.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/i-mean-i-ve-acted-professionally-since-i-was-16/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [I'm 35 but because I've been acting professionally playing women since I was eighteen years old - I never played a teenager - people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/i-m-35-but-because-i-ve-been-acting-professionally-playing-women/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I've been acting professionally since I was 24, and it's the only job I've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-show/i-ve-been-acting-professionally-since-i-was-24-and-it-s-the-only-job/) [Grant Show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-show/) ## More by Anthony Edwards > [To be a good actor you really have to want to act first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/to-be-a-good-actor-you-really-have-to-want-to-act-first/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [There's really no point in having children if you're not going to be home enough to father them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/there-s-really-no-point-in-having-children-if-you-re-not-going-to-be/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I didn't start jogging or running until I was 37 years old. It was something that really helped me change my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-didn-t-start-jogging-or-running-until-i-was-37-years-old-it-was/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [People relate to things that feel real to them. All the good, happy, over-sexed and moneyed endings on TV are not the way most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/people-relate-to-things-that-feel-real-to-them-all-the-good-happy/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I was spoiled by theater, where there is no editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-was-spoiled-by-theater-where-there-is-no-editor/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [To think one film makes a career is ridiculous. It's important to keep perspective and do things other than for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/to-think-one-film-makes-a-career-is-ridiculous-it-s-important-to-keep/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [It's difficult to keep that perspective, I think, as a parent: to know your boundaries as to what's good parenting or just projecting your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/it-s-difficult-to-keep-that-perspective-i-think-as-a-parent-to-know/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [Be what you are. Don't change yourself for anything. God made you that way for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/be-what-you-are-don-t-change-yourself-for-anything-god-made-you-that/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [Why is there such vanity about hair? I make a point to bathe. I worry about boogers in my nose, and I ask the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/why-is-there-such-vanity-about-hair-i-make-a-point-to-bathe-i-worry/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I did tons of theater in school, and then when I was 16 and got my driver's license, I started driving to Los Angeles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-did-tons-of-theater-in-school-and-then-when-i-was-16-and-got-my/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I'm the youngest of five kids, and I wanted attention. And in Santa Barbara, there was lots of theater going on, so for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-m-the-youngest-of-five-kids-and-i-wanted-attention-and-in-santa/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [There are definitely roles within this industry that are industry-related, but to be a good actor, you really have to want to act first.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/there-are-definitely-roles-within-this-industry-that-are-industry/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [You've got to make the most of where you are. Then, when you're somewhere else, you've got to have the ability to fulfill that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/you-ve-got-to-make-the-most-of-where-you-are-then-when-you-re/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I had this thing about hanging out in dark theaters. My family thought I grew out of a rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-had-this-thing-about-hanging-out-in-dark-theaters-my-family-thought/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) > [I love being a part of something that is grassroots, and you can see the actual changes, the effect of what people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/i-love-being-a-part-of-something-that-is-grassroots-and-you-can-see/) [Anthony Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) [Explore all 25 Anthony Edwards quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) Greg Perry > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself since then.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Anthony Edwards" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-16-and-i-ve/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Able" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-16-and-i-ve/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/caf/anthony-edwards-23664_able_knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professi_1478875.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Knock wood, but I started acting professionally when I was 16, and I've always been able to support myself…” — Anthony Edwards", "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 Edwards", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-edwards/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Knock wood, but I started acting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-16-and-i-ve/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-edwards/knock-wood-but-i-started-acting-professionally-when-i-was-16-and-i-ve/#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 } } ] } ```