--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played a lawyer once, and I had about…" description: "\"I played a lawyer once, and I had about three or four weeks before we shot, so I was able to go to court and watch lawyers at work. Some were good lawy..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/ben-bass-46604_able_i-played-a-lawyer-once-and-i-had-about-t_1941959.jpg" --- # I played a lawyer once, and I had about three or four… ![“I played a lawyer once, and I had about three or four weeks before we shot, so I was able to go to court and watch lawyers at work. Some were good lawyers and some were bad lawyers, but it was essential. The more time you have to prepare, the better. Always.” quote by Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/ben-bass-46604_able_i-played-a-lawyer-once-and-i-had-about-t_1941959.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/ben-bass-46604_able_i-played-a-lawyer-once-and-i-had-about-t_1941959.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/238/ben-bass-46604_able_i-played-a-lawyer-once-and-i-had-about-t_1941959.jpg) > “I played a lawyer once, and I had about three or four weeks before we shot, so I was able to go to court and watch lawyers at work. Some were good lawyers and some were bad lawyers, but it was essential. The more time you have to prepare, the better. Always.” [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Observing real lawyers before filming improves an actor’s authenticity and performance. **In simple terms:** Watching real lawyers helps actors play better. Key Takeaway Study real professionals before acting. Themes authenticity craft learning Mood reflective analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - film preparation - stage rehearsal - character study - legal drama production Key Concepts method acting observation professionalism Questions to Reflect On - How does real-world exposure shape your craft? - What aspects of law did you find most challenging to portray? A Different Perspective Limited time may restrict depth of observation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Lawyers work hard and, like us, they're human, many of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/lawyers-work-hard-and-like-us-they-re-human-many-of-them/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [I played a lawyer in a movie, so, many times I think I am a lawyer. And clearly I'm not a lawyer, because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-played-a-lawyer-in-a-movie-so-many-times-i-think-i-am-a-lawyer-and/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I wanted to play the part that Mary Kay played, the lawyer who wanted to have baby and felt her clock ticking, because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jobeth-williams/i-wanted-to-play-the-part-that-mary-kay-played-the-lawyer-who-wanted/) [JoBeth Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jobeth-williams/) > [My first movie was 'Sudden Fear' with Joan Crawford, and I remember I played a lawyer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-connors/my-first-movie-was-sudden-fear-with-joan-crawford-and-i-remember-i/) [Mike Connors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-connors/) > [It is a pleasant world we live in, sir, a very pleasant world. There are bad people in it, Mr. Richard, but if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-is-a-pleasant-world-we-live-in-sir-a-very-pleasant-world-there-are/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [We are very good lawyers for our own mistakes,but very good judges for the mistakes of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix/we-are-very-good-lawyers-for-our-own-mistakes-but-very-good-judges/) [Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix/) > [Virtually all big law firms have good to super-good lawyers. All big law firms don't have great litigators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pena/virtually-all-big-law-firms-have-good-to-super-good-lawyers-all-big/) [Dan Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pena/) > [I may have been prejudiced against lawyer members of Congress, having run against one or two and having been threatened politically by a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-mccarthy/i-may-have-been-prejudiced-against-lawyer-members-of-congress-having/) [Eugene McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-mccarthy/) > [We are very good lawyers for our mistake; but a very good judge for others mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-very-good-lawyers-for-our-mistake-but-a-very-good-judge-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are good lawyers for our mistakes and very good judge for others mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-sharma/we-are-good-lawyers-for-our-mistakes-and-very-good-judge-for-others/) [Sushan Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-sharma/) > [If there were no bad people, there would be no good lawyers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/if-there-were-no-bad-people-there-would-be-no-good-lawyers/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [. We Are Very Good Lawyers For Our Mistakes & Very Good Judges For Others Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-very-good-lawyers-for-our-mistakes-very-good-judges-for-others/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we're picking people to draw out of their own conscience and experience a 'new' Constitution, we should not look principally for good lawyers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/if-we-re-picking-people-to-draw-out-of-their-own-conscience-and/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [We aRe a GooD lAwYeRs 4 oUr OwN mIsTaKeS, aNd a VErY good JuDgE 4 oThErS mIsTaKeS !!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-cchan/we-are-a-good-lawyers-4-our-own-mistakes-and-a-very-good-judge-4/) [AaRon CcHan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-cchan/) > [Good lawyers win so-so lawsuits. Great lawyers can win lawsuits in which you have little or no chance to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pena/good-lawyers-win-so-so-lawsuits-great-lawyers-can-win-lawsuits-in/) [Dan Pena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pena/) ## More by Ben Bass > ['The Wire's definitely one of them. 'The Sopranos' is one of my all-time favorites. Those are two big ones for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/the-wire-s-definitely-one-of-them-the-sopranos-is-one-of-my-all-time/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [One of the ways that you reveal character is by getting a character into a situation and seeing what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/one-of-the-ways-that-you-reveal-character-is-by-getting-a-character/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [There's a lot of writing in television that can sound like it's taken out of a package, and the way to get around that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/there-s-a-lot-of-writing-in-television-that-can-sound-like-it-s-taken/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [I love the 'Mildred Pierce' miniseries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/i-love-the-mildred-pierce-miniseries/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [The way I navigate scenes is through what I perceive to be the emotional truth of the character: what he wants from moment to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/the-way-i-navigate-scenes-is-through-what-i-perceive-to-be-the/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [I liked 'Deadwood.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/i-liked-deadwood/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) > [I'm sort of awkward with technology, and I think I'm the type of guy who would have something cool happen to him, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bass/i-m-sort-of-awkward-with-technology-and-i-think-i-m-the-type-of-guy/) [Ben Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) [Explore all 8 Ben Bass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bass/) ## 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": "I played a lawyer once, and I had about three or four weeks before we shot, so I was able to go to court and watch lawyers at work. Some were good lawyers and some were bad lawyers, but it was essential. The more time you have to prepare, the better. 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