--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing I love about acting is that you…" description: "\"The thing I love about acting is that you can bring something very personal into the open and at the same time remain hidden because you're always play..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/ben-whishaw-13587_about_the-thing-i-love-about-acting-is-that-yo_1213569.png" --- # The thing I love about acting is that you can bring… ![“The thing I love about acting is that you can bring something very personal into the open and at the same time remain hidden because you're always playing a character in a story that someone else has imagined. You're always protected.” quote by Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/ben-whishaw-13587_about_the-thing-i-love-about-acting-is-that-yo_1213569.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/ben-whishaw-13587_about_the-thing-i-love-about-acting-is-that-yo_1213569.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/ben-whishaw-13587_about_the-thing-i-love-about-acting-is-that-yo_1213569.png) > “The thing I love about acting is that you can bring something very personal into the open and at the same time remain hidden because you're always playing a character in a story that someone else has imagined. You're always protected.” [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting lets personal experiences surface while staying protected behind a fictional role. **In simple terms:** Acting blends personal truth with fictional safety. Key Takeaway Use roles to explore self safely. Themes creativity privacy expression Mood introspective artistic Type psychological inspirational When to use this quote - theatre performance - film sets - personal therapy Key Concepts method acting persona narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does character work affect personal growth? - When does protection become isolation? A Different Perspective Over‑identification can blur self boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Bring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-bring-426170/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Bring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/else/) [Hidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hidden/) [I love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-love/) [Imagined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagined/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-acting/) [Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open/) [Personal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-character/) [Protected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protected/) [Remain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remain/) [Same](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/same/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing/) [Things i love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-i-love/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Very](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I think the secret of great acting is that you have to bring your imagination to the party. You have to have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-the-secret-of-great-acting-is-that-you-have-to-bring-your/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [That's the joy of acting, to bring something to it. That's what makes acting exciting. Just saying lines is not terribly exciting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/that-s-the-joy-of-acting-to-bring-something-to-it-that-s-what-makes/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [The level of acting that I bring to films in three dimensions. I hope they make people sign some kind of waiver because if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-lennon/the-level-of-acting-that-i-bring-to-films-in-three-dimensions-i-hope/) [Thomas Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-lennon/) > [I think that is the secret of great acting. You have to bring your imagination to the party. You've got to have a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-think-that-is-the-secret-of-great-acting-you-have-to-bring-your/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I think acting can bring you closer to yourself and help you understand other people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/i-think-acting-can-bring-you-closer-to-yourself-and-help-you/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I make fun of things I love. I make fun of actors because I love acting. I make fun of the Midwest, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/i-make-fun-of-things-i-love-i-make-fun-of-actors-because-i-love/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) > [One of the things I love about acting is that there is always scope for growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-raj-bhasin/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-acting-is-that-there-is-always-scope/) [Tahir Raj Bhasin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-raj-bhasin/) > [One of the things I love about acting is that I can enter into these other people's lives. But going back to being me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-acting-is-that-i-can-enter-into-these/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [There are a lot of things I love about acting and one of the things I love the most is, here you are taking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/there-are-a-lot-of-things-i-love-about-acting-and-one-of-the-things-i/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [The thing I love about acting is getting to change and look at different people in different lives and do different projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keira-knightley/the-thing-i-love-about-acting-is-getting-to-change-and-look-at/) [Keira Knightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keira-knightley/) > [One of the things I love about acting is that it reveals a certain something about yourself, but it doesn't reveal your own personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-acting-is-that-it-reveals-a-certain/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [One of the things I love about acting is other actors, looking into their eyes, and working off them, and listening and responding to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allison-janney/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-acting-is-other-actors-looking-into/) [Allison Janney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allison-janney/) > [One of the things I love most about acting, that I get to do research and read books, but it's just for me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/one-of-the-things-i-love-most-about-acting-that-i-get-to-do-research/) [Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/) > [One of the things I love most about acting is just disappearing in the role, as much as I can. I think that's one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-pfeiffer/one-of-the-things-i-love-most-about-acting-is-just-disappearing-in/) [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-pfeiffer/) > [The thing I love most about acting is that your capacity evolves as you evolve as a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/the-thing-i-love-most-about-acting-is-that-your-capacity-evolves-as/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) ## More by Ben Whishaw > [I think that sometimes in theater, I don't prepare much beyond going to the rehearsals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-think-that-sometimes-in-theater-i-don-t-prepare-much-beyond-going/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [The thing about acting is that it's fairly random. At the end of the day you take what drifts past you or what's given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/the-thing-about-acting-is-that-it-s-fairly-random-at-the-end-of-the/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [As an actor, you have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever you do. I don't see why that has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/as-an-actor-you-have-total-rights-to-privacy-and-mystery-whatever/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I can be shy, but I’m not really. I try to be better at overcoming these things people have said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-can-be-shy-but-i-m-not-really-i-try-to-be-better-at-overcoming/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I don't have any ambition to make lots of money or win an Oscar or anything like that. It's not about that for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-don-t-have-any-ambition-to-make-lots-of-money-or-win-an-oscar-or/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I would have loved to have been a painter or a sculptor. I'm still fascinated by those things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-would-have-loved-to-have-been-a-painter-or-a-sculptor-i-m-still/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I'm really hopeless with technology - I don't even have a computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-m-really-hopeless-with-technology-i-don-t-even-have-a-computer/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I used to collect knick-knacks, like wizards, trolls and little buddhas, and arrange them like precious things on a shelf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-used-to-collect-knick-knacks-like-wizards-trolls-and-little-buddhas/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I'd like to have a go at directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-d-like-to-have-a-go-at-directing/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [When you have a character to work with, you carry them around in a strange way - they make you look at the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/when-you-have-a-character-to-work-with-you-carry-them-around-in-a/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I think being very thin has had a lot to do with how I've been cast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-think-being-very-thin-has-had-a-lot-to-do-with-how-i-ve-been-cast/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I wish that the arts were better supported, and you can't say that enough times, but I also believe that whatever happens, artists will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-wish-that-the-arts-were-better-supported-and-you-can-t-say-that/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [Even today, England is a very repressed, repressive country, and there's pressure to be kind of a certain way, so people do things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/even-today-england-is-a-very-repressed-repressive-country-and-there-s/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I'm not tortured and neurasthenic - I'm really not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-m-not-tortured-and-neurasthenic-i-m-really-not/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [I don’t think that actors are necessarily any more uncomfortable in their skin than anyone else. I suppose I feel more comfortable in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-don-t-think-that-actors-are-necessarily-any-more-uncomfortable-in/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) [Explore all 50 Ben Whishaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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