--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting's always felt like a kind of…" description: "\"Acting's always felt like a kind of creature that lays dormant and collects observations when I'm not working. And then when I'm actually doing it, it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/benn-northover-65186_acting_acting-s-always-felt-like-a-kind-of-crea_1320157.jpg" --- # Acting's always felt like a kind of creature that lays… ![“Acting's always felt like a kind of creature that lays dormant and collects observations when I'm not working. And then when I'm actually doing it, it just rises up. But everything I do is more about curiosity and investigation than it is about performance.” quote by Benn Northover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/benn-northover-65186_acting_acting-s-always-felt-like-a-kind-of-crea_1320157.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/benn-northover-65186_acting_acting-s-always-felt-like-a-kind-of-crea_1320157.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ade/benn-northover-65186_acting_acting-s-always-felt-like-a-kind-of-crea_1320157.jpg) > “Acting's always felt like a kind of creature that lays dormant and collects observations when I'm not working. And then when I'm actually doing it, it just rises up. But everything I do is more about curiosity and investigation than it is about performance.” Benn Northover ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The actor sees performance as a dormant curiosity that awakens during work, focusing on investigation over showmanship. **In simple terms:** Acting is driven by curiosity, not just performance. Key Takeaway Embrace inquiry in your craft. Themes curiosity investigation performance creativity Mood introspective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - rehearsals - creative workshops - method acting - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology artistic process mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How does curiosity shape your artistic choices? - Can investigation replace traditional training? A Different Perspective May curiosity distract from technical skill development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Curiosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curiosity/) [Observation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observation/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [I've always felt a spiritual connection with acting. And I felt whole when I was onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/i-ve-always-felt-a-spiritual-connection-with-acting-and-i-felt-whole/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [The thing that attracted me to acting the most was I always felt quite unsure or insecure as a kid, and for some reason,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-laing/the-thing-that-attracted-me-to-acting-the-most-was-i-always-felt/) [Christie Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-laing/) > [When I started studying acting in New York, I didn't plan to be an action hero. I just wanted to learn acting because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolph-lundgren/when-i-started-studying-acting-in-new-york-i-didn-t-plan-to-be-an/) [Dolph Lundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolph-lundgren/) > [Although I started off as a child artist, I left acting in between, as I felt that I was missing the fun of school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fatima-sana-shaikh/although-i-started-off-as-a-child-artist-i-left-acting-in-between-as/) [Fatima Sana Shaikh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fatima-sana-shaikh/) > [On student films, everyone is pitching in to do everything, and I never felt like I was a part of a group before I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-sumner/on-student-films-everyone-is-pitching-in-to-do-everything-and-i-never/) [Mickey Sumner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-sumner/) > [In the Sabs we had to remain in this depressing, unreal world. I didn't like all the devilish boohoo that went with it, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ward/in-the-sabs-we-had-to-remain-in-this-depressing-unreal-world-i-didn-t/) [Bill Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ward/) > [Once I started doing stand-up, everything fell into place. That was when I started acting more; I felt like I'd found my place in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-d-elia/once-i-started-doing-stand-up-everything-fell-into-place-that-was/) [Chris D'Elia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-d-elia/) > [Suddenly, I realised: this was what I wanted to do. I didn't know how to do it; I just knew acting felt right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-mastrantonio/suddenly-i-realised-this-was-what-i-wanted-to-do-i-didn-t-know-how-to/) [Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-mastrantonio/) > [With acting, I felt like I had a lot to prove because I didn't study it; I didn't work my way up in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/with-acting-i-felt-like-i-had-a-lot-to-prove-because-i-didn-t-study/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [With acting, I always felt like I didn't have control of it. It was all about other people giving me a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/with-acting-i-always-felt-like-i-didn-t-have-control-of-it-it-was-all/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [After years of study and personal on-site investigation of UFO reports, I am certain that there is more than ample high-quality observational evidence from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-fowler/after-years-of-study-and-personal-on-site-investigation-of-ufo/) Raymond E. Fowler > [With little knowledge of what it meant to be a Jew, I found myself passionately defending the Jewish people. Now, half a century later,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/with-little-knowledge-of-what-it-meant-to-be-a-jew-i-found-myself/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [Metaphysicians have been learning their lessons for the last four thousand years, and it is high time that they should now begin to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/metaphysicians-have-been-learning-their-lessons-for-the-last-four/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [I've had frustrated storytelling juices that have been lying dormant for a long time, and I guess the documentary was a way of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bana/i-ve-had-frustrated-storytelling-juices-that-have-been-lying-dormant/) [Eric Bana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bana/) > [I had left home (like all Jewish girls) in order to eat pork and take birth control pills. When I first shared an intimate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/i-had-left-home-like-all-jewish-girls-in-order-to-eat-pork-and-take/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) ## More by Benn Northover > [It was always my intention to direct. I went to film school. And then I wanted to know how to work with actors, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benn-northover/it-was-always-my-intention-to-direct-i-went-to-film-school-and-then-i/) Benn Northover > [I always saw myself as a big-nosed, big-eared kid. I've never tried to kind of capitalize on that stuff. I think a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benn-northover/i-always-saw-myself-as-a-big-nosed-big-eared-kid-i-ve-never-tried-to/) Benn Northover > [People have different ideas of who I am. And I think because I'm very private, people make up the strangest ideas of who and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benn-northover/people-have-different-ideas-of-who-i-am-and-i-think-because-i-m-very/) Benn Northover Explore all 4 Benn Northover quotes ## 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 > [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. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Acting's always felt like a kind of creature that lays dormant and collects observations when I'm not working. And then when I'm actually doing it, it just rises up. 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