--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my career, there have been three…" description: "\"In my career, there have been three things that were challenging: playing gay; playing a Jewish woman; and playing Chekhov. The scariest part was playi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/bernadette-peters-19733_careers_in-my-career-there-have-been-three-thing_1845993.png" --- # In my career, there have been three things that were… ![“In my career, there have been three things that were challenging: playing gay; playing a Jewish woman; and playing Chekhov. The scariest part was playing Chekhov!” quote by Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/bernadette-peters-19733_careers_in-my-career-there-have-been-three-thing_1845993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/bernadette-peters-19733_careers_in-my-career-there-have-been-three-thing_1845993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27b/bernadette-peters-19733_careers_in-my-career-there-have-been-three-thing_1845993.png) > “In my career, there have been three things that were challenging: playing gay; playing a Jewish woman; and playing Chekhov. The scariest part was playing Chekhov!” [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Playing diverse roles, especially challenging ones, tests an actor's range; portraying Chekhov was the most daunting. **In simple terms:** Acting diverse roles tests skill; Chekhov was hardest. Key Takeaway Embrace challenging roles to grow as an actor. Themes acting challenge diversity personal growth Mood inspirational reflective Type professional motivational When to use this quote - audition preparation - role research - career development - artistic risk taking Key Concepts theatre method acting character immersion Questions to Reflect On - Which role pushed you beyond comfort? - How do you prepare for a demanding character? A Different Perspective Some may find certain roles rewarding rather than scary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chekhov/) [Chekhov Scariest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chekhov-scariest-2389145/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Playing Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-chekhov-2389144/) [Playing Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-gay-829122/) [Scariest Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scariest-playing-2389146/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Three things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three-things/) ## Related quotes > [I love playing Chekhov. That's the hardest; that's why I love it most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uta-hagen/i-love-playing-chekhov-that-s-the-hardest-that-s-why-i-love-it-most/) [Uta Hagen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uta-hagen/) > [It's hard enough to be a heterosexual playing gay and not having the gay gestures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-sieber/it-s-hard-enough-to-be-a-heterosexual-playing-gay-and-not-having-the/) [Christopher Sieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-sieber/) > [Movie stars exaggerate certain things to let the audience know they're just playing a character, as if they're saying, "Look at me, I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-hanson/movie-stars-exaggerate-certain-things-to-let-the-audience-know-they/) [Curtis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-hanson/) > [I think as far as straight actors playing gay roles, "Brokeback Mountain" was a big breakthrough. I'm pretty sure when they were casting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-think-as-far-as-straight-actors-playing-gay-roles-brokeback/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [Business is business. You know how that works. Because stations run on ad money. If they're playing a gay artist, then ad money dries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mould/business-is-business-you-know-how-that-works-because-stations-run-on/) [Bob Mould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mould/) > [The question people ask me all the time is, 'How was it playing a gay character? How was it pretending to love a man?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevante-rhodes/the-question-people-ask-me-all-the-time-is-how-was-it-playing-a-gay/) [Trevante Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevante-rhodes/) > [I feel lucky that Viceland wanted to make it, and I'm producing more than one film with LGBT characters and stories and it's because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-feel-lucky-that-viceland-wanted-to-make-it-and-i-m-producing-more/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [If someone doesn't want to work with me because I'm playing a gay character, I don't want to work with them. They can fck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-harold/if-someone-doesn-t-want-to-work-with-me-because-i-m-playing-a-gay/) [Gale Harold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-harold/) > [When I was in high school, there weren't a lot of out gay actors playing gay roles. I didn't see myself represented truthfully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/when-i-was-in-high-school-there-weren-t-a-lot-of-out-gay-actors/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [I’ll be quite frank with you — I didn’t know about Hunger Games — so when I’m telling kids and they say, ‘Who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-kravitz/i-ll-be-quite-frank-with-you-i-didn-t-know-about-hunger-games-so-when/) [Lenny Kravitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-kravitz/) > [The taboo for straight actors playing gay is gone... My mother was squirming a bit in the theater because she comes from a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cain/the-taboo-for-straight-actors-playing-gay-is-gone-my-mother-was/) [Dean Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cain/) > [I'm obviously comfortable with my feminine side! I didn't have any reservations playing a gay guy as it was kind of a neat idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-perry/i-m-obviously-comfortable-with-my-feminine-side-i-didn-t-have-any/) [Matthew Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-perry/) > [I didn't have enough trepidation about playing a gay funeral director not to play it. I didn't have enough trepidation about playing a serial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-c-hall-2/i-didn-t-have-enough-trepidation-about-playing-a-gay-funeral-director/) [Michael C Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-c-hall-2/) > [There have been amazing performances by straight people playing gay and by gay people playing straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-bailey/there-have-been-amazing-performances-by-straight-people-playing-gay/) [Jonathan Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-bailey/) > [Once you're sort of pigeonholed into something, it's quite difficult to get out of it. I have no aversion to playing a gay character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-shahi/once-you-re-sort-of-pigeonholed-into-something-it-s-quite-difficult/) [Sarah Shahi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-shahi/) ## More by Bernadette Peters > [I'd like to one day play Amanda, the mother, in The Glass Menagerie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/i-d-like-to-one-day-play-amanda-the-mother-in-the-glass-menagerie/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [When I grew up in the '60s, your hair had to be straight and you had to be skinny and have no boobs, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/when-i-grew-up-in-the-60s-your-hair-had-to-be-straight-and-you-had-to/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [You've got to be original, because if you're like someone else, what do they need you for?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/you-ve-got-to-be-original-because-if-you-re-like-someone-else-what-do/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [We've been listening to Wagner, which is so great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/we-ve-been-listening-to-wagner-which-is-so-great/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [You'd look out and there'd be little babies watching the show, and boys and girls. 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And knowing we were all there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/it-was-one-of-the-most-exciting-perfect-evenings-of-my-life-my-solo/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [The first big lead that I had on Broadway was in a show called La Strada.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/the-first-big-lead-that-i-had-on-broadway-was-in-a-show-called-la/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [I feel strongly for gay marriage to be accepted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/i-feel-strongly-for-gay-marriage-to-be-accepted/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [Stephen Sondheim told me that Oscar Hammerstein believed everything that he wrote. So there's great truth in the songs, and that's what was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/stephen-sondheim-told-me-that-oscar-hammerstein-believed-everything/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [Animals speak with pure affection. It's important to me to get something going in NY so we can get to be a no-kill city,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/animals-speak-with-pure-affection-it-s-important-to-me-to-get/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [Getting plenty of sleep is always great. It really is. I have a girlfriend who's sending me a slant board.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/getting-plenty-of-sleep-is-always-great-it-really-is-i-have-a/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [No One Is Alone by Stephen Sondheim is all about thinking for yourself and being your own person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/no-one-is-alone-by-stephen-sondheim-is-all-about-thinking-for/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [I lost a very dear friend who lived with AIDS for about 17 years. Rejecting early treatments that were iffy, he thought he saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/i-lost-a-very-dear-friend-who-lived-with-aids-for-about-17-years/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) > [The first Broadway show I ever heard was the recording of Carousel, and it was a very vivid experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernadette-peters/the-first-broadway-show-i-ever-heard-was-the-recording-of-carousel/) [Bernadette Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) [Explore all 32 Bernadette Peters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernadette-peters/) ## More Careers quotes > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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