--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started doing plays in New York while I…" description: "\"I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham, but I did graduate by the skin of my teeth.\" — Betty Gilpin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg" --- # I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham… ![“I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham, but I did graduate by the skin of my teeth.” quote by Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg) > “I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham, but I did graduate by the skin of my teeth.” [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She barely passed her degree despite juggling acting and school, highlighting the difficulty of balancing passions and academics. **In simple terms:** She barely graduated while acting. Key Takeaway Prioritize and manage time wisely. Themes education career balance Mood determined reflective Type personal career When to use this quote - college - theatre - night classes Key Concepts time management resilience Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which passion to prioritize? - What strategies help you stay focused? A Different Perspective Balancing multiple pursuits can lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Did Graduate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-graduate-581045/) [Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing/) [Doing Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-plays/) [Graduate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduate/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-doing/) [York Fordham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-fordham-5340003/) ## Related quotes > [I really did graduate at 14, and I go to college in the Los Angeles area near where I live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-really-did-graduate-at-14-and-i-go-to-college-in-the-los-angeles/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [Well did graduate summa cum laude from Fordham University.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-clarkson/well-did-graduate-summa-cum-laude-from-fordham-university/) [Patricia Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-clarkson/) > [I did graduate early and even received my master's degree in political science before I turned 22.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-kasparian/i-did-graduate-early-and-even-received-my-master-s-degree-in/) [Ana Kasparian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-kasparian/) > [I studied journalism at The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. I did my graduate work at Emerson in Boston, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-north/i-studied-journalism-at-the-university-of-north-carolina-chapel-hill/) [Nolan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-north/) > [When I got out of school, I just started doing plays of the off-off-Broadway route, and for many years, that's what I did, slowly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-sparks/when-i-got-out-of-school-i-just-started-doing-plays-of-the-off-off/) [Paul Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-sparks/) > [Like most young actors starting out, I really just wanted to act. Whether you find yourself stumbling into a drama or a comedy, youre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-day/like-most-young-actors-starting-out-i-really-just-wanted-to-act/) [Charlie Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-day/) > [I ended up doing four or five plays in college and being an English major with my thesis in language acquisition, which I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-ended-up-doing-four-or-five-plays-in-college-and-being-an-english/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [I did graduate with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1948.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/i-did-graduate-with-a-bachelor-s-degree-in-civil-engineering-in-1948/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [And after about two years, I realized that creative writing was not going to help you ace those biological tests. So I switched over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-schieffer/and-after-about-two-years-i-realized-that-creative-writing-was-not/) [Bob Schieffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-schieffer/) > [I didn't even walk for graduation - I did graduate, though. I got this homeschool deal. I didn't have to go to school because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-peep/i-didn-t-even-walk-for-graduation-i-did-graduate-though-i-got-this/) [Lil Peep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-peep/) > [I was more like a middle child. My youngest brother was the baby, so he got all the attention that the baby gets. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-reilly/i-was-more-like-a-middle-child-my-youngest-brother-was-the-baby-so-he/) [John C. Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-reilly/) > [I always did plays, and when I went to NYU - and I didn't go to Tisch, the theater school, because I was like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-zissis/i-always-did-plays-and-when-i-went-to-nyu-and-i-didn-t-go-to-tisch/) [Steve Zissis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-zissis/) > [Acting was always something I loved doing, but I didn't know that I would pursue it professionally. I really loved doing plays at school,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-johnson/acting-was-always-something-i-loved-doing-but-i-didn-t-know-that-i/) [Jesse Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-johnson/) > [It wasn't until I got into seventh grade, I think, that I realized that doing plays might be a fun thing, and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-parnell/it-wasn-t-until-i-got-into-seventh-grade-i-think-that-i-realized-that/) [Chris Parnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-parnell/) > [I started off doing plays as a theater actor. But I never thought of it in terms of it leading anywhere. I was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-started-off-doing-plays-as-a-theater-actor-but-i-never-thought-of/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) ## More by Betty Gilpin > [Wrestling introduced me to the idea that my body has a purpose besides trying to look five years younger for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/wrestling-introduced-me-to-the-idea-that-my-body-has-a-purpose/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [To get health insurance, you give up your dignity - that's what I thought being an actor was. So when 'GLOW' came along, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/to-get-health-insurance-you-give-up-your-dignity-that-s-what-i/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [You would think that wrestling has so much to do with being aggressive and having a big ego, and it's exactly the opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/you-would-think-that-wrestling-has-so-much-to-do-with-being/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [Nothing is more theater-based than wrestling. It's Greek-tragedy-level theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/nothing-is-more-theater-based-than-wrestling-it-s-greek-tragedy-level/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [When I first thought about wrestling, I thought about it as this foreign thing that I would have so much trouble accessing, and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/when-i-first-thought-about-wrestling-i-thought-about-it-as-this/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [I find myself on Yelp typing in 'the best 'blank' all the time: best cheese, best ice cream, best pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-find-myself-on-yelp-typing-in-the-best-blank-all-the-time-best/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > ['GLOW' was the first time that, from head to toe, I was asked to use my body in a functional, powerful way as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/glow-was-the-first-time-that-from-head-to-toe-i-was-asked-to-use-my/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [My mom used to play a lot of super character-y parts... so I was sort of raised to be a clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/my-mom-used-to-play-a-lot-of-super-character-y-parts-so-i-was-sort-of/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [The rule was I had to go to college, and I couldn't even go to theater camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/the-rule-was-i-had-to-go-to-college-and-i-couldn-t-even-go-to-theater/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [Sometimes, daily life doesn't match the high stakes that you feel! And I feel like that is wrestling. Wrestling actually makes sense to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/sometimes-daily-life-doesn-t-match-the-high-stakes-that-you-feel-and/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [When you're an actress - or just a woman - a lot of the exercise classes that are offered are so sort of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/when-you-re-an-actress-or-just-a-woman-a-lot-of-the-exercise-classes/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [Getting to work with Edie Falco and watching her be a quiet presence - but a very powerful presence - and so brilliant and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/getting-to-work-with-edie-falco-and-watching-her-be-a-quiet-presence/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [I grew up in a lot of stage managers' booths, memorizing the lines. I'm sure I was the most annoying child in existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-grew-up-in-a-lot-of-stage-managers-booths-memorizing-the-lines-i-m/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [In previous roles, I have thought of my body as 'Betty's body,' and I try not to eat too many dinner rolls - please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/in-previous-roles-i-have-thought-of-my-body-as-betty-s-body-and-i-try/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [With all the stuff that's going on in the world - after I watch the news, read the news, and listen to my podcasts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/with-all-the-stuff-that-s-going-on-in-the-world-after-i-watch-the/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) [Explore all 57 Betty Gilpin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham, but I did graduate by the skin of my teeth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Betty Gilpin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while-i-was-at-fordham-but-i-did/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while-i-was-at-fordham-but-i-did/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64d/betty-gilpin-11935_actor_i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while_2283767.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started doing plays in New York while I was at Fordham, but I did graduate by the skin of my teeth.” — Betty Gilpin", "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": "Betty Gilpin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started doing plays in New...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while-i-was-at-fordham-but-i-did/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/i-started-doing-plays-in-new-york-while-i-was-at-fordham-but-i-did/#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 } } ] } ```