--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you can surprise yourself, you're…" description: "\"When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting.\" — Cameron Britton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg" --- # When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting. ![“When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting.” quote by Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg) > “When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting.” [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Surprising oneself indicates genuine creativity and personal growth, beyond routine behavior. **In simple terms:** Self‑surprise shows true action. Key Takeaway Seek experiences that challenge your expectations. Themes self‑development creativity authenticity Mood inspired provocative encouraging Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - personal projects - career pivots - artistic pursuits - travel Key Concepts self‑actualization mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What new thing can you try today? - How do you measure authentic action? A Different Perspective Self‑surprise can be fleeting without sustained effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) ## Related quotes > [Man is a make-believe animal: he is never so truly himself as when he is acting a part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-a-make-believe-animal-he-is-never-so-truly-himself-as-when-he/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Truly, only acting without thought of one's life is superior to valuing one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/truly-only-acting-without-thought-of-one-s-life-is-superior-to/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [To truly repent of a big thing, you have to go into it with your heart open and force yourself to deal with it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-wilkinson/to-truly-repent-of-a-big-thing-you-have-to-go-into-it-with-your-heart/) [Bruce Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-wilkinson/) > [My advice is don't keep asking yourself if you can do something. Just get out there and do it. You can really surprise yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/my-advice-is-don-t-keep-asking-yourself-if-you-can-do-something-just/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [You can always keep pushing more and you're going to surprise yourself with where you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicente-luque/you-can-always-keep-pushing-more-and-you-re-going-to-surprise/) [Vicente Luque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicente-luque/) > [The pleasant surprise for me is that when I look into Tony's eyes, he's still 100% present, sharing everything that's going on. Acting with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genie-francis/the-pleasant-surprise-for-me-is-that-when-i-look-into-tony-s-eyes-he/) [Genie Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genie-francis/) > [People are in denial all the time, hiding things. If I tell you a racist or dirty joke and you laugh, you're telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/people-are-in-denial-all-the-time-hiding-things-if-i-tell-you-a/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [The first thing you have to get used to in any kind of acting is the ability to make a fool of yourself. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/the-first-thing-you-have-to-get-used-to-in-any-kind-of-acting-is-the/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [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/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [My heart truly lies in good scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-walters/my-heart-truly-lies-in-good-scripts/) [Ashley Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-walters/) > [Having children truly ends adolescence. We are all either parents or children: responsibility-takers or those who demand from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/having-children-truly-ends-adolescence-we-are-all-either-parents-or/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The Internet lets thousands of total strangers collaborate to produce a truly hivelike result.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-thompson/the-internet-lets-thousands-of-total-strangers-collaborate-to-produce/) [Clive Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-thompson/) > [I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/i-m-truly-100-guided-by-the-characters-and-my-muse-if-one-of-the/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) ## More by Cameron Britton > [If you feel too comfortable while you're performing, you're probably not doing it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/if-you-feel-too-comfortable-while-you-re-performing-you-re-probably/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [I just love Claire Foy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-just-love-claire-foy/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [I just love characters that are complex, that you can dig into and keep itching the scratch and never quite be satisfied because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-just-love-characters-that-are-complex-that-you-can-dig-into-and/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [There's a lot of sets where morale is low; people are just a little too mellow, and that's infectious. So when someone calls 'Action,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/there-s-a-lot-of-sets-where-morale-is-low-people-are-just-a-little/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [When you have a job you know you'd do for free, it takes a lot of the pressure away to be successful at it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-you-have-a-job-you-know-you-d-do-for-free-it-takes-a-lot-of-the/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [When I was 11, I said I wanted to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-i-was-11-i-said-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [Never been a successful audition, not even so much as a callback, when it comes to putting me in a role of being rough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/never-been-a-successful-audition-not-even-so-much-as-a-callback-when/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [If you go back to Season 1 of 'The Office,' Steve Carell's character is a lot different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/if-you-go-back-to-season-1-of-the-office-steve-carell-s-character-is/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [F. Murray Abraham is an incredible actor and has been for a long time. I've been watching him as I grew up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/f-murray-abraham-is-an-incredible-actor-and-has-been-for-a-long-time/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [I spent all of my twenties doing theater in a little 50-seat theater with my friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-spent-all-of-my-twenties-doing-theater-in-a-little-50-seat-theater/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [I wouldn't say I'm a shy person, but I like my privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-wouldn-t-say-i-m-a-shy-person-but-i-like-my-privacy/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [We opened a theater in 2006 called Loft Ensemble in Sherman Oaks. And we write our own plays and do goofy characters and pack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/we-opened-a-theater-in-2006-called-loft-ensemble-in-sherman-oaks-and/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [There's been some people I've overheard talking about 'Mindhunter.' I'll lean in and say, 'Hey, I haven't seen it yet. Is it any good?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/there-s-been-some-people-i-ve-overheard-talking-about-mindhunter-i-ll/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [No matter what, you can be a big kid in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/no-matter-what-you-can-be-a-big-kid-in-life/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) > [I've seen a lot of teachers come and go, and you do three or four years, and it's exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-teachers-come-and-go-and-you-do-three-or-four/) [Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) [Explore all 39 Cameron Britton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/) ## 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": "When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cameron Britton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-truly-acting/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-truly-acting/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/cameron-britton-16487_acting_when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-tr_2940979.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you can surprise yourself, you're truly acting.” — Cameron Britton", "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": "Cameron Britton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you can surprise yourself, you're...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-truly-acting/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/when-you-can-surprise-yourself-you-re-truly-acting/#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 } } ] } ```