---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was supposed to be a romancer, either…"
description: "\"I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading lady or competing with the leading man for her.\" — Cesar Romero"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png"
---

#  I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading…

![“I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading lady or competing with the leading man for her.” quote by Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png)

> “I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading lady or competing with the leading man for her.”

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker reflects on a personal expectation to be a romantic figure, either as a suitor or as a rival, highlighting the tension between desire and competition in love narratives.

**In simple terms:** Romantic role expectations

Key Takeaway

Romance is a contested performance

Themes

love identity competition gender roles narrative

Mood

wistful playful reflective

Type

observation self‑reflection

When to use this quote

- dating
- courtship rituals
- storytelling
- media portrayals
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

self‑image social expectations power dynamics

Practical Applications

- character development in scripts
- advice on navigating romantic expectations

Questions to Reflect On

- How do societal scripts shape our romantic behavior?
- What does it mean to be a 'romancer' in modern contexts?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Competing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Wooing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wooing/)

## Related quotes

> [My wife would say I'm not romantic at all, but I would say that I'm the ultimate romancer because I write about... life being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/my-wife-would-say-i-m-not-romantic-at-all-but-i-would-say-that-i-m/)

[Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/)

> [In the perfect world, no one would need pre-nups. But all too often, a misty-eyed romancer at the altar transforms into a vengeful, avaricious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/in-the-perfect-world-no-one-would-need-pre-nups-but-all-too-often-a/)

[Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/)

> [In almost every musical ever written, there's a place that's usually about the third song of the evening - sometimes it's the second, sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-ashman/in-almost-every-musical-ever-written-there-s-a-place-that-s-usually/)

Howard Ashman

> [I'm always looking for that sense of fun and adventure and even unlikeability. I don't want to be the obvious leading lady. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becki-newton/i-m-always-looking-for-that-sense-of-fun-and-adventure-and-even/)

[Becki Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becki-newton/)

> [I was always the hero with no vices, reciting practically the same lines to the leading lady. The current crop of movie actors are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramon-novarro/i-was-always-the-hero-with-no-vices-reciting-practically-the-same/)

Ramon Novarro

> [Once you get into your 40s, you're no longer leading-lady age. Generally, those roles get offered to women in their 20s and 30s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamzin-outhwaite/once-you-get-into-your-40s-you-re-no-longer-leading-lady-age/)

[Tamzin Outhwaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamzin-outhwaite/)

> [It's good to be able to be a leading lady, to be a romantic lead, to play opposite people who are talented, and charismatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-graham/it-s-good-to-be-able-to-be-a-leading-lady-to-be-a-romantic-lead-to/)

[Heather Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-graham/)

> [I had a professor in graduate school who told us, 'Know what you're good at, and do that thing.' And I thought, 'Hands down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruthie-ann-miles/i-had-a-professor-in-graduate-school-who-told-us-know-what-you-re/)

[Ruthie Ann Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruthie-ann-miles/)

> [I did not see myself as a leading lady. I thought I was really funny-looking and I would never be the lead, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-baker/i-did-not-see-myself-as-a-leading-lady-i-thought-i-was-really-funny/)

[Kathy Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-baker/)

> [It's a huge change from when I started in the 1960s, but what is really impressive is that the number of ladies on set,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amitabh-bachchan/it-s-a-huge-change-from-when-i-started-in-the-1960s-but-what-is/)

[Amitabh Bachchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amitabh-bachchan/)

> [Youre supposed to be the leading lady in your own life, for Gods sake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/youre-supposed-to-be-the-leading-lady-in-your-own-life-for-gods-sake/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [Part of me would love to have been a leading lady because there's a lot of glamour that goes with that and a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selma-blair/part-of-me-would-love-to-have-been-a-leading-lady-because-there-s-a/)

[Selma Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selma-blair/)

> [On 'Swingtown,' I think that's when I was able to blend the character-slash-leading lady roles, and that's what I'm doing on 'Once Upon a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-parrilla/on-swingtown-i-think-that-s-when-i-was-able-to-blend-the-character/)

[Lana Parrilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-parrilla/)

> [After a while, Godard was going to do 'A Woman is a Woman' with Sami Frey and another actress in the leading lady part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-karina/after-a-while-godard-was-going-to-do-a-woman-is-a-woman-with-sami/)

[Anna Karina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-karina/)

> [I have never been an easy fit. I'm a leading lady character actor; I don't fit in one slot simply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-have-never-been-an-easy-fit-i-m-a-leading-lady-character-actor-i/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

## More by Cesar Romero

> [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I was wearing corn plasters above and below my toes and taping my ankles twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-wearing-corn-plasters-above-and-below-my-toes-and-taping-my/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [It's a new town. The old elegance is gone. It used to be one big family, this industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/it-s-a-new-town-the-old-elegance-is-gone-it-used-to-be-one-big-family/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [We Latins make splendid lovers and splendid older men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/we-latins-make-splendid-lovers-and-splendid-older-men/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I'm satisfied to go in at the bottom - that's the best way to learn what things are all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-m-satisfied-to-go-in-at-the-bottom-that-s-the-best-way-to-learn/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I was born in the USA, which many people still find hard to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-born-in-the-usa-which-many-people-still-find-hard-to-believe/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [The make up took about an hour to put on, but the wig was a thing that bothered me more than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/the-make-up-took-about-an-hour-to-put-on-but-the-wig-was-a-thing-that/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [When someone's acting for a scene, they can fool the camera. But in everyday life, unless you're watching and censoring yourself every minute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/when-someone-s-acting-for-a-scene-they-can-fool-the-camera-but-in/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I should remember more, and I have a pretty good memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-should-remember-more-and-i-have-a-pretty-good-memory/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [Well, you know what they say in Hollywood - the most important thing is being sincere, even if you have to fake it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/well-you-know-what-they-say-in-hollywood-the-most-important-thing-is/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I had to keep from laughing when a male relative of mine became concerned about how often I danced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-had-to-keep-from-laughing-when-a-male-relative-of-mine-became/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [That is perceptive of you, because in this country men dancers have always been viewed with suspicion. If you were an actor, a star,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/that-is-perceptive-of-you-because-in-this-country-men-dancers-have/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I should only have been as lucky as Valentino, in the movies - I didnt have to be a gigolo. In real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-should-only-have-been-as-lucky-as-valentino-in-the-movies-i-didnt/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I thought it was very humanitarian of Sean Penn and Madonna to marry each other. That way, they make only two people miserable instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-thought-it-was-very-humanitarian-of-sean-penn-and-madonna-to-marry/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

> [I was out dancing with one actress or another. And that got press. Even when it didn't, the whole town knew I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-out-dancing-with-one-actress-or-another-and-that-got-press-even/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

[Explore all 41 Cesar Romero quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

## More Competing quotes

> [When you reach that competing point, when you reach that time when the gun is about to go off, everyone's level is pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/when-you-reach-that-competing-point-when-you-reach-that-time-when-the/)

[Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/)

> [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/)

[Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/)

> [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/)

[Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/)

> [I competed every day as a professional football player... You've got to like competing. That's how your team gets better, when you have competition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-competed-every-day-as-a-professional-football-player-you-ve-got-to/)

[Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/)

> [There are 16 year olds competing at the olympics and i still push on pull doors &amp; struggle getting through the whole day without a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/there-are-16-year-olds-competing-at-the-olympics-and-i-still-push-on/)

[Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/)

> [I love nothing more than going out there and competing. And baseball's my outlet to do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/i-love-nothing-more-than-going-out-there-and-competing-and-baseball-s/)

[Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/)

> [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/)

[Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/)

> [I don't think anybody who carries a rifle carries the future. Because I don't believe that you can really change the world by killing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/i-don-t-think-anybody-who-carries-a-rifle-carries-the-future-because/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [America breeds ambition and while that can be a good thing, sometimes it's not. Ambition also breeds competition and that can be a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chaka-khan/america-breeds-ambition-and-while-that-can-be-a-good-thing-sometimes/)

[Chaka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chaka-khan/)

> [I'll miss the competitive side and the camaraderie of being around the players and competing each and every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-ll-miss-the-competitive-side-and-the-camaraderie-of-being-around/)

[Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/)

> [Being away from the game and just remembering why I love competing and all of that, I think it helped me tremendously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-keys/being-away-from-the-game-and-just-remembering-why-i-love-competing/)

[Madison Keys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-keys/)

> [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/)

[E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/)

> [We're competing against other great cities: Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo. That's why it's important that we all join together on the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-daley/we-re-competing-against-other-great-cities-madrid-rio-de-janeiro-and/)

[Richard M. Daley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-daley/)

> [That this is not a sense of innovation and competition increasing prices because some other company is coming in and competing with Martin Shkreli.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/that-this-is-not-a-sense-of-innovation-and-competition-increasing/)

[Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/)

> [Some people steal from others, or defraud them, or enslave them, seizing their product and preventing them from living as they choose, or forcibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-people-steal-from-others-or-defraud-them-or-enslave-them-seizing/)

[Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/)

[Browse all 1,003 Competing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competing/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading lady or competing with the leading man for her.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Cesar Romero"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-wooing-the-leading-lady-or/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Competing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-wooing-the-leading-lady-or/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/cesar-romero-16113_competing_i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-w_82572.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was supposed to be a romancer, either wooing the leading lady or competing with the leading man for her.” — Cesar Romero",
                "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": "Cesar Romero",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was supposed to be a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-wooing-the-leading-lady-or/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/i-was-supposed-to-be-a-romancer-either-wooing-the-leading-lady-or/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
