--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actors can't retire. If actors retired…" description: "\"Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be nobody left to play old, wrinkly people. You have to keep going, darling - don't you?\" — Charles..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/charles-dance-10952_actor_actors-can-t-retire-if-actors-retired-th_713880.jpg" --- # Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be… ![“Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be nobody left to play old, wrinkly people. You have to keep going, darling - don't you?” quote by Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/charles-dance-10952_actor_actors-can-t-retire-if-actors-retired-th_713880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/charles-dance-10952_actor_actors-can-t-retire-if-actors-retired-th_713880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0bc/charles-dance-10952_actor_actors-can-t-retire-if-actors-retired-th_713880.jpg) > “Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be nobody left to play old, wrinkly people. You have to keep going, darling - don't you?” [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors must keep performing because their craft and characters persist beyond individual careers. **In simple terms:** Actors must keep acting. Key Takeaway Continue your work despite age. Themes career longevity art identity Mood reflective determined Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - theatre - film - television - teaching - mentoring Key Concepts performance legacy aging industry Questions to Reflect On - How can you stay relevant as you age? - What legacy do you want to leave? A Different Perspective Even retired actors can still influence culture through past work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [Actors never retire, they just get less and less work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-llewelyn/actors-never-retire-they-just-get-less-and-less-work/) Desmond Llewelyn > [I don't think actors ever retire, they just stop being asked to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-keith/i-don-t-think-actors-ever-retire-they-just-stop-being-asked-to-work/) [Penelope Keith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-keith/) > [Actors can't retire. What would they do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/actors-can-t-retire-what-would-they-do/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [Some actors retire, and some don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/some-actors-retire-and-some-don-t/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [I don't think I'm ever going to retire from stand-up, but what I have retired from is working the road every week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-garlin/i-don-t-think-i-m-ever-going-to-retire-from-stand-up-but-what-i-have/) [Jeff Garlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-garlin/) > [I retired once but you've got to have something to retire to and I don't want to do anything. My job is like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-retired-once-but-you-ve-got-to-have-something-to-retire-to-and-i/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [When you retire, think and act as if you were still working; when you're still working, think and act a bit as if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-saint-evremond/when-you-retire-think-and-act-as-if-you-were-still-working-when-you/) [Charles De Saint-Evremond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-saint-evremond/) > [In what other business can a guy my age drink martinis, smoke cigars and sing? I think all people who retire ought to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/in-what-other-business-can-a-guy-my-age-drink-martinis-smoke-cigars/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If I were retired I wouldn't know what to do because I'd have to think, well, now what is it I want to do?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-lee/if-i-were-retired-i-wouldn-t-know-what-to-do-because-i-d-have-to/) [Stan Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-lee/) > [People do not retire. They are retired by others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duke-ellington/people-do-not-retire-they-are-retired-by-others/) [Duke Ellington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duke-ellington/) > [There's one thing I always wanted to do before I quit...retire!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/there-s-one-thing-i-always-wanted-to-do-before-i-quit-retire/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [When I retired, at that time I had a lot of proposals to play in Europe, England, Italy, Spain, Mexico. But I said no,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pel/when-i-retired-at-that-time-i-had-a-lot-of-proposals-to-play-in/) [Pele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pel/) > [When people retire, they should stay retired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-froch/when-people-retire-they-should-stay-retired/) [Carl Froch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-froch/) > [A man can't retire his experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-baruch/a-man-can-t-retire-his-experience/) [Bernard Baruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-baruch/) > [When you retire, you switch bosses - from the one who hired you to the one who married you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-perret/when-you-retire-you-switch-bosses-from-the-one-who-hired-you-to-the/) [Gene Perret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-perret/) ## More by Charles Dance > [I was a window dresser for Burton's once. What really put me off was the area manager coming round and saying, Charles, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/i-was-a-window-dresser-for-burton-s-once-what-really-put-me-off-was/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [The quality of writing attracts me to films, also who the other actors are, who the director is, where it's being shot. Any or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/the-quality-of-writing-attracts-me-to-films-also-who-the-other-actors/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [You have to attempt to be objective about yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/you-have-to-attempt-to-be-objective-about-yourself/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [If you get a bad script, then you start expending energy trying to make a silk purse of a sow's ear. When the script's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/if-you-get-a-bad-script-then-you-start-expending-energy-trying-to/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [I phoned this number and said, Please, sir, I want to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/i-phoned-this-number-and-said-please-sir-i-want-to-be-an-actor/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [Most feature films are 35-40 shooting days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/most-feature-films-are-35-40-shooting-days/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [My face lends itself to austere characters, and unless they're two-dimensional, I will do them. Any actor will tell you that an interesting villain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/my-face-lends-itself-to-austere-characters-and-unless-they-re-two/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [When you have a label stuck on you, people tend to believe it. 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It serves no… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/because-writers-dan-weiss-and-david-benioff-have-done-such-a-great/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [There is a huge fan base; they're very knowledgeable and very loyal. I was astonished - before I started working on the series, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/there-is-a-huge-fan-base-they-re-very-knowledgeable-and-very-loyal-i/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [We have to take risks in British television. It has to stop playing to the lowest common denominator and patronising people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/we-have-to-take-risks-in-british-television-it-has-to-stop-playing-to/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [ I have to admit that I haven't read any of the books \[of George Martin's "Game of Thrones"\] and I don't refer to them.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/i-have-to-admit-that-i-haven-t-read-any-of-the-books-of-george-martin/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) [Explore all 62 Charles Dance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) ## 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": "Actors can't retire. If actors retired, there would be nobody left to play old, wrinkly people. 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