--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always been slightly self-conscious…" description: "\"I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity. Starting when I was 30, I somehow gave off an impr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg" --- # I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and… ![“I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity. Starting when I was 30, I somehow gave off an impression at an audition that had them mentally put me in a three-piece suit or put an attache case in my hand. If there was a stiff-guy part, the…” quote by Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg) > “I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity. Starting when I was 30, I somehow gave off an impression at an audition that had them mentally put me in a three-piece suit or put an attache case in my hand. If there was a stiff-guy part, the director would brighten up when I came in.” [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes feeling self‑conscious, noting that his demeanor sometimes projects confidence, especially in formal or authoritative roles. **In simple terms:** He appears confident, especially in formal roles. Key Takeaway Embrace your unique presence. Themes self‑consciousness confidence performance perception Mood introspective thoughtful Type professional reflective When to use this quote - auditions - career advancement - overcoming insecurity - professional image Key Concepts impression management acting technique Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with humility? - When does confidence become a barrier? A Different Perspective Confidence can be misread as arrogance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Auditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auditions/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Pomposity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pomposity/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self conscious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-conscious/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I'm very self-conscious as an actor, with performances and things, and I don't like watching my own stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lewis/i-m-very-self-conscious-as-an-actor-with-performances-and-things-and/) [Matthew Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lewis/) > [Unless it's a specific accent, or something about physicality you have to change, I am generally not such a conscious actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/unless-it-s-a-specific-accent-or-something-about-physicality-you-have/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [I was very conscious of the actor; watched what he did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-walston/i-was-very-conscious-of-the-actor-watched-what-he-did/) [Ray Walston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-walston/) > [I'm always conscious of what I'm writing, conscious of what the actor may ask me. I have a defense for nearly every line in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-sondheim/i-m-always-conscious-of-what-i-m-writing-conscious-of-what-the-actor/) [Stephen Sondheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-sondheim/) > [“It was not just that he had terrible style: he also gave the impression that he was deliberately desecrating the very idea of wearing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/it-was-not-just-that-he-had-terrible-style-he-also-gave-the/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“He was very clever, he gave the impression of being tolerant and kind, while actually being very dark, very cunning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/he-was-very-clever-he-gave-the-impression-of-being-tolerant-and-kind/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [“but none of whom gave the impression of being willing to put up with questionable behavior from anyone else ever again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-carr/but-none-of-whom-gave-the-impression-of-being-willing-to-put-up-with/) [Caleb Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-carr/) > [“He was a man who always gave the impression of wearing a top hat, even when he was not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-budnitz/he-was-a-man-who-always-gave-the-impression-of-wearing-a-top-hat-even/) [Judy Budnitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-budnitz/) > [“She walked rather quickly; she liked to be active, though at times she gave an impression of repose that was at once static and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-walked-rather-quickly-she-liked-to-be-active-though-at-times-she/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Hindu religions gave me the impression of a vast well into which one plunges in order to grasp the reflection of the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/the-hindu-religions-gave-me-the-impression-of-a-vast-well-into-which/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [Lacey had this huge chip on his shoulder. He walked into the room thinking that the people didn't welcome him and didn't like him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-schanberg/lacey-had-this-huge-chip-on-his-shoulder-he-walked-into-the-room/) [Sydney Schanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-schanberg/) > [“He gave the impression that he believed in things. We did too—it was just that we wanted to believe in our own things, rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/he-gave-the-impression-that-he-believed-in-things-we-did-too-it-was/) [Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/) > [“But Miss Pym gave an impression, somehow, of having been attacked from within .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/but-miss-pym-gave-an-impression-somehow-of-having-been-attacked-from/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [“She gave the impression of smiling with difficulty, possibly for fear of getting wrinkles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/she-gave-the-impression-of-smiling-with-difficulty-possibly-for-fear/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Language is in decline. Not only has eloquence departed but simple, direct speech as well, though pomposity and banality have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-newman/language-is-in-decline-not-only-has-eloquence-departed-but-simple/) [Edwin Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-newman/) ## More by Charles Kimbrough > [It's funny because all through the '80s I didn't do TV and movies very much. I prided myself that I was making a living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/it-s-funny-because-all-through-the-80s-i-didn-t-do-tv-and-movies-very/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [When you're starting out as an actor, you keep raising the stakes. First, you just want to be a character who comes on stage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/when-you-re-starting-out-as-an-actor-you-keep-raising-the-stakes/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [I didn't want to break with my family. I wasn't about to make waves. But I had this feeling I wanted to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-didn-t-want-to-break-with-my-family-i-wasn-t-about-to-make-waves/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [I came out of school just at the time regional theater was first expanding. All of a sudden, lots of new companies needed actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-came-out-of-school-just-at-the-time-regional-theater-was-first/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [Frankly, to be honest, I hadn't worked for two years before 'Murphy Brown.' It's a nice illusion now to think of all of us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/frankly-to-be-honest-i-hadn-t-worked-for-two-years-before-murphy/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [I come from a wonderful family. My mother was a pianist and my father was a salesman. They were very middle-class, very middle-Western.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-come-from-a-wonderful-family-my-mother-was-a-pianist-and-my-father/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) [Explore all 7 Charles Kimbrough quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity. Starting when I was 30, I somehow gave off an impression at an audition that had them mentally put me in a three-piece suit or put an attache case in my hand. If there was a stiff-guy part, the director would brighten up when I came in.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Kimbrough" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious-as-an-actor-and-i-guess-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious-as-an-actor-and-i-guess-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/78a/charles-kimbrough-53066_actors_i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious_1724333.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity…” — Charles Kimbrough", "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": "Charles Kimbrough", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always been slightly self-conscious as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious-as-an-actor-and-i-guess-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-ve-always-been-slightly-self-conscious-as-an-actor-and-i-guess-that/#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 } } ] } ```