--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The audience is my hardest and best critic." description: "\"The audience is my hardest and best critic.\" — Charlie Murphy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg" --- # The audience is my hardest and best critic. ![“The audience is my hardest and best critic.” quote by Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg) > “The audience is my hardest and best critic.” [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The audience simultaneously challenges and validates a performer. **In simple terms:** Listeners are tough judges. Key Takeaway Embrace feedback, both good and bad. Themes performance critique growth humor Mood introspective motivational Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - television - creative development - public speaking Key Concepts audience theory self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - What does your toughest audience teach you? - How can criticism improve your craft? A Different Perspective Audience bias can distort true merit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Audience Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-hardest-4055087/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Best Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-critic-1016211/) [Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic/) [Hardest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest/) [Hardest Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hardest-best-1943926/) ## Related quotes > [You can get a million different opinions from different people, but I always like to watch myself to see what I did and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/you-can-get-a-million-different-opinions-from-different-people-but-i/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [The lens is the actor's best critic... showing his mind more clearly than on the stage. You can get wonderful cooperation out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-greenstreet/the-lens-is-the-actor-s-best-critic-showing-his-mind-more-clearly/) [Sydney Greenstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-greenstreet/) > [The best critic needn't be right, just interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kirn/the-best-critic-needn-t-be-right-just-interesting/) [Walter Kirn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kirn/) > [The hardest part of being the best is to remain being the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-part-of-being-the-best-is-to-remain-being-the-best/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What is the hardest, but best thing in life? Love <3”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-hassan/what-is-the-hardest-but-best-thing-in-life-love-3/) [Ali Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-hassan/) > [A literary woman's best critic is her husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-stuart-phelps-ward/a-literary-woman-s-best-critic-is-her-husband/) [Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-stuart-phelps-ward/) > [Your camera is the best critic there is. Critics never see as much as the camera does. It is more perceptive than the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-sirk/your-camera-is-the-best-critic-there-is-critics-never-see-as-much-as/) [Douglas Sirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-sirk/) > [There is no way that my mother hasn't influenced my career. She's my first critic. She's my best critic. 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My mother and sister kind of like everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/varun-tej/my-father-feels-that-kammula-garu-has-done-magic-at-home-he-is-the/) [Varun Tej](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/varun-tej/) > [I'm always my hardest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-volkanovski/i-m-always-my-hardest-critic/) [Alexander Volkanovski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-volkanovski/) > [The hardest thing to get is true emotion. I always believe you need to earn that with the audience. You can't just tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lasseter/the-hardest-thing-to-get-is-true-emotion-i-always-believe-you-need-to/) [John Lasseter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lasseter/) > [I am my biggest critic. Even in films where people said they liked me, I have disliked myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-akkineni/i-am-my-biggest-critic-even-in-films-where-people-said-they-liked-me/) [Samantha Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-akkineni/) > [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/) [Whitney Balliett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-balliett/) > [I am absolutely my own biggest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/i-am-absolutely-my-own-biggest-critic/) [Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/) ## More by Charlie Murphy > [In the Navy, you're around a lot of people from different parts of the country. They've got different accents, different upbringings. I learned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/in-the-navy-you-re-around-a-lot-of-people-from-different-parts-of-the/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I have people tell me all the time, 'I was expecting you to be mean.' Why is that? Because you saw me in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-have-people-tell-me-all-the-time-i-was-expecting-you-to-be-mean-why/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I think I have had a remarkable and colorful life, so I decided to share it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-think-i-have-had-a-remarkable-and-colorful-life-so-i-decided-to/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I don't think I have any hobbies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-don-t-think-i-have-any-hobbies/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I have a very good talent at finding out exactly what it is about yourself that you don't like and then keep bringing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-have-a-very-good-talent-at-finding-out-exactly-what-it-is-about/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I protected Eddie. 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They're all interlocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/one-thing-helps-the-other-my-stand-up-helps-my-writing-my-writing/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I went into the military because I wanted to get an education, not because I wanted to fight anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-went-into-the-military-because-i-wanted-to-get-an-education-not/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [A comic's like anybody else - he does what he does to support himself and feed his family. But if a comic says the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/a-comic-s-like-anybody-else-he-does-what-he-does-to-support-himself/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [I was always proud of my brother. He helped me tremendously, but we're family, so we were never in his shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/i-was-always-proud-of-my-brother-he-helped-me-tremendously-but-we-re/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [When I was nine years old, I was in a movie called, 'Landlord' with Pearl Bailey, Lou Gossett, and Beau Bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/when-i-was-nine-years-old-i-was-in-a-movie-called-landlord-with-pearl/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [As far as stand-up comedy, I got into the business later than most, yeah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/as-far-as-stand-up-comedy-i-got-into-the-business-later-than-most-yeah/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [When I first started, it was a dare. Someone basically said, 'You're a tough guy... but I'll bet you won't get on a microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/when-i-first-started-it-was-a-dare-someone-basically-said-you-re-a/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [It's easy to go on television and say horrible things about somebody. And it's cowardly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/it-s-easy-to-go-on-television-and-say-horrible-things-about-somebody/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) [Explore all 99 Charlie Murphy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) ## More Audience quotes > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [It's the adrenaline rush you only get from being in front of an audience. It's addictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raphael-saadiq/it-s-the-adrenaline-rush-you-only-get-from-being-in-front-of-an/) [Raphael Saadiq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raphael-saadiq/) > [If I had to speak in front of a Korean audience, I would be hard pressed to sound other than a little girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/an-na/if-i-had-to-speak-in-front-of-a-korean-audience-i-would-be-hard/) [An Na](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/an-na/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [One of the things that touches me most when I play for an audience is that although we may be unable to communicate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/one-of-the-things-that-touches-me-most-when-i-play-for-an-audience-is/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [I have to feel the audience. I enjoy that feeling of community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gahan/i-have-to-feel-the-audience-i-enjoy-that-feeling-of-community/) [Dave Gahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gahan/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [“During the first few minutes of your presentation, your job is to assure the audience members that you are not going to waste their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/during-the-first-few-minutes-of-your-presentation-your-job-is-to/) [Dale Ludwig and Greg Owen-Boger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-ludwig-and-greg-owen-boger/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't think about who the audience is for my books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-about-who-the-audience-is-for-my-books/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I feel I have been playing all primary characters. And if your character forms a connect with the audience, it doesn't matter if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/i-feel-i-have-been-playing-all-primary-characters-and-if-your/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) [Browse all 9,118 Audience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The audience is my hardest and best critic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charlie Murphy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-critic/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Audience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-critic/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd7/charlie-murphy-6428_audience_the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-crit_2079652.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The audience is my hardest and best critic.” — Charlie Murphy", "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": "Charlie Murphy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The audience is my hardest and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-critic/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/the-audience-is-my-hardest-and-best-critic/#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 } } ] } ```