--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From as early as I can remember, I wanted…" description: "\"From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have something to do with the acting business. I was a TV junkie as a kid and I think, because I grew up i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/cherien-dabis-28887_acting_from-as-early-as-i-can-remember-i-wanted_603301.jpg" --- # From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have… ![“From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have something to do with the acting business. I was a TV junkie as a kid and I think, because I grew up in a small town where I couldn't imagine myself staying there and couldn't see myself being any of the people that I was surrounded by in this town…” quote by Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/cherien-dabis-28887_acting_from-as-early-as-i-can-remember-i-wanted_603301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/cherien-dabis-28887_acting_from-as-early-as-i-can-remember-i-wanted_603301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/268/cherien-dabis-28887_acting_from-as-early-as-i-can-remember-i-wanted_603301.jpg) > “From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have something to do with the acting business. I was a TV junkie as a kid and I think, because I grew up in a small town where I couldn't imagine myself staying there and couldn't see myself being any of the people that I was surrounded by in this town, I just knew that I wanted a different kind of a life, but I didn't know what that meant and I didn't know how.” [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A yearning for a different life drives ambition, even when the path is unclear. **In simple terms:** Desire for change fuels purpose. Key Takeaway Pursue what feels right, despite uncertainty. Themes ambition identity growth Mood hopeful determined Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - leaving small town - choosing acting career - overcoming self‑doubt Key Concepts self‑discovery career aspiration Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take now toward your dream? - How do you define “different kind of life”? A Different Perspective Unclear direction can cause paralysis without concrete steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The longer you are in acting business, the more you cherish the times when you're working with people that do great work, and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/the-longer-you-are-in-acting-business-the-more-you-cherish-the-times/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [I don't push my luck. I don't worry about the results and therefore everything seems to work out well. That's something I've learnt over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-don-t-push-my-luck-i-don-t-worry-about-the-results-and-therefore/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [I've never wanted to be anything other than an actor. I started performing on Broadway when I was 8 years old. My first night…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/i-ve-never-wanted-to-be-anything-other-than-an-actor-i-started/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) > [We're in the doing business, or acting business and creating business. We're not in the results business, so we don't have any control over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jane/we-re-in-the-doing-business-or-acting-business-and-creating-business/) [Thomas Jane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jane/) > [Acting is the business of truth, so that we can see ourselves reflected back and learn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/acting-is-the-business-of-truth-so-that-we-can-see-ourselves/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [Sure, I have a job now, but the acting business isn't always that solid, and so I wanted something to fall back upon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverley-mitchell/sure-i-have-a-job-now-but-the-acting-business-isn-t-always-that-solid/) [Beverley Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverley-mitchell/) > [I often think you need a lot of courage to be in the acting business. The job itself can be incredibly challenging for various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-alexander/i-often-think-you-need-a-lot-of-courage-to-be-in-the-acting-business/) [Sarah Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-alexander/) > [I got into the acting business very young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macarthur/i-got-into-the-acting-business-very-young/) [James MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macarthur/) > [Acting for me is not a business, it's about trying to make pieces of art that I believe that I feel proud of. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/acting-for-me-is-not-a-business-it-s-about-trying-to-make-pieces-of/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Remember, acting is not a business of glamour. It is science, craft and an art. Read about acting; don't do it for the sake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boman-irani/remember-acting-is-not-a-business-of-glamour-it-is-science-craft-and/) [Boman Irani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boman-irani/) > [If you hang around long enough to show these people what you can do, you have a chance in this acting business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-cady/if-you-hang-around-long-enough-to-show-these-people-what-you-can-do/) Frank Cady > [Acting is a business and a political act and a craft, but I also feel like it's a service - specifically, for a military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/acting-is-a-business-and-a-political-act-and-a-craft-but-i-also-feel/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [Acting's more of a business for me now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-quaid/acting-s-more-of-a-business-for-me-now/) [Randy Quaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-quaid/) > [I'm in the acting business. That's the ego business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/i-m-in-the-acting-business-that-s-the-ego-business/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) > [I've never tried to learn the art of acting. I have been in the business for years but I still can't tell what acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-muni/i-ve-never-tried-to-learn-the-art-of-acting-i-have-been-in-the/) [Paul Muni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-muni/) ## More by Cherien Dabis > [Some of my favorite all-time movies - Wong Kar-wai is just amazing. In the Mood for Love is probably my favorite film ever. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/some-of-my-favorite-all-time-movies-wong-kar-wai-is-just-amazing-in/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I think that you have to have a really specific type of personality to be able to both direct and act, because it requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-think-that-you-have-to-have-a-really-specific-type-of-personality/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I definitely did not play myself. As the writer of the script, I have traits of all the characters. I can relate to all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-definitely-did-not-play-myself-as-the-writer-of-the-script-i-have/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [When it comes to identity, that was an issue that plagued me for a lot of my life. It's something that I wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/when-it-comes-to-identity-that-was-an-issue-that-plagued-me-for-a-lot/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I knew that I wanted to live in a city, but had never really been to New York. But I was begging my parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-knew-that-i-wanted-to-live-in-a-city-but-had-never-really-been-to/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [It's why I fell in love with movies. You can sit in a movie theater and be transported to a place that you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/it-s-why-i-fell-in-love-with-movies-you-can-sit-in-a-movie-theater/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [When you step in to act, you just zoom way in on the longest possible lens and you're just totally in the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/when-you-step-in-to-act-you-just-zoom-way-in-on-the-longest-possible/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I watch everything from independent art-house cinema to foreign film. I don't watch as many Hollywood blockbusters but once in a while, I'm curious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-watch-everything-from-independent-art-house-cinema-to-foreign-film/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I discovered myself in the back-and-forth and in the hyphenated Arab-American way, and one of the things that I discovered was that I really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-discovered-myself-in-the-back-and-forth-and-in-the-hyphenated-arab/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [When there's an actor involved, the actor's talking to the director or the director's talking to the actor. But when there are not those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/when-there-s-an-actor-involved-the-actor-s-talking-to-the-director-or/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [Jordan is many different things and there's many different parts of it. We don't ever really get to see a modern Arab city, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/jordan-is-many-different-things-and-there-s-many-different-parts-of/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [Keep doing what you're doing no matter what anyone says. Defy your own doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/keep-doing-what-you-re-doing-no-matter-what-anyone-says-defy-your-own/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I was really inspired by my own experience, and specifically my own identity crisis but larger than that, I also wanted to explore the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-was-really-inspired-by-my-own-experience-and-specifically-my-own/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [On the American side, some of the movies that I watched when I was a kid, like E.T. or The Wizard of Oz, those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/on-the-american-side-some-of-the-movies-that-i-watched-when-i-was-a/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) > [I grew up watching a lot of Egyptian movies. My parents had this huge VHS collection of every Egyptian movie you can possibly imagine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cherien-dabis/i-grew-up-watching-a-lot-of-egyptian-movies-my-parents-had-this-huge/) [Cherien Dabis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) [Explore all 19 Cherien Dabis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cherien-dabis/) ## 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": "From as early as I can remember, I wanted to have something to do with the acting business. 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