--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you're onstage and you know you're…" description: "\"When you're onstage and you know you're bombing, that's very, very scary. Because you know you gotta keep going - you're bombing, but you can't stop. A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/christopher-walken-1773_because_when-you-re-onstage-and-you-know-you-re_1616992.jpg" --- # When you're onstage and you know you're bombing, that's… ![“When you're onstage and you know you're bombing, that's very, very scary. Because you know you gotta keep going - you're bombing, but you can't stop. And you know that half an hour from now, you're still gonna be bombing. It takes a thick skin.” quote by Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/christopher-walken-1773_because_when-you-re-onstage-and-you-know-you-re_1616992.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/christopher-walken-1773_because_when-you-re-onstage-and-you-know-you-re_1616992.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/christopher-walken-1773_because_when-you-re-onstage-and-you-know-you-re_1616992.jpg) > “When you're onstage and you know you're bombing, that's very, very scary. Because you know you gotta keep going - you're bombing, but you can't stop. And you know that half an hour from now, you're still gonna be bombing. It takes a thick skin.” [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a performance feels terrible, you must keep going despite fear; perseverance is essential. **In simple terms:** Keep performing even when it feels like failure. Key Takeaway Stay on stage and trust the process. Themes performance resilience fear perseverance confidence Mood nervous determined Type motivational performance When to use this quote - live shows - stand‑up comedy - theatre rehearsals - public speaking Key Concepts growth mindset stagecraft psychology of anxiety Questions to Reflect On - What mental tricks keep you focused under pressure? - How do you reset after a bad moment? A Different Perspective Ignoring audience reaction can worsen anxiety; sometimes a pause helps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombing/) [Skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Thick skin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thick-skin/) ## Related quotes > [When you're onstage and you know you're bombing, that's very, very scary. Because you know you gotta keep going - you're bombing, but you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/when-you-re-onstage-and-you-know-you-re-bombing-that-s-very-very-2/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [“Now that I had assigned myself an act without jokes, I gave myself a rule. Never let them know I was bombing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/now-that-i-had-assigned-myself-an-act-without-jokes-i-gave-myself-a/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I've been going up and bombing everywhere. It's great. I love it. It's hilarious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannibal-buress/i-ve-been-going-up-and-bombing-everywhere-it-s-great-i-love-it-it-s/) [Hannibal Buress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannibal-buress/) > [They (#ISIS) are going to be bombing American cities coming across from Mexico.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-hunter/they-isis-are-going-to-be-bombing-american-cities-coming-across-from/) [Duncan Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-hunter/) > [Rejection happens, and you have to have a thick skin about it, which is hard. You can't be overly sensitive about people not picking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maura-tierney/rejection-happens-and-you-have-to-have-a-thick-skin-about-it-which-is/) [Maura Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maura-tierney/) > [Starting a business isn't for everyone, and it's not what you should do if you aren't sure what else to do. It requires thick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-minshew/starting-a-business-isn-t-for-everyone-and-it-s-not-what-you-should/) [Kathryn Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-minshew/) > [As an actor, you have to get used to being told no, develop a thick skin, and just keep persevering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emun-elliott/as-an-actor-you-have-to-get-used-to-being-told-no-develop-a-thick/) [Emun Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emun-elliott/) > [I have a thick skin, which comes from being a not-really-skinny, dark-skinned Indian woman. I haven't fit in every place, and so I'm kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-have-a-thick-skin-which-comes-from-being-a-not-really-skinny-dark/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Without that thick skin and a clear vision of what it is you want to do, what it is you know you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-boss/without-that-thick-skin-and-a-clear-vision-of-what-it-is-you-want-to/) [Stephen Boss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-boss/) > [I think you have to have really thick skin to be in politics - which I just lack. I think I'm just too nice!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-toffolo/i-think-you-have-to-have-really-thick-skin-to-be-in-politics-which-i/) [Georgia Toffolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-toffolo/) > [“Without struggle, success has no value.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lauritsen/without-struggle-success-has-no-value/) [Aaron Lauritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-lauritsen/) > [“Sometimes people become mean because of horrible experiences. It’s a gradual process that hardens their hearts and minds and forces them to develop a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-yrigollen/sometimes-people-become-mean-because-of-horrible-experiences-it-s-a/) [Astrid Yrigollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-yrigollen/) > [Someone just told me that I have a thick skin. I think he just called me fat. What do you think, double cheeseburger? You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-just-told-me-that-i-have-a-thick-skin-i-think-he-just-called/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“From this point forward, you don’t even know how to quit in life.” ~ Aaron Lauritsen, ‘100 Days Drive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lauritsen/from-this-point-forward-you-don-t-even-know-how-to-quit-in-life-aaron/) [Aaron Lauritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-lauritsen/) > [I have been on the Internet for a long time and have always gotten hate on the Internet, so there is a thick skin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbie-ferreira/i-have-been-on-the-internet-for-a-long-time-and-have-always-gotten/) [Barbie Ferreira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbie-ferreira/) ## More by Christopher Walken > [One thing that's happened to me is I've been around a long time and I've played a lot of villains and so forth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/one-thing-that-s-happened-to-me-is-i-ve-been-around-a-long-time-and-i/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [In my personal life I'm very conservative. I've been married to the same person for nearly 50 years, I'm scrupulous about paying bills, avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/in-my-personal-life-i-m-very-conservative-i-ve-been-married-to-the/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I grew up in the '50s, in New York City, where television was born. There were 90 live shows every week, and they used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-grew-up-in-the-50s-in-new-york-city-where-television-was-born-there/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think that a good movie creates its own world, and that world needn't refer to anything that's real. 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I was a child performer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-was-never-a-child-actor-i-was-a-child-performer/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I have been in movies that I thought I wasn't very good in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-have-been-in-movies-that-i-thought-i-wasn-t-very-good-in/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I think I'm getting a little bit of Alzheimer's. Just a little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-think-i-m-getting-a-little-bit-of-alzheimer-s-just-a-little/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [It's very bizarre though when you get hired and then the director will say, "I know how this goes." And you're thinking, "Wait a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/it-s-very-bizarre-though-when-you-get-hired-and-then-the-director/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [It's interesting - a lot of good actors are good mimes. But I'm terrible. 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