---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got an agent when I was 12, and I…"
description: "\"I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in more amateur productions well before that. But even as a kid, I never felt like a kid actor, you..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg"
---

#  I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in…

![“I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in more amateur productions well before that. But even as a kid, I never felt like a kid actor, you know? I always took myself kind of absurdly seriously.” quote by Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg)

> “I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in more amateur productions well before that. But even as a kid, I never felt like a kid actor, you know? I always took myself kind of absurdly seriously.”

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She began acting early, treating herself with professional seriousness despite her youth.

**In simple terms:** She acted seriously from a young age.

Key Takeaway

Take work seriously, regardless of age.

Themes

career professionalism identity youth dedication

Mood

reflective determined ambitious

Type

personal career

When to use this quote

- audition preparation
- young actors navigating adult expectations
- balancing school and work
- maintaining confidence

Key Concepts

early talent self‑perception industry expectations

Questions to Reflect On

- How does early seriousness affect long‑term growth?
- What pressures arise when a child is treated as an adult?

A Different Perspective

Youth may limit opportunities despite seriousness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agent/) [Agents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agents/) [Amateur Productions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amateur-productions-1817608/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Kid Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid-actor-280757/) [Kid Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid-felt-496890/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Productions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productions/) [Productions Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productions-kid-1817607/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/)

## Related quotes

> [My father is a university professor so when the schools needed a little kid for their productions I was often the kid they used.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cerveris/my-father-is-a-university-professor-so-when-the-schools-needed-a/)

[Michael Cerveris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cerveris/)

> [I started working when I was very young. I got an agent when I was 12, and fortunately was employed consistently from that point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-started-working-when-i-was-very-young-i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [“I guess what I’m saying is that this all feels very familiar. But it’s not mine to be familiar about. I just know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-guess-what-i-m-saying-is-that-this-all-feels-very-familiar-but-it-s/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [Growing up, I was a very shy kid but I felt that being on stage or playing another character would somehow open me up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-tyler-ferguson/growing-up-i-was-a-very-shy-kid-but-i-felt-that-being-on-stage-or/)

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-tyler-ferguson/)

> [When I was a kid, I never felt that what I was drawing really represented me; it was just something I enjoyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/when-i-was-a-kid-i-never-felt-that-what-i-was-drawing-really/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [For me, as a kid, I always felt like being gay was something that was going make people turn on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/for-me-as-a-kid-i-always-felt-like-being-gay-was-something-that-was/)

[Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/)

> [I was a good-looking kid. I never felt, like, dorky. I was just like, 'Yup, these are my braces. I've had them forever.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-stone/i-was-a-good-looking-kid-i-never-felt-like-dorky-i-was-just-like-yup/)

[Emma Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-stone/)

> [“I guess what I’m saying is that this all feels very familiar. But it’s not mine to be familiar about. I just know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-guess-what-i-m-saying-is-that-this-all-feels-very-familiar-but-it-s-2/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I was really self conscious as a kid, I felt terrible - like a prisoner in my own body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-holliday/i-was-really-self-conscious-as-a-kid-i-felt-terrible-like-a-prisoner/)

[Tess Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-holliday/)

> [It was more important to me to understand what its like to be this Jewish kid who felt he was so different at such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/it-was-more-important-to-me-to-understand-what-its-like-to-be-this/)

[Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/)

> [I was a cocky kid, and I felt like I was an adult at, like, 9. I think that's because my parents always treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-miller/i-was-a-cocky-kid-and-i-felt-like-i-was-an-adult-at-like-9-i-think/)

[Ezra Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-miller/)

> [As a kid, I never felt attractive at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huda-kattan/as-a-kid-i-never-felt-attractive-at-all/)

[Huda Kattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huda-kattan/)

> [For a long time I felt like I was fighting my age, like I was constantly trying to prove to people that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-miller/for-a-long-time-i-felt-like-i-was-fighting-my-age-like-i-was/)

[Ezra Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-miller/)

> [As a kid, I felt really weird.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayim-bialik/as-a-kid-i-felt-really-weird/)

[Mayim Bialik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayim-bialik/)

> [I think since I was a kid, I have always felt very in the middle. I did not have the language to understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-r-fightmaster/i-think-since-i-was-a-kid-i-have-always-felt-very-in-the-middle-i-did/)

[E. R. Fightmaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-r-fightmaster/)

## More by Claire Danes

> [My character was kidnapped by the Terminator and I was kidnapped by the Terminator production.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/my-character-was-kidnapped-by-the-terminator-and-i-was-kidnapped-by/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I think it's important to never play 'crazy' - you have to know what kind of crazy you're playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-think-it-s-important-to-never-play-crazy-you-have-to-know-what-kind/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I hadn't been free from adult responsibilities since I was 12, and I needed to experience that. I really needed to just be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-hadn-t-been-free-from-adult-responsibilities-since-i-was-12-and-i/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [Counterterrorism isn't really about the nunchakus, the guns and gadgets. It's about psychology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/counterterrorism-isn-t-really-about-the-nunchakus-the-guns-and/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [Growing up in New York with artist parents - a very liberal environment, where we were always encouraged to challenge the status quo -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/growing-up-in-new-york-with-artist-parents-a-very-liberal-environment/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I was told that going to college wouldn't be good for my career, but I think that's nonsense. It's good to empower yourself by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-was-told-that-going-to-college-wouldn-t-be-good-for-my-career-but-i/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I exercise more for mental relaxation than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-exercise-more-for-mental-relaxation-than-anything-else/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I could truly have gone through life thinking that women were these venomous creatures. Turns out, they're not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-could-truly-have-gone-through-life-thinking-that-women-were-these/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I do feel like I've gotten younger as I've aged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-do-feel-like-i-ve-gotten-younger-as-i-ve-aged/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [Voice over can be tricky. It can be dangerous because it's over-used or inappropriately used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/voice-over-can-be-tricky-it-can-be-dangerous-because-it-s-over-used/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I think people who make movies and have invested a lot of money in them get frightened that if they challenge an audience they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-think-people-who-make-movies-and-have-invested-a-lot-of-money-in/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I was a pretty nerdy kid. I was pretty nerdy. I'm still kind of nerdy. I have all of the worst qualities of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-was-a-pretty-nerdy-kid-i-was-pretty-nerdy-i-m-still-kind-of-nerdy-i/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [I care about being formally physically attractive in my life, and I think that I am quite vain about my performance. I'm just not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-care-about-being-formally-physically-attractive-in-my-life-and-i/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [When I was younger, like 14...I was desperate to find that 'true love' experience, but really, if you have to ask yourself if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/when-i-was-younger-like-14-i-was-desperate-to-find-that-true-love/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

> [However, I'm at a very comfortable place in my career and celebrity, in that I don't have to audition as extensively as I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/however-i-m-at-a-very-comfortable-place-in-my-career-and-celebrity-in/)

[Claire Danes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

[Explore all 185 Claire Danes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/)

## 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": "I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in more amateur productions well before that. But even as a kid, I never felt like a kid actor, you know? I always took myself kind of absurdly seriously.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Claire Danes"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-started-working-in-more-amateur/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-started-working-in-more-amateur/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e06/claire-danes-2119_actors_i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-start_965426.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I got an agent when I was 12, and I started working in more amateur productions well before that. But even…” — Claire Danes",
                "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": "Claire Danes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-danes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I got an agent when I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-started-working-in-more-amateur/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-danes/i-got-an-agent-when-i-was-12-and-i-started-working-in-more-amateur/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
