--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actors are basically drag queens. People…" description: "\"Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you they act because they want to heal mankind or, you know, explore the nature of the human psyche...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/colin-firth-2891_actors_actors-are-basically-drag-queens-people_3066111.png" --- # Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you… ![“Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you they act because they want to heal mankind or, you know, explore the nature of the human psyche. Yes, maybe. But basically we just want to put on a frock and dance.” quote by Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/colin-firth-2891_actors_actors-are-basically-drag-queens-people_3066111.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/colin-firth-2891_actors_actors-are-basically-drag-queens-people_3066111.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/colin-firth-2891_actors_actors-are-basically-drag-queens-people_3066111.png) > “Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you they act because they want to heal mankind or, you know, explore the nature of the human psyche. Yes, maybe. But basically we just want to put on a frock and dance.” [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares actors to drag queens, reducing acting to performance and entertainment rather than lofty purpose. **In simple terms:** Acting is performance, not lofty mission. Key Takeaway Recognize acting as entertainment. Themes performance identity entertainment art culture Mood witty critical playful Type cultural commentary When to use this quote - theatre - film - television - public perception Key Concepts Theatre studies gender studies media criticism Questions to Reflect On - What drives your artistic choices? - How does performance shape identity? A Different Perspective May undervalue artistic depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Drag queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drag-queen/) [Human psyche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-psyche/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [My view of actors is that basically they're all harmless lunatics who'd be on the psychiatrist's couch, except that we get this sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/my-view-of-actors-is-that-basically-they-re-all-harmless-lunatics-who/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [“I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age . sometimes I act a lot older than I am- I rally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-get-bored-sometimes-when-people-tell-me-to-act-my-age-sometimes-i/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [People will be quick to tell someone what they should do or how they should act when they messed up themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enhance-dreams/people-will-be-quick-to-tell-someone-what-they-should-do-or-how-they/) Enhance Dreams > [“Do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop/do-not-tell-others-how-to-act-unless-you-can-set-a-good-example/) [Aesop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop/) > [“The thing they don't tell you in sex education classes is what to do after. It's all, "Don't do this, don't do that. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-verdi/the-thing-they-don-t-tell-you-in-sex-education-classes-is-what-to-do/) [Jessica Verdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-verdi/) > [My view of actors is that basically they're all harmless lunatics who'd be on the psychiatrist's couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/my-view-of-actors-is-that-basically-they-re-all-harmless-lunatics-who-2/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [“Somebody (not me) should tell them, when you act like you think you’re cute, you’re not. We”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-c-stevens/somebody-not-me-should-tell-them-when-you-act-like-you-think-you-re/) [Courtney C. Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/courtney-c-stevens/) > [Be creative, be unique, be who you are.Dont let anyone tell you what you have to be or how you have to act.Stay true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewshycrazyness/be-creative-be-unique-be-who-you-are-dont-let-anyone-tell-you-what/) [EwshyCrazyness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewshycrazyness/) > [There are professional negotiators working for the writers and the actors, but basically you've got the writers and actors negotiating against businessmen. That's why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-wolf/there-are-professional-negotiators-working-for-the-writers-and-the/) [Dick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-wolf/) > [Alfred Hitchcock was right when he said that actors are basically like cattle. Directors just look at us and yell 'Move!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/alfred-hitchcock-was-right-when-he-said-that-actors-are-basically/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [We're finding that the casting of 'A Few Good Men' is different from the musicals because the kind of actors that you need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-zadan/we-re-finding-that-the-casting-of-a-few-good-men-is-different-from/) [Craig Zadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-zadan/) > [Actors basically do their thing on the set, and then you put all the pieces together, switch them around, and maybe put them a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rooker/actors-basically-do-their-thing-on-the-set-and-then-you-put-all-the/) [Michael Rooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rooker/) > [Actors basically are the type of person that with three seconds left, we want the ball. Give us the shot to make it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/actors-basically-are-the-type-of-person-that-with-three-seconds-left/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [What people tell you and how they act is very, very different sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-systrom/what-people-tell-you-and-how-they-act-is-very-very-different-sometimes/) [Kevin Systrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-systrom/) > [“I don’t give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-don-t-give-a-damn-except-that-i-get-bored-sometimes-when-people/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) ## More by Colin Firth > [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [My looks aren't something that come dazzlingly through in everything I do. I can be made to look one way or the other fairly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-looks-aren-t-something-that-come-dazzlingly-through-in-everything/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [People have the idea of missionaries as going out with the Bible and hitting natives with it. It's not really what they were doing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/people-have-the-idea-of-missionaries-as-going-out-with-the-bible-and/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [I do notice that when I've been away and I come back to London. People look at you. People are ready to pick arguments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-do-notice-that-when-i-ve-been-away-and-i-come-back-to-london-people/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [As much as the next person, I want to be approved of, but I'm not greedy for that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/as-much-as-the-next-person-i-want-to-be-approved-of-but-i-m-not/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [A life of very, very serious, po-faced films would drive me nuts. I need - and I'm fortunate to have - a fairly varied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/a-life-of-very-very-serious-po-faced-films-would-drive-me-nuts-i-need/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [Nothing brings you closer together than blind terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/nothing-brings-you-closer-together-than-blind-terror/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [“when im really into a movel i'm seeing the world differntly during that time- not just for the hour or so in the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/when-im-really-into-a-movel-i-m-seeing-the-world-differntly-during/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [You have to be ill if you want to get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/you-have-to-be-ill-if-you-want-to-get-better/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [Hollywood hasn't aggressively pursued me. Neither have I aggressively pursued Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/hollywood-hasn-t-aggressively-pursued-me-neither-have-i-aggressively/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [Looking in the mirror, staring back at me isn't so much a face as the expression of a predicament.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/looking-in-the-mirror-staring-back-at-me-isn-t-so-much-a-face-as-the/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [I think England has served me very well. I like living in London for the reasons I gave. I have absolutely no intentions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-think-england-has-served-me-very-well-i-like-living-in-london-for/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [We all know the dangers of sequels. Lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place too often, and I think you've got to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/we-all-know-the-dangers-of-sequels-lightning-doesn-t-strike-twice-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [I can actually get involved in getting stories off the ground that no one would ask me to be in because I'm the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/i-can-actually-get-involved-in-getting-stories-off-the-ground-that-no/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [There's a paraphrase about Orson Welles saying: "Great films are made by great directors and the rest are made by everyone else." I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/there-s-a-paraphrase-about-orson-welles-saying-great-films-are-made/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) [Explore all 146 Colin Firth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) ## 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. 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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. 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