--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I started, my first week in…" description: "\"When I started, my first week in wrestling, I was told I needed to be a character. Someone said I should be a gas station attendant. I was like, 'What?..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/darby-allin-6842_character_when-i-started-my-first-week-in-wrestlin_1426332.jpg" --- # When I started, my first week in wrestling, I was told I… ![“When I started, my first week in wrestling, I was told I needed to be a character. Someone said I should be a gas station attendant. I was like, 'What? No.' There are so many different directions you can go in wrestling, but the one way you should is to follow your heart.” quote by Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/darby-allin-6842_character_when-i-started-my-first-week-in-wrestlin_1426332.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/darby-allin-6842_character_when-i-started-my-first-week-in-wrestlin_1426332.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c52/darby-allin-6842_character_when-i-started-my-first-week-in-wrestlin_1426332.jpg) > “When I started, my first week in wrestling, I was told I needed to be a character. Someone said I should be a gas station attendant. I was like, 'What? No.' There are so many different directions you can go in wrestling, but the one way you should is to follow your heart.” [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wrestlers are advised to adopt a persona, but staying true to one’s heart is the most authentic path. **In simple terms:** Follow your heart over imposed characters. Key Takeaway Be authentic in your performance. Themes authenticity identity creativity Mood determined hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - character development - career choices - self‑discovery Key Concepts performing arts personal branding Questions to Reflect On - What character feels true to you? - How can you blend authenticity with entertainment? A Different Perspective Industry expectations may pressure conformity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-said-963952/) [Different directions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-directions/) [Directions Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directions-wrestling-5065268/) [Follow your heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-your-heart/) [Gas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gas/) [Gas station](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gas-station/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Needed Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needed-character-4473812/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) [Wrestling Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling-told-5065269/) [Wrestling Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling-way-451156/) ## Related quotes > [We always tell everyone that women's wrestling has always been told through the lens of a man because it's a male-dominated industry. It's never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-kim/we-always-tell-everyone-that-women-s-wrestling-has-always-been-told/) [Gail Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-kim/) > [I suppose for me, with 'Djesse,' I realized fairly early in the process that I also needed a character to walk this path, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-suppose-for-me-with-djesse-i-realized-fairly-early-in-the-process/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I learned in TNA that I needed more than just a good match - I needed a character. That's how I became the 'Rainmaker.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuchika-okada/i-learned-in-tna-that-i-needed-more-than-just-a-good-match-i-needed-a/) [Kazuchika Okada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuchika-okada/) > [In my opinion nobody owns the patent on the art form of professional wrestling and the way it does its business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-aries/in-my-opinion-nobody-owns-the-patent-on-the-art-form-of-professional/) [Austin Aries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-aries/) > [Wrestling was my way of making a living. I did the very best I could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-sammartino/wrestling-was-my-way-of-making-a-living-i-did-the-very-best-i-could/) [Bruno Sammartino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-sammartino/) > [I was wrestling all the way to high school, but it kind of came in the same season as basketball, so I had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muggsy-bogues/i-was-wrestling-all-the-way-to-high-school-but-it-kind-of-came-in-the/) [Muggsy Bogues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muggsy-bogues/) > [Ribbing is a part of wrestling. That's the way they show a fondness for you - they play practical jokes on you. They put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-henry/ribbing-is-a-part-of-wrestling-that-s-the-way-they-show-a-fondness/) [Mark Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-henry/) > [Wrestling has been a way of life with me day in and day out. I won't get too far away from it. I might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-gable/wrestling-has-been-a-way-of-life-with-me-day-in-and-day-out-i-won-t/) [Dan Gable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-gable/) > [“Being violent is easy, too easy.” He brushed it off. “Holding back, being gentle, restraining your strength when it’s not needed, that takes—” “Character,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-w-hill/being-violent-is-easy-too-easy-he-brushed-it-off-holding-back-being/) [Joey W. Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-w-hill/) > [I take the work seriously. Which is why I always swing for the fences whenever I voice a character. But that said, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-take-the-work-seriously-which-is-why-i-always-swing-for-the-fences/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [“I'm not named after the character,' she said. 'I'm named after the entire opera.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-orringer/i-m-not-named-after-the-character-she-said-i-m-named-after-the-entire/) [Julie Orringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-orringer/) > [When I think about my Glamazon, would that character get down if someone said her thighs were heavy? No, she knows what other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/when-i-think-about-my-glamazon-would-that-character-get-down-if/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [“Throughout human history, the apostles of purity, those who have claimed to possess a total explanation, have wrought havoc among mere mixed-up human beings.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rushdie-salman/throughout-human-history-the-apostles-of-purity-those-who-have-2/) [Rushdie Salman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rushdie-salman/) > [I have to say, though, that somebody pointed out to me on YouTube that Conan O'Brien was being interviewed, and he was talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/i-have-to-say-though-that-somebody-pointed-out-to-me-on-youtube-that/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [“Choice betrays character,” I said. “That’s not true.” Loring moved his finger along the sheet as if writing his name in cursive. “Eliza, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/choice-betrays-character-i-said-that-s-not-true-loring-moved-his/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) ## More by Darby Allin > [I don't know any new movies. I don't know any new shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-don-t-know-any-new-movies-i-don-t-know-any-new-shows/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [It's cool when you have someone like Tony Khan, who has a national television company and is letting you take the ball and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/it-s-cool-when-you-have-someone-like-tony-khan-who-has-a-national/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [I'm a big fan of all that stuff, which why I tried to bring in Tony Hawk and Steve-O or Travis Pastrana; as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-that-stuff-which-why-i-tried-to-bring-in-tony/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Nobody in wrestling really spoke to me as a human, but I was a huge admirer of guys like Sting, their body of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/nobody-in-wrestling-really-spoke-to-me-as-a-human-but-i-was-a-huge/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [I feel that I have kept my whole dignity intact on my road to success in AEW, which is amazing, but yeah, this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-feel-that-i-have-kept-my-whole-dignity-intact-on-my-road-to-success/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [It sounds corny, but I don't know what my life would be like without AEW... This place lets me be me in the ring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/it-sounds-corny-but-i-don-t-know-what-my-life-would-be-like-without/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [There's always going to be a doubter, there's always going to be a hill you have to climb and that's not going anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/there-s-always-going-to-be-a-doubter-there-s-always-going-to-be-a/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [I was in film school, we were making a movie, and the teacher told me 'You cannot make movies like this.' I said 'I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-was-in-film-school-we-were-making-a-movie-and-the-teacher-told-me/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Some people need to be led because not everybody has it within them. The people that have it within them, and you can sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/some-people-need-to-be-led-because-not-everybody-has-it-within-them/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Half the wrestlers are complete jokes that don't take it seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/half-the-wrestlers-are-complete-jokes-that-don-t-take-it-seriously/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [You can get such an adrenaline rush over doing crazy stuff. There's nothing like pro wrestling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/you-can-get-such-an-adrenaline-rush-over-doing-crazy-stuff-there-s/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Dude, it's so hard to balance out pro wrestling and skating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/dude-it-s-so-hard-to-balance-out-pro-wrestling-and-skating/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [My life outside the ring is almost crazier than my life inside the ring, so I'd like to capture that. I think a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/my-life-outside-the-ring-is-almost-crazier-than-my-life-inside-the/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [I wrestled in Mexico a few times and then I felt like everything that made me special was lost when I was in Mexico…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/i-wrestled-in-mexico-a-few-times-and-then-i-felt-like-everything-that/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [You don't have to have this big ego like, 'Hey, I need to win everything' or 'look at me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/you-don-t-have-to-have-this-big-ego-like-hey-i-need-to-win-everything/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) [Explore all 97 Darby Allin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [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/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [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/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I started, my first week in wrestling, I was told I needed to be a character. 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