--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most actors spend a lot of time training…" description: "\"Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be an actor. And I kind of didn't do that. I just started doin' it in front of an audience and h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/david-carradine-19371_actors_most-actors-spend-a-lot-of-time-training_1244039.jpg" --- # Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be… ![“Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be an actor. And I kind of didn't do that. I just started doin' it in front of an audience and had to deliver.” quote by David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/david-carradine-19371_actors_most-actors-spend-a-lot-of-time-training_1244039.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/david-carradine-19371_actors_most-actors-spend-a-lot-of-time-training_1244039.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb9/david-carradine-19371_actors_most-actors-spend-a-lot-of-time-training_1244039.jpg) > “Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be an actor. And I kind of didn't do that. I just started doin' it in front of an audience and had to deliver.” [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He learned acting by doing, not formal training, emphasizing practical experience over theory. **In simple terms:** He learned by doing, not studying. Key Takeaway Practice directly to improve. Themes experience learning performance Mood determined energetic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - theater auditions - public speaking - live improv - skill acquisition Key Concepts practical learning on‑the‑spot adaptation Questions to Reflect On - What skill have you learned best by jumping in? - How does immediate feedback shape growth? A Different Perspective May lack technical depth without structured study. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be an actor. And I kind of didn't do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/most-actors-spend-a-lot-of-time-training-themselves-to-be-an-actor-2/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [For the three years I was in school training to be an actor, I was told, 'It's very unlikely you'll work at all on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cooper/for-the-three-years-i-was-in-school-training-to-be-an-actor-i-was/) [Dominic Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cooper/) > [I've been training as an actor for six years. Nobody goes to acting school for six years. I mean, the college course is only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/i-ve-been-training-as-an-actor-for-six-years-nobody-goes-to-acting/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [Backstage life is terrific training for an actor, seeing shows from the wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/backstage-life-is-terrific-training-for-an-actor-seeing-shows-from/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [There were definitely dark nights when you're like, 'Maybe joining the military wasn't such a good idea.' But, in a way, it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/there-were-definitely-dark-nights-when-you-re-like-maybe-joining-the/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [When you're training as an actor, a lot of the big work you're learning is to treat fictional characters like real people. You don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/when-you-re-training-as-an-actor-a-lot-of-the-big-work-you-re/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [I don't have any training as an actor, but I guess I'm an intense pretender. When you read something over and over, it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hawkes/i-don-t-have-any-training-as-an-actor-but-i-guess-i-m-an-intense/) [John Hawkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hawkes/) > [You spend your life training to be an actor, observing people's characteristics so that you can design characters around what you've seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/you-spend-your-life-training-to-be-an-actor-observing-people-s/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [I have had a lot of training as an actor, but it's very different than being on set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloise-mumford/i-have-had-a-lot-of-training-as-an-actor-but-it-s-very-different-than/) [Eloise Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloise-mumford/) > [Hip-hop can be limiting and I refuse to accept limits. Ive been training as an actor for six years. Nobody goes to acting school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ll-cool-j/hip-hop-can-be-limiting-and-i-refuse-to-accept-limits-ive-been/) [LL Cool J](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ll-cool-j/) > [Going through the ranks and all the training you do as an actor, you hope you're going to make it. But there's a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-claflin/going-through-the-ranks-and-all-the-training-you-do-as-an-actor-you/) [Sam Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-claflin/) > [Yeah, well I've always played comedy. My background is musical comedy theatre and that's really where my training is. As an actor, that's my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/yeah-well-i-ve-always-played-comedy-my-background-is-musical-comedy/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [Theater is a really exciting place to return to all the time because it's incredible training for an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-lister-jones/theater-is-a-really-exciting-place-to-return-to-all-the-time-because/) [Zoe Lister-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-lister-jones/) > [It was tough to not be judgmental of a person like Harshad Mehta. But that's where the training of an actor comes into play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/it-was-tough-to-not-be-judgmental-of-a-person-like-harshad-mehta-but/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [Moving outside of your comfort zone is one thing I learned from my training as an actor in England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/moving-outside-of-your-comfort-zone-is-one-thing-i-learned-from-my/) [Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/) ## More by David Carradine > [My big fight is not in the movie and I don't understand that decision but I know he's right about it, whatever it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/my-big-fight-is-not-in-the-movie-and-i-don-t-understand-that-decision/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Why would you be afraid of death? It would be an inconvenience. I have a lot of undone things and it's bound to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/why-would-you-be-afraid-of-death-it-would-be-an-inconvenience-i-have/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Quentin wanted to create this special world in which everybody walks around with a samurai sword, extras in the airport, a special little place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/quentin-wanted-to-create-this-special-world-in-which-everybody-walks/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [“Is that not the perfect visual image of life and death? A fish flapping on the carpet, and a fish not flapping on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/is-that-not-the-perfect-visual-image-of-life-and-death-a-fish/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [In the second installment, I pretty much dominate the show. Somehow or another, though, I manage to apparently dominate the first show pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/in-the-second-installment-i-pretty-much-dominate-the-show-somehow-or/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Well I would never say to anybody that Warren Beatty got fired, but uh, I think he and Quentin fell out of love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/well-i-would-never-say-to-anybody-that-warren-beatty-got-fired-but-uh/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Quentin and I were constantly finding something new that we had in common and comic books were one of them. I think we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/quentin-and-i-were-constantly-finding-something-new-that-we-had-in/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [I remember when I did the pilot, and I though no network is going to want to do this. How could that happen? A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/i-remember-when-i-did-the-pilot-and-i-though-no-network-is-going-to/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [“If you can not be a poet, be the poem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/if-you-can-not-be-a-poet-be-the-poem/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [I don't need to convince anybody that I know kung fu, but maybe somebody needs to know that I really can act, without doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/i-don-t-need-to-convince-anybody-that-i-know-kung-fu-but-maybe/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Born to play? Hmmm. Probably Romeo... or Hamlet, I guess. Also, I'd be a great Alexander the Great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/born-to-play-hmmm-probably-romeo-or-hamlet-i-guess-also-i-d-be-a/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [There's an alternative. There's always a third way, and it's not a combination of the other two ways. It's a different way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/there-s-an-alternative-there-s-always-a-third-way-and-it-s-not-a/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [I think it may have been Tom Wolfe (if it wasn't, my apologies, Tom, and my apologies to whoever it was) who said in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/i-think-it-may-have-been-tom-wolfe-if-it-wasn-t-my-apologies-tom-and/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [Because you know how you say I've got to really get down and really do some training and then of course, you never do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/because-you-know-how-you-say-i-ve-got-to-really-get-down-and-really/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) > [I like Bill a lot. As Bill is presented, I mean you don't ever see Bill blow her head off? You know? And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-carradine/i-like-bill-a-lot-as-bill-is-presented-i-mean-you-don-t-ever-see-bill/) [David Carradine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) [Explore all 32 David Carradine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-carradine/) ## 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": "Most actors spend a lot of time training themselves to be an actor. And I kind of didn't do that. 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