--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting is not a genteel profession…" description: "\"Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through the heart. Those people's performances so troubled th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg" --- # Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be… ![“Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through the heart. Those people's performances so troubled the onlookers that they feared their ghosts. An awesome compliment. Those players moved the audience not such that they were admitted to a school, or…” quote by David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg) > “Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through the heart. Those people's performances so troubled the onlookers that they feared their ghosts. An awesome compliment. Those players moved the audience not such that they were admitted to a school, or received a complimentary review, but such that the audience feared for their soul. Now that seems to me something to aim for.” [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting should provoke intense, visceral reactions, even fear, aiming to move audiences profoundly rather than merely entertain. **In simple terms:** Actors should aim to deeply affect audiences. Key Takeaway Strive for powerful, unsettling performances. Themes theatre impact fear audience reaction Mood provocative intense Type dramatic philosophical When to use this quote - stage productions - film acting - experimental theater - performance workshops Key Concepts dramatic intensity emotional honesty Questions to Reflect On - How can fear be used constructively on stage? - What limits should be set for shocking content? A Different Perspective May alienate some viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Crossroads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crossroads/) [Ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ghost/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [On Nov. 6, the day before my 94th birthday, our nation will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/on-nov-6-the-day-before-my-94th-birthday-our-nation-will-hold-one-of/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Every single time when you act in a film, and there's a different director, which of course as actors we're used to experiencing that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/famke-janssen/every-single-time-when-you-act-in-a-film-and-there-s-a-different/) [Famke Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/famke-janssen/) > [I have a background in theater, so I have experience with actors. I like actors - I used to be one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-have-a-background-in-theater-so-i-have-experience-with-actors-i/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [British actors used to be scared of the multi-year options that U.S. TV shows demand. That has changed, because the same is now happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-bamber/british-actors-used-to-be-scared-of-the-multi-year-options-that-u-s/) [Jamie Bamber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-bamber/) > [Actors like Pran Sahab, Jagdeep, Asrani established their identities by doing specialized roles but today acting is more general. Actors used to be image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raza-murad/actors-like-pran-sahab-jagdeep-asrani-established-their-identities-by/) [Raza Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raza-murad/) > [Where I think the American actor is slightly at a disadvantage is in vocal technique. I don't think that words are their friend in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam-margolyes/where-i-think-the-american-actor-is-slightly-at-a-disadvantage-is-in/) [Miriam Margolyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam-margolyes/) > [He wouldn't talk to me for two months. I was like, 'What an ass\*\*le.' Actors are used to getting their way and to treating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/he-wouldn-t-talk-to-me-for-two-months-i-was-like-what-an-ass-le/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [Maybe the actors that used to turn down William Goldman's scripts - where he wanted them to stretch and grow, and he was mad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-grant/maybe-the-actors-that-used-to-turn-down-william-goldman-s-scripts/) [Beth Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-grant/) > [I like actors - I used to be one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-like-actors-i-used-to-be-one/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [Actors used to concentrate on acting, but today they are businessmen, too, and think about the numbers game as well. They multi-task very well.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/actors-used-to-concentrate-on-acting-but-today-they-are-businessmen/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [Actors used to carry films because people would have to actually go to the movies to see them. It was the only place. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mendes/actors-used-to-carry-films-because-people-would-have-to-actually-go/) [Eva Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mendes/) > [I am pretty sure that all young human beings have, at one time or another in their growing-up, been actors. They have used their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyne-daly/i-am-pretty-sure-that-all-young-human-beings-have-at-one-time-or/) [Tyne Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyne-daly/) > [Actors are used to staring at the walls waiting for the phone to ring. It's not unchartered territory for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bonnar/actors-are-used-to-staring-at-the-walls-waiting-for-the-phone-to-ring/) [Mark Bonnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bonnar/) > [When I started studying acting, I was enamoured of actors who used movement to enhance the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-berkoff/when-i-started-studying-acting-i-was-enamoured-of-actors-who-used/) [Steven Berkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-berkoff/) > [People always said, "I can't believe you made a movie that had no script." Yeah, but here's the thing, if you've got actors who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/people-always-said-i-can-t-believe-you-made-a-movie-that-had-no/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) ## More by David Mamet > [If, indeed, a firearm were more dangerous to its possessors than to potential aggressors, would it not make sense for the government to arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/if-indeed-a-firearm-were-more-dangerous-to-its-possessors-than-to/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Culture exists and evolves to relegate to habit categories of interactions the constant conscious reference to which would make human interaction impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/culture-exists-and-evolves-to-relegate-to-habit-categories-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [When I started out I was a failed actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/when-i-started-out-i-was-a-failed-actor/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/we-must-have-a-pie-stress-cannot-exist-in-the-presence-of-a-pie/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“We cannot live in peace without Law. And though law cannot be perfect, it may be just if it is written in ignorance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/we-cannot-live-in-peace-without-law-and-though-law-cannot-be-perfect/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Films have degenerated to their original operation as carnival amusement - they offer not drama but thrills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/films-have-degenerated-to-their-original-operation-as-carnival/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [The Oscars demonstrate the will of the people to control and judge those they have elected to stand above them (much, perhaps, as in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-oscars-demonstrate-the-will-of-the-people-to-control-and-judge/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [I know very well what it is to be out of work and to be cheated by employers and I know what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/i-know-very-well-what-it-is-to-be-out-of-work-and-to-be-cheated-by/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Hitchcock denigrated American films, saying they were all 'pictures of people talking' - as, indeed, most of them are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/hitchcock-denigrated-american-films-saying-they-were-all-pictures-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“Life in the movie business is like the beginning of a new love affair: it's full of surprises, and you're constantly getting fucked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/life-in-the-movie-business-is-like-the-beginning-of-a-new-love-affair/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“How was her crumbcake? oh.. from the store... …”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/how-was-her-crumbcake-oh-from-the-store/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [A dramatic experience concerned with the mundane may inform but it cannot release; and one concerned essentially with the aesthetic politics of its creators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/a-dramatic-experience-concerned-with-the-mundane-may-inform-but-it/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [The product of the artist has become less important than the fact of the artist. We wish to absorb this person. We wish to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-product-of-the-artist-has-become-less-important-than-the-fact-of/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [In a world we find terrifying, we ratify that which doesn't threaten us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/in-a-world-we-find-terrifying-we-ratify-that-which-doesn-t-threaten-us/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [“As a youth I enjoyed — indeed, like most of my contemporaries, revered — the agitprop plays of Brecht, and his indictments of Capitalism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/as-a-youth-i-enjoyed-indeed-like-most-of-my-contemporaries-revered/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) [Explore all 278 David Mamet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through the heart. Those people's performances so troubled the onlookers that they feared their ghosts. An awesome compliment. Those players moved the audience not such that they were admitted to a school, or received a complimentary review, but such that the audience feared for their soul. Now that seems to me something to aim for.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Mamet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actors-used-to-be-buried-at-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actors-used-to-be-buried-at-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e9/david-mamet-1178_acting_acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actor_1628894.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Acting is not a genteel profession. Actors used to be buried at a crossroads with a stake through the heart…” — David Mamet", "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": "David Mamet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Acting is not a genteel profession....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actors-used-to-be-buried-at-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/acting-is-not-a-genteel-profession-actors-used-to-be-buried-at-a/#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 } } ] } ```