--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting is a work in progress for me. I…" description: "\"Acting is a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, especially with the people I've worked with.\" — Dennis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg" --- # Acting is a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my… ![“Acting is a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, especially with the people I've worked with.” quote by Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg) > “Acting is a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, especially with the people I've worked with.” [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes listening and observing over speaking, especially learning from colleagues. **In simple terms:** Listen more, speak less, stay observant. Key Takeaway Observe and learn before speaking. Themes learning humility communication Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice observational When to use this quote - team meetings - networking events - collaborative projects - mentorship - performance rehearsals Key Concepts active listening mindful observation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance silence with contribution? - When does speaking up become essential? A Different Perspective May miss opportunities if overly silent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-work/) [Eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eyes/) [Mouth Shut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mouth-shut/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Try Mouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-mouth-4697890/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work in progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-in-progress/) [Work Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-progress/) ## Related quotes > [For me, the spiritual quest will be a life-long work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/for-me-the-spiritual-quest-will-be-a-life-long-work-in-progress/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [Marriage is a work in progress, but it's beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/marriage-is-a-work-in-progress-but-it-s-beautiful/) [Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/) > [I think I'm a pretty open book. We're all a work in progress, and I'm not ashamed to say that I don't have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-bailon/i-think-i-m-a-pretty-open-book-we-re-all-a-work-in-progress-and-i-m/) [Adrienne Bailon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-bailon/) > [Keep your shortcomings in perspective - you're still a work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melania/keep-your-shortcomings-in-perspective-you-re-still-a-work-in-progress/) [Melania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melania/) > [“A work in progress. And the possibilities are endless.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-eulsberg-take-a-bow/a-work-in-progress-and-the-possibilities-are-endless/) [Elizabeth Eulsberg Take A Bow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-eulsberg-take-a-bow/) > [My act is always a work in progress. I pray I have a bad day before a show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-lewis/my-act-is-always-a-work-in-progress-i-pray-i-have-a-bad-day-before-a/) [Richard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-lewis/) > [I'm always a work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-joe-armstrong/i-m-always-a-work-in-progress/) [Billie Joe Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-joe-armstrong/) > [Retirement is a work in progress. I try to figure out my day, and what I know about myself is that I need structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sampras/retirement-is-a-work-in-progress-i-try-to-figure-out-my-day-and-what/) [Pete Sampras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sampras/) > [Don't beat yourself up too much. You are a work in progress; which means you get there a little at a time, not all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/don-t-beat-yourself-up-too-much-you-are-a-work-in-progress-which/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Hey, you know I might not be perfect! But I'm a wonderful work in progress!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-c-akers/hey-you-know-i-might-not-be-perfect-but-i-m-a-wonderful-work-in/) [D.C. Akers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-c-akers/) > [“Relationships are a never-ending work in progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-ray/relationships-are-a-never-ending-work-in-progress/) [Francis Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-ray/) > [I am a work in progress. I make mistakes. I learn from them. I grow. and so it will continue. You never stop learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-a-work-in-progress-i-make-mistakes-i-learn-from-them-i-grow-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There's no shame in getting help. There's no shame in being a work in progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelyn-middleton/there-s-no-shame-in-getting-help-there-s-no-shame-in-being-a-work-in/) [Jacquelyn Middleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelyn-middleton/) > [My reads, operation with the offense, timing with the receivers, routes, sitting in the pocket, trusting my line - everything is always a work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deshaun-watson/my-reads-operation-with-the-offense-timing-with-the-receivers-routes/) [Deshaun Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deshaun-watson/) > [“You are an unfinished work in progress. One of the good things about life’s challenges: You get to find out that you’re capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-an-unfinished-work-in-progress-one-of-the-good-things-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Dennis Farina > [Writer-directors are a little bit more liberal, rather than having just the writer on the set, because I think sometimes the writer becomes too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/writer-directors-are-a-little-bit-more-liberal-rather-than-having/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I live my life. And the best place to do that is Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-live-my-life-and-the-best-place-to-do-that-is-chicago/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I never jumped into anything, and I never liked being cajoled into anything. I've pretty much always done things because I wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-never-jumped-into-anything-and-i-never-liked-being-cajoled-into/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [There's not too many offers that come my way about being in a musical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/there-s-not-too-many-offers-that-come-my-way-about-being-in-a-musical/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [Car chases usually don't involve major criminals - they're usually guys afraid of getting another traffic ticket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/car-chases-usually-don-t-involve-major-criminals-they-re-usually-guys/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [People are always telling me to shut up about Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/people-are-always-telling-me-to-shut-up-about-chicago/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I like working. I like getting up every morning and going somewhere. Where I do it or what form doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-like-working-i-like-getting-up-every-morning-and-going-somewhere/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [My best year was probably 1948, and after that, it's been downhill for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/my-best-year-was-probably-1948-and-after-that-it-s-been-downhill-for/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [When I first got into acting, I never had any long-term goals, never had any plan. I just thought it would be a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/when-i-first-got-into-acting-i-never-had-any-long-term-goals-never/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I don't like to be talked into anything. I don't want to be cajoled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-don-t-like-to-be-talked-into-anything-i-don-t-want-to-be-cajoled/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [What you do as a policeman might be the right thing to do, but it's not entertaining. I left that behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/what-you-do-as-a-policeman-might-be-the-right-thing-to-do-but-it-s/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I realize that no one is going to come to me and ask me to be Julius Caesar or a romantic lead, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-realize-that-no-one-is-going-to-come-to-me-and-ask-me-to-be-julius/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [You can't act for the editing. You just go in and do the scene the way you think is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/you-can-t-act-for-the-editing-you-just-go-in-and-do-the-scene-the-way/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I like being in the '60s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/i-like-being-in-the-60s/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [As far as carrying the American banner, you just do what's right for the kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/as-far-as-carrying-the-american-banner-you-just-do-what-s-right-for/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) [Explore all 91 Dennis Farina quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, especially with the people I've worked with.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dennis Farina" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-just-try-to-keep-my-mouth-shut/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-just-try-to-keep-my-mouth-shut/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/dennis-farina-7396_acting_acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-ju_1367105.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Acting is a work in progress for me. I just try to keep my mouth shut and my eyes and ears open, especially…” — Dennis Farina", "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": "Dennis Farina", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Acting is a work in progress...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-just-try-to-keep-my-mouth-shut/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/acting-is-a-work-in-progress-for-me-i-just-try-to-keep-my-mouth-shut/#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 } } ] } ```