---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a…"
description: "\"If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.\" — Dennis Haysbert"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg"
---

#  If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.

![“If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.” quote by Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg)

> “If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.”

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker reflects on alternative career paths, suggesting that his talents would suit roles involving guidance or evaluation rather than performance.

**In simple terms:** Contemplates alternate vocations.

Key Takeaway

Values teaching and critique.

Themes

identity career choice self-awareness alternative paths professional roles

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

personal insight career reflection

When to use this quote

- considering a career change
- reflecting on personal strengths
- evaluating life choices

Key Concepts

acting education criticism personal fulfillment

Practical Applications

- career counseling
- personal development workshops

Questions to Reflect On

- What does this reveal about the speaker’s self-perception?
- How might these alternatives influence his artistic work?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [If I weren't an actor, I would be an IAS or IPS officer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirron-kher/if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-would-be-an-ias-or-ips-officer/)

[Kirron Kher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirron-kher/)

> [I weren't an actor, I'd be a wildlife biologist or forest ranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-schroder/i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-be-a-wildlife-biologist-or-forest-ranger/)

[Ricky Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-schroder/)

> [I guess if I weren't an actor, I'd be a history professor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-berenger/i-guess-if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-be-a-history-professor/)

[Tom Berenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-berenger/)

> [If I wasn't an actor, I'd be a teacher, a history teacher. After all, teaching is very much like performing. A teacher is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/if-i-wasn-t-an-actor-i-d-be-a-teacher-a-history-teacher-after-all/)

[Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/)

> [I adore children. If I weren't an actor, I would be a teacher or work with small children in some way. I feel happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-thewlis/i-adore-children-if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-would-be-a-teacher-or-work/)

[David Thewlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-thewlis/)

> [I think, being an actor, part of it is also being a teacher. I think that's one of the most rewarding things you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-keenan-bolger/i-think-being-an-actor-part-of-it-is-also-being-a-teacher-i-think/)

[Andrew Keenan-Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-keenan-bolger/)

> [To me, a lot of what makes a good actor is not what a teacher tells you to do but how you respond when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenne-headly/to-me-a-lot-of-what-makes-a-good-actor-is-not-what-a-teacher-tells/)

[Glenne Headly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenne-headly/)

> [The television critic, whatever his pretensions, does not labour in the same vineyard as those he criticizes; his grapes are all sour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-raphael/the-television-critic-whatever-his-pretensions-does-not-labour-in-the/)

[Frederic Raphael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-raphael/)

> [I remember the early 1980s, when I first got one of these fabulous film critic jobs. The downside was sitting through 'Splatteria III: The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hunter/i-remember-the-early-1980s-when-i-first-got-one-of-these-fabulous/)

[Stephen Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hunter/)

> [When a critic sets himself up as an arbiter of morality, a judge of the matter and not the manner of a work, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-albee/when-a-critic-sets-himself-up-as-an-arbiter-of-morality-a-judge-of/)

[Edward Albee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-albee/)

> [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/)

[Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/)

> [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [I am my biggest critic. Even in films where people said they liked me, I have disliked myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-akkineni/i-am-my-biggest-critic-even-in-films-where-people-said-they-liked-me/)

[Samantha Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-akkineni/)

> [Critics are biased, and so are readers. (Indeed, a critic is a bundle of biases held loosely together by a sense of taste.) But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-balliett/critics-are-biased-and-so-are-readers-indeed-a-critic-is-a-bundle-of/)

Whitney Balliett

> [I am absolutely my own biggest critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lando-norris/i-am-absolutely-my-own-biggest-critic/)

[Lando Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lando-norris/)

## More by Dennis Haysbert

> [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I have children, so I'm constantly worrying about the world they are going to inherit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-have-children-so-i-m-constantly-worrying-about-the-world-they-are/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [All of the directors I work with have their own unique gifts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/all-of-the-directors-i-work-with-have-their-own-unique-gifts/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [First of all, I never think of my characters as good or evil. I play them as honestly as I can. When you're playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/first-of-all-i-never-think-of-my-characters-as-good-or-evil-i-play/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [People want good stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/people-want-good-stories/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [Being on set and seeing all that green screen, and how it activated my imagination, was amazing to me. I fell into that world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/being-on-set-and-seeing-all-that-green-screen-and-how-it-activated-my/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I look at Facebook a fair bit. I see what's posted. I see the travesties and illegalities of what police forces do. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-look-at-facebook-a-fair-bit-i-see-what-s-posted-i-see-the/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I used to get really jealous of Ron Howard as Opie on 'The Andy Griffith Show' - we were the same age. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-used-to-get-really-jealous-of-ron-howard-as-opie-on-the-andy/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I like to think I'm multi-faceted. Actually, my favorite roles are roles like in 'Far from Heaven.' Y'know. Soft people. Loving people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-like-to-think-i-m-multi-faceted-actually-my-favorite-roles-are/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I played a little basketball, but basketball interfered with theater season. That's when we did our term plays and did nutshell versions of Shakespeare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-played-a-little-basketball-but-basketball-interfered-with-theater/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [Realizing that my surroundings were going to be built around me, the way that I performed, we helped the directors through the performance, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/realizing-that-my-surroundings-were-going-to-be-built-around-me-the/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [I've always been a big Western fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/i-ve-always-been-a-big-western-fan/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [The bottom line is people are people, and the sooner we realise that, the better off things are going to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/the-bottom-line-is-people-are-people-and-the-sooner-we-realise-that/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [All of the directors I work with have their own unique gifts. My particular segment deals with online dating. It's a very interesting take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/all-of-the-directors-i-work-with-have-their-own-unique-gifts-my/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [It's really quite an interesting dynamic. I wanted to play to the truth of who Manute was in the first film, while it's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/it-s-really-quite-an-interesting-dynamic-i-wanted-to-play-to-the/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

[Explore all 50 Dennis Haysbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

## 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": "If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dennis Haysbert"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-teacher-or-a-critic/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-teacher-or-a-critic/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/290/dennis-haysbert-13483_actor_if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-te_16344.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I weren't an actor, I'd either be a teacher or a critic.” — Dennis Haysbert",
                "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 Haysbert",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I weren't an actor, I'd...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-teacher-or-a-critic/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/if-i-weren-t-an-actor-i-d-either-be-a-teacher-or-a-critic/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
