--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't…" description: "\"I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.\" — Dustin Hoffman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg" --- # I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an… ![“I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.” quote by Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg) > “I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.” [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He finds purpose and vitality in acting, regardless of fame or success **In simple terms:** Acting gives him life and meaning beyond success Key Takeaway Embrace work that fulfills you, not just accolades Themes purpose ful identity Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career choice - creative projects - personal fulfillment - overcoming fear of failure Key Concepts self‑actualization intrinsic motivation Questions to Reflect On - What work makes you feel alive? - How do you separate identity from achievement? A Different Perspective Success alone may not sustain passion ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [“I’ve grown more comfortable working with the dead. With parts of them, really. A few teeth, a vertebra, a piece of carpet that lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-warren/i-ve-grown-more-comfortable-working-with-the-dead-with-parts-of-them/) Cat Warren > [“I disagree – massively – with the traditional American way firms are organized and run. In many organizations much of the labor is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lutz/i-disagree-massively-with-the-traditional-american-way-firms-are/) [Chris Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lutz/) > [If I hadn't been an actor, I'd be a gardener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/if-i-hadn-t-been-an-actor-i-d-be-a-gardener/) [Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/) > [I don't have a burning desire to act, strangely enough. I don't know that if I hadn't been an actor as a young person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-don-t-have-a-burning-desire-to-act-strangely-enough-i-don-t-know/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mcqueen/if-i-hadn-t-made-it-as-an-actor-i-might-have-wound-up-a-hood/) [Steve McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mcqueen/) > [If I hadn't been an actor, I probably would have been a social worker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/if-i-hadn-t-been-an-actor-i-probably-would-have-been-a-social-worker/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [Well, if I hadn't have been an actor I would have gone on to play college sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manganiello/well-if-i-hadn-t-have-been-an-actor-i-would-have-gone-on-to-play/) [Joe Manganiello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manganiello/) > [If I hadn't been an actor, I would have been a coach, and I would have been a good one. All teaching is is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-reynolds/if-i-hadn-t-been-an-actor-i-would-have-been-a-coach-and-i-would-have/) [Burt Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-reynolds/) > [I love working with the young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-o-toole/i-love-working-with-the-young/) [Peter O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-o-toole/) > [I love working so much. For me, working equals happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-watkins/i-love-working-so-much-for-me-working-equals-happiness/) [Michaela Watkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-watkins/) > [I love working with people I admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaska/i-love-working-with-people-i-admire/) [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaska/) > [I love doing commentary, and I love working with NWA, as that's been a goal of mine for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-barrett/i-love-doing-commentary-and-i-love-working-with-nwa-as-that-s-been-a/) [Wade Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-barrett/) > [I love working with different musicians in the studio, that's a real joy working with someone for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-seger/i-love-working-with-different-musicians-in-the-studio-that-s-a-real/) [Bob Seger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-seger/) > [I love working and I feel satisfied when I know I have literally given all the energy that I have. That being said, work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/i-love-working-and-i-feel-satisfied-when-i-know-i-have-literally/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [TV has no choice, but to rely on character, and everybody knows that. I love working in it. It's such a big canvas where,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/tv-has-no-choice-but-to-rely-on-character-and-everybody-knows-that-i/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) ## More by Dustin Hoffman > [Well this is aptly called a junket, for both of us. I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I think the most insulting thing you can do to a director is to challenge when he or she is satisfied with your interpretation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-think-the-most-insulting-thing-you-can-do-to-a-director-is-to/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [A "take" is an opportunity to fail ... and we think that we have to get it right all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/a-take-is-an-opportunity-to-fail-and-we-think-that-we-have-to-get-it/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“(In response to the question: What is your least favorite word?) It's three words that we usually use as one: woulda, shoulda, coulda. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/in-response-to-the-question-what-is-your-least-favorite-word-it-s/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Many actors want to play Hamlet and Macbeth. Ever since I became an actor, from the very beginning I just wanted to play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/many-actors-want-to-play-hamlet-and-macbeth-ever-since-i-became-an/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Blame is for God and small children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/blame-is-for-god-and-small-children/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [The truth is, the older you get, the less variety of parts you are offered. If you're a star and you've spent most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/the-truth-is-the-older-you-get-the-less-variety-of-parts-you-are/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [“I say go, go, be led. particularly If you're in your twenties, which I suspect a lot of you are in. I tell my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-say-go-go-be-led-particularly-if-you-re-in-your-twenties-which-i/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I walked out of the theater and started crying. My wife asked me, 'Why are you crying?' I said, 'Because I can't do that.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-walked-out-of-the-theater-and-started-crying-my-wife-asked-me-why/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [Acting didn't solve much! If it did, I would have ended up much less crazy than I am today, but I'm not. At least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/acting-didn-t-solve-much-if-it-did-i-would-have-ended-up-much-less/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [I don't like the fact that I have to get older so fast, but I like the fact that I'm aging so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-don-t-like-the-fact-that-i-have-to-get-older-so-fast-but-i-like-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [We need to band together as a unit every day, especially to conquer the strength of the AIDS virus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/we-need-to-band-together-as-a-unit-every-day-especially-to-conquer/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [There were a few things that went into it. When you're doing something you're trying to be your audience at the same time, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/there-were-a-few-things-that-went-into-it-when-you-re-doing-something/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [You spend so much of your life basing yourself on what you think other people think of you. Then you realise that maybe one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/you-spend-so-much-of-your-life-basing-yourself-on-what-you-think/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [My wife always says that I will be stuck with this forever: I am the difficult one. With Jack Nicholson they always said it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/my-wife-always-says-that-i-will-be-stuck-with-this-forever-i-am-the/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) [Explore all 107 Dustin Hoffman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) ## 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": "I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dustin Hoffman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-found-myself-as-an-actor-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-found-myself-as-an-actor-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19e/dustin-hoffman-4662_actors_i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-f_1692728.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I love working, I'd be dead if I hadn't found myself as an actor I didn't have to be successful.” — Dustin Hoffman", "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": "Dustin Hoffman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I love working, I'd be dead...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-found-myself-as-an-actor-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/i-love-working-i-d-be-dead-if-i-hadn-t-found-myself-as-an-actor-i/#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 } } ] } ```