--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you can't get an acting job, then go…" description: "\"If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take tickets.\" — Ed Asner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/ed-asner-14022_acting_if-you-can-t-get-an-acting-job-then-go-b_987284.jpg" --- # If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take… ![“If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take tickets.” quote by Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/ed-asner-14022_acting_if-you-can-t-get-an-acting-job-then-go-b_987284.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/ed-asner-14022_acting_if-you-can-t-get-an-acting-job-then-go-b_987284.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/616/ed-asner-14022_acting_if-you-can-t-get-an-acting-job-then-go-b_987284.jpg) > “If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. Or take tickets.” [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If acting roles are unavailable, consider alternative ways to stay involved in theater, like backstage work or attending shows. **In simple terms:** When acting fails, work backstage or be an audience member. Key Takeaway Stay connected to your passion in any role. Themes career flexibility theater adaptability Mood pragmatic encouraging Type career motivational When to use this quote - auditioning - stage crew - ticket buying Key Concepts industry insight career development Questions to Reflect On - What other theater jobs suit your skills? - How can you grow while behind the scenes? A Different Perspective Alternative roles may not fulfill artistic ambitions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Backstage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/backstage/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) ## Related quotes > [Never stand still. Only stand still enough to learn, and once you stop learning in that stance, move off. Always keep yourself engaged, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/never-stand-still-only-stand-still-enough-to-learn-and-once-you-stop/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [I may have gotten my first job from 'Backstage.' I remember going to the Equity offices, and I signed up for an audition. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-donnell/i-may-have-gotten-my-first-job-from-backstage-i-remember-going-to-the/) [Colin Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-donnell/) > [My biggest accomplishment was playing "Lark" on the daytime drama Port Charles because it was the most regular acting job I have had, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-weber/my-biggest-accomplishment-was-playing-lark-on-the-daytime-drama-port/) [Amy Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-weber/) > [I had started off, before I ever got an acting job, working at Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions as a reader. I was always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-sorvino/i-had-started-off-before-i-ever-got-an-acting-job-working-at-robert/) [Mira Sorvino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-sorvino/) > [My first acting job was a Breck commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaclyn-smith/my-first-acting-job-was-a-breck-commercial/) [Jaclyn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaclyn-smith/) > [I decided I'm gonna make my living from this, or I'm not doing it. The last time I had a job that wasn't an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-taylor/i-decided-i-m-gonna-make-my-living-from-this-or-i-m-not-doing-it-the/) [Robert Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-taylor/) > [I used to need the character but as I've gotten older I need it less and less - I prefer to play some version…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/i-used-to-need-the-character-but-as-i-ve-gotten-older-i-need-it-less/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [To make this sound very, very unromantic, acting is my job, and I really love the craft of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ackie/to-make-this-sound-very-very-unromantic-acting-is-my-job-and-i-really/) [Naomi Ackie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ackie/) > [My first professional acting job was on 'Boss'. My first acting job was basically my first acting class. I had to show up on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rotimi/my-first-professional-acting-job-was-on-boss-my-first-acting-job-was/) [Rotimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rotimi/) > [I didn't even have a career before 'Stranger Things' - it was my first acting job, my first time on a professional set, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-purser/i-didn-t-even-have-a-career-before-stranger-things-it-was-my-first/) [Shannon Purser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-purser/) > [I couldn't do an acting job just to be working. It really had to have some soul to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-cross/i-couldn-t-do-an-acting-job-just-to-be-working-it-really-had-to-have/) [Marcia Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-cross/) > [This acting job - it pays very well and you get to live a wonderful lifestyle, but it's something that I love doing, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/this-acting-job-it-pays-very-well-and-you-get-to-live-a-wonderful/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [I didn't have an acting job when I moved to L.A. I was just naive enough to think that moving to L.A. was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-patton/i-didn-t-have-an-acting-job-when-i-moved-to-l-a-i-was-just-naive/) [Candice Patton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-patton/) > [I started quite late. I didn't know acting was a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pilou-asbaek/i-started-quite-late-i-didn-t-know-acting-was-a-job/) [Pilou Asbaek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pilou-asbaek/) > [My first real acting job was 'Skins' at eighteen years old, and I just kind of grew into myself in those two years; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-pasqualino/my-first-real-acting-job-was-skins-at-eighteen-years-old-and-i-just/) [Luke Pasqualino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-pasqualino/) ## More by Ed Asner > [All capitalists should be like Warren Buffett, and he says he should be taxed more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/all-capitalists-should-be-like-warren-buffett-and-he-says-he-should/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [There are genuinely sufficient resources in the world to ensure that no one, nowhere, at no time, should go hungry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/there-are-genuinely-sufficient-resources-in-the-world-to-ensure-that/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [The older I've gotten, the more the need to exert comedy no matter how tragic a character I may be portraying because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/the-older-i-ve-gotten-the-more-the-need-to-exert-comedy-no-matter-how/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [“And there you have your Founders and Framers in all their elite glory—the 1 percent of their time. Many spent more than they made.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/and-there-you-have-your-founders-and-framers-in-all-their-elite-glory/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [To my knowledge, there is no blacklist. But there is a mindset, even among liberal producers, that says 'He may be difficult so let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/to-my-knowledge-there-is-no-blacklist-but-there-is-a-mindset-even/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [I've never stopped loving cartoons. I loved cartoons as a kid. I can still look at them and enjoy them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/i-ve-never-stopped-loving-cartoons-i-loved-cartoons-as-a-kid-i-can/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [The treasure shouldn't do the hunting, and you're a treasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/the-treasure-shouldn-t-do-the-hunting-and-you-re-a-treasure/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Always keep yourself engaged, in theater, in whatever job you can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/always-keep-yourself-engaged-in-theater-in-whatever-job-you-can-get/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [“Of all the Founders, Adams may have been the most churchgoing. But as a Unitarian, he did not believe in the Holy Trinity, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/of-all-the-founders-adams-may-have-been-the-most-churchgoing-but-as-a/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [I went into acting as psychotherapy, and it's still a work in progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/i-went-into-acting-as-psychotherapy-and-it-s-still-a-work-in-progress/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Never thought acting was something you could make a living at. It wasn't until I was in college, and got a lead in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/never-thought-acting-was-something-you-could-make-a-living-at-it-wasn/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [“Pissed off by the lies, misrepresentations, and outright horseshit, I decided it was time to strike back. It was time to reclaim the Constitution.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/pissed-off-by-the-lies-misrepresentations-and-outright-horseshit-i/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Some of my earliest political feelings were based on the anti-Japanese bubblegum cards I got. There were also Spanish Civil War bubblegum cards. Awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/some-of-my-earliest-political-feelings-were-based-on-the-anti/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [“Roughly speaking: more than forty held government bonds. More than twenty were moneylenders. Over fifteen were slave owners. The rest an assortment of land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/roughly-speaking-more-than-forty-held-government-bonds-more-than/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Raising kids is part joy and part guerrilla warfare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/raising-kids-is-part-joy-and-part-guerrilla-warfare/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) [Explore all 48 Ed Asner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) ## 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": "If you can't get an acting job, then go backstage. 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