--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's this little box that…" description: "\"There's this little box that African-American actors have to work in, in the first place, and I was able to rise above that box. I could have done a bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/eddie-murphy-7566_able_there-s-this-little-box-that-african-ame_1906841.jpg" --- # There's this little box that African-American actors have… ![“There's this little box that African-American actors have to work in, in the first place, and I was able to rise above that box. I could have done a bunch of movies where I stayed as the Axel Foley or Reggie Hammond persona. But I didn't want to be doing the same thing all the time. Every now and…” quote by Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/eddie-murphy-7566_able_there-s-this-little-box-that-african-ame_1906841.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/eddie-murphy-7566_able_there-s-this-little-box-that-african-ame_1906841.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/eddie-murphy-7566_able_there-s-this-little-box-that-african-ame_1906841.jpg) > “There's this little box that African-American actors have to work in, in the first place, and I was able to rise above that box. I could have done a bunch of movies where I stayed as the Axel Foley or Reggie Hammond persona. But I didn't want to be doing the same thing all the time. Every now and then, you crash and burn, but that's part of it.” [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He broke out of stereotypical roles, seeking varied characters despite setbacks. **In simple terms:** Avoid being typecast; accept risks. Key Takeaway Choose diverse roles, embrace failure. Themes career growth typecasting risk resilience Mood determined reflective Type career motivational When to use this quote - acting auditions - film selection - career planning - overcoming setbacks Key Concepts stereotypes industry pressure personal ambition Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you willing to take? - How do you handle failure? A Different Perspective Success may be limited by market expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [First place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-place/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Persona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persona/) [Rise above](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rise-above/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Theres this little box that African-American actors have to work in, in the first place, and I was able to rise above that box.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/theres-this-little-box-that-african-american-actors-have-to-work-in/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [A lot of American actors I work with are in character all day long. You can't talk to them. It's Method and the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-jewison/a-lot-of-american-actors-i-work-with-are-in-character-all-day-long/) [Norman Jewison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-jewison/) > [I was trained to serve the writer and director as an actor before I serve myself. Not to say that's gotten in my way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-englund/i-was-trained-to-serve-the-writer-and-director-as-an-actor-before-i/) [Robert Englund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-englund/) > [The biggest crime in England is to rise above your station. It's fine to be a pop star. 'Oh, it's great, lots of fun,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-biggest-crime-in-england-is-to-rise-above-your-station-it-s-fine/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [The first stage in a technology's advance is that it'll fall below a critical price. After it falls below a critical price, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-anderson/the-first-stage-in-a-technology-s-advance-is-that-it-ll-fall-below-a/) [Chris Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-anderson/) > [I, personally, have had to rise above my feelings of inferiority to my sister Anjelica, not to mention feeling sorry for myself because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/i-personally-have-had-to-rise-above-my-feelings-of-inferiority-to-my/) [Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/) > [I'm going to always rise above the doubt that may exist about me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-i/i-m-going-to-always-rise-above-the-doubt-that-may-exist-about-me/) T.I > [The world helps you to keep evolving and hope it's for better. You have to rise above all the tragedies in life. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/the-world-helps-you-to-keep-evolving-and-hope-it-s-for-better-you/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [As leaders, we need to rise above petty politics and lead, rather than follow, the various interests and pressure groups in our respective countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hassan-rouhani/as-leaders-we-need-to-rise-above-petty-politics-and-lead-rather-than/) [Hassan Rouhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hassan-rouhani/) > [Rise above yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-leonard/rise-above-yourself/) [Thomas Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-leonard/) > [If we aim to act in harmony with the laws of Good, we rise above all other laws and become a law unto ourselves;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-heindel/if-we-aim-to-act-in-harmony-with-the-laws-of-good-we-rise-above-all/) [Max Heindel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-heindel/) > [My fiction is almost always inspired by a character's need or desire to rise above him- or herself. No one is perfect and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crais/my-fiction-is-almost-always-inspired-by-a-character-s-need-or-desire/) [Robert Crais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crais/) > [The English don't like concepts, really, not from a pop star. It's alright if they come from an 'intellectual,', but from a pop star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/the-english-don-t-like-concepts-really-not-from-a-pop-star-it-s/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [My parents taught me the way to deal with being picked on was to be compassionate. 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I ordered some pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-ain-t-never-been-in-no-cell-that-had-a-phone-in-it-can-i-stay-for-a/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Mick Jagger's lips' so big, black people be going, "You got some big-ass lips!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/mick-jagger-s-lips-so-big-black-people-be-going-you-got-some-big-ass/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [If you're involved in with something that's original, you know, you'll always go back and try to rehash it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/if-you-re-involved-in-with-something-that-s-original-you-know-you-ll/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [Are you driving with your eyes open? Or are you, like, using "the force"?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/are-you-driving-with-your-eyes-open-or-are-you-like-using-the-force/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [I been seeing newspapers every Sunday morning, white dudes be in there in their drawers, never having no bulge in they drawers. Smiling at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-been-seeing-newspapers-every-sunday-morning-white-dudes-be-in-there/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [This is how you answer a door in my neighborhood. 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