--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know that if I'd had to go and take an…" description: "\"I know that if I'd had to go and take an exam for acting, I wouldn't have got anywhere. You don't take exams for acting, you take your courage.\" — Edit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/395/edith-evans-47499_acting_i-know-that-if-i-d-had-to-go-and-take-an_2223843.png" --- # I know that if I'd had to go and take an exam for acting… ![“I know that if I'd had to go and take an exam for acting, I wouldn't have got anywhere. You don't take exams for acting, you take your courage.” quote by Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/395/edith-evans-47499_acting_i-know-that-if-i-d-had-to-go-and-take-an_2223843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/395/edith-evans-47499_acting_i-know-that-if-i-d-had-to-go-and-take-an_2223843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/395/edith-evans-47499_acting_i-know-that-if-i-d-had-to-go-and-take-an_2223843.png) > “I know that if I'd had to go and take an exam for acting, I wouldn't have got anywhere. You don't take exams for acting, you take your courage.” [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting cannot be measured by exams; it requires courage and authenticity. **In simple terms:** Acting needs courage, not tests. Key Takeaway Cultivate bravery in performance. Themes courage authenticity art selfexpression Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - auditions - stage performances - public speaking - career development Key Concepts psychology performance confidence Questions to Reflect On - How can you build courage without formal assessment? - What other qualities complement courage in acting? A Different Perspective Courage alone may not guarantee skill or opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-courage-624965/) [Acting Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-wouldn-530422/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Exam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exam/) [Exam Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exam-acting-4974293/) [Exams Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exams-acting-4974294/) ## Related quotes > [What you learn from studying acting is that you have to have the courage to just make strong choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rafferty/what-you-learn-from-studying-acting-is-that-you-have-to-have-the/) [Sarah Rafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rafferty/) > [Encounter: Doubt, Shame, Humiliation. It will finally be worth it. Acting is more about courage than anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/encounter-doubt-shame-humiliation-it-will-finally-be-worth-it-acting/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [I understand the importance of being responsive to my constituents, speaking directly and objectively, and acting with courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-ray-lujan/i-understand-the-importance-of-being-responsive-to-my-constituents/) [Ben Ray Lujan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-ray-lujan/) > [With acting, it wouldn't be about money: it would be about taking my life experiences and using them to create art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-ren/with-acting-it-wouldn-t-be-about-money-it-would-be-about-taking-my/) [Alexis Ren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-ren/) > [You shouldn't have to give things up for someone. If you love them someone, you should love them for everything they do and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-lohan/you-shouldn-t-have-to-give-things-up-for-someone-if-you-love-them/) [Lindsay Lohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-lohan/) > [If I'd succeeded right away at acting I wouldn't have sought out writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/if-i-d-succeeded-right-away-at-acting-i-wouldn-t-have-sought-out/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [If I didn't get joy from acting, I wouldn't do it. My passion for acting is growing and I love telling good stories and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annasophia-robb/if-i-didn-t-get-joy-from-acting-i-wouldn-t-do-it-my-passion-for/) [AnnaSophia Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annasophia-robb/) > [My day job is acting - I wouldn't direct something if I didn't feel passionate about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-m-johnson/my-day-job-is-acting-i-wouldn-t-direct-something-if-i-didn-t-feel/) [Jake M. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-m-johnson/) > [I do a little bit of acting, but I wouldn't call myself an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-higa/i-do-a-little-bit-of-acting-but-i-wouldn-t-call-myself-an-actor/) [Ryan Higa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-higa/) > [I used to read a lot about myself and the projects I was doing. When I was only acting, I wouldn't read any reviews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-used-to-read-a-lot-about-myself-and-the-projects-i-was-doing-when-i/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [If I tried acting,I wouldn't act broke cause it's never going to happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-kassim/if-i-tried-acting-i-wouldn-t-act-broke-cause-it-s-never-going-to/) [Hussein Kassim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-kassim/) > [I was lucky, and once I moved to L.A., I didn't have to get another job besides acting. But I wouldn't trade my previous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-greer/i-was-lucky-and-once-i-moved-to-l-a-i-didn-t-have-to-get-another-job/) [Judy Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-greer/) > [I could act normal, but it would be acting and it wouldn't be normal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-could-act-normal-but-it-would-be-acting-and-it-wouldn-t-be-normal/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poems come from ordinary experiences and objects, I think. Out of memory - a dress I lent my daughter on her way back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-olds/poems-come-from-ordinary-experiences-and-objects-i-think-out-of/) [Sharon Olds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-olds/) > [I'm drinking away the exam results that don't take me anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-herrick/i-m-drinking-away-the-exam-results-that-don-t-take-me-anywhere/) [Steven Herrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-herrick/) ## More by Edith Evans > [What I want to give in the theatre is beauty, that's what I want to give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/what-i-want-to-give-in-the-theatre-is-beauty-that-s-what-i-want-to/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [A successful artist of any kind has to work so hard that she is justified in refusing to lay down her sceptre until she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/a-successful-artist-of-any-kind-has-to-work-so-hard-that-she-is/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [I can't imagine going on when there are no more expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/i-can-t-imagine-going-on-when-there-are-no-more-expectations/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [Death is my neighbor now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/death-is-my-neighbor-now/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [If you're an actor, a real actor, you've got to be on the stage. But you mustn't go on the stage unless it's absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/if-you-re-an-actor-a-real-actor-you-ve-got-to-be-on-the-stage-but-you/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [Actresses are such very dull people off the stage. We are only delightful and brilliant when we are doing what we are told to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/actresses-are-such-very-dull-people-off-the-stage-we-are-only/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) > [When a woman behaves like a man why doesn't she behave like a nice man?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-evans/when-a-woman-behaves-like-a-man-why-doesn-t-she-behave-like-a-nice-man/) [Edith Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) [Explore all 8 Edith Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-evans/) ## 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": "I know that if I'd had to go and take an exam for acting, I wouldn't have got anywhere. 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