--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actors are con men and con men are actors." description: "\"Actors are con men and con men are actors.\" — Edward Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg" --- # Actors are con men and con men are actors. ![“Actors are con men and con men are actors.” quote by Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg) > “Actors are con men and con men are actors.” [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He likens actors to con artists and vice versa, highlighting the performative nature of both roles. **In simple terms:** Actors and con men share deceptive performance. Key Takeaway Recognize the craft behind persuasion. Themes performance deception identity trust authenticity Mood cynical observational Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - theatre - film - political rhetoric - sales pitches Key Concepts role-play manipulation Questions to Reflect On - When does performance become manipulation? - How can authenticity be maintained? A Different Perspective Deception can erode trust if misused. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [The actors in 'Eight Men Out' really know how to play, and the background athletes are all professionals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/the-actors-in-eight-men-out-really-know-how-to-play-and-the/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [The con movie is a little bit different where maybe we tell you what we're going to do but it never goes down the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/the-con-movie-is-a-little-bit-different-where-maybe-we-tell-you-what/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [My curiosity and my appetite for evolving as an actor is one of the main components of me still working today in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/my-curiosity-and-my-appetite-for-evolving-as-an-actor-is-one-of-the/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [I've always said that I benefit, as an actor, from not having the illusion of security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-sparks/i-ve-always-said-that-i-benefit-as-an-actor-from-not-having-the/) [Hal Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-sparks/) > [As an actor I kind of do. I started out doing voice overs in the mid 80s when I was in grad school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/as-an-actor-i-kind-of-do-i-started-out-doing-voice-overs-in-the-mid/) [Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/) > [I've been on the stage my entire life as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-piven/i-ve-been-on-the-stage-my-entire-life-as-an-actor/) [Jeremy Piven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-piven/) > [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [A lot of actors get the leading role after doing a bunch of smaller things and people get to know them. I came out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-luss/a-lot-of-actors-get-the-leading-role-after-doing-a-bunch-of-smaller/) [Sasha Luss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-luss/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [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/) ## More by Edward Burns > [I mean the cool thing about the movies is that you get to try on these different personalities and different styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-mean-the-cool-thing-about-the-movies-is-that-you-get-to-try-on/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [There has been a great proliferation of lawyers in the pat 20 years, just as there has been a proliferation of computers. But unlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/there-has-been-a-great-proliferation-of-lawyers-in-the-pat-20-years/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [I feel Irish-Americans are the forgotten minority group. Nobody else is making films about them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-feel-irish-americans-are-the-forgotten-minority-group-nobody-else/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [Look: You're not gonna become a millionaire doing this, but that was never the point. And I think a lot of people in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/look-you-re-not-gonna-become-a-millionaire-doing-this-but-that-was/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [Spielberg gave us three takes before saying anything to us. Since then, I do that, three takes, to let the actors find their rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/spielberg-gave-us-three-takes-before-saying-anything-to-us-since-then/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [It's an enormous wall that's built between you and your dreams. And if every day, you just chip away... It may take ten years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/it-s-an-enormous-wall-that-s-built-between-you-and-your-dreams-and-if/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [Quite honestly, it's too tough to get your movies made and then also to get out there and sell them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/quite-honestly-it-s-too-tough-to-get-your-movies-made-and-then-also/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [When you work with a DeNiro or Hoffman, they love what they do so much that there's never any competitive vibe. It's more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/when-you-work-with-a-deniro-or-hoffman-they-love-what-they-do-so-much/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [That's my advice for indie filmmakers: Marry a supermodel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/that-s-my-advice-for-indie-filmmakers-marry-a-supermodel/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [I try not to be too plot-heavy and to balance the dramatic with the comedic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-try-not-to-be-too-plot-heavy-and-to-balance-the-dramatic-with-the/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [When I was 25 years old and had no money - and didn't know how to make movies and had no experience - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/when-i-was-25-years-old-and-had-no-money-and-didn-t-know-how-to-make/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [The stigma of the straight-to-DVD thing is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/the-stigma-of-the-straight-to-dvd-thing-is-over/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [I suffer from Irish-Catholic guilt. Guilt is a good reality check. It keeps that ‘do what makes you happy’ thing in check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-suffer-from-irish-catholic-guilt-guilt-is-a-good-reality-check-it/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [Well, honestly, the films I personally like to go see are smaller, more character-driven pieces, so that's why the movies I've made have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/well-honestly-the-films-i-personally-like-to-go-see-are-smaller-more/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) > [I'd been offered TV series over the years and never had any interest in doing television. I'm not a TV guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/i-d-been-offered-tv-series-over-the-years-and-never-had-any-interest/) [Edward Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) [Explore all 39 Edward Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/) ## 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": "Actors are con men and con men are actors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Burns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actors/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actors/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/edward-burns-16466_actors_actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actor_1185114.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Actors are con men and con men are actors.” — Edward Burns", "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": "Edward Burns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-burns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Actors are con men and con...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actors/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-burns/actors-are-con-men-and-con-men-are-actors/#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 } } ] } ```