---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No actor has made a career of exerting…"
description: "\"No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne' movies, he burned himself down to a central ner..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg"
---

#  No actor has made a career of exerting determination to…

![“No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne' movies, he burned himself down to a central nervous system - his focus fried away unnecessary calories.” quote by Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg)

> “No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne' movies, he burned himself down to a central nervous system - his focus fried away unnecessary calories.”

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote praises Matt Damon’s relentless drive, suggesting his dedication is so extreme it consumes his energy like a self‑destructive fire.

**In simple terms:** Extreme determination can be self‑sacrificial.

Key Takeaway

Unbridled focus may cost personal well‑being.

Themes

determination self‑sacrifice focus career intensity

Mood

intense admiring cautionary

Type

observation celebration warning

When to use this quote

- high‑pressure job
- creative pursuit
- sports competition
- entrepreneurial startup

Key Concepts

personal drive career strategy psychology of ambition

Practical Applications

- motivational speaking
- leadership coaching

Questions to Reflect On

- Is relentless focus sustainable?
- When does dedication become harmful?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Focus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focus/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Nervous system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous-system/)

## Related quotes

> [A dream acting role would be Matt Damon in the Bourne series. I would love to do something like that!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/a-dream-acting-role-would-be-matt-damon-in-the-bourne-series-i-would/)

[Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/)

> [Lana says J.P. makes Matt Damon from the Bourne movies look like Oliver from Hannah Montana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/lana-says-j-p-makes-matt-damon-from-the-bourne-movies-look-like/)

[Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/)

> [The 'Bourne' movies are great in their own ways; it introduces a whole other sort of allegory about the Bush years. The secrecy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-terrio/the-bourne-movies-are-great-in-their-own-ways-it-introduces-a-whole/)

[Chris Terrio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-terrio/)

> [The thing with the Bourne movies is that they're so big in scope and the production value is so high and it takes so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-stiles/the-thing-with-the-bourne-movies-is-that-they-re-so-big-in-scope-and/)

[Julia Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-stiles/)

> [I really like action movies. The 'Die Hard' franchise. And the 'Bourne' movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-chung/i-really-like-action-movies-the-die-hard-franchise-and-the-bourne/)

[Alexa Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-chung/)

> [I grew up on action movies. I love the James Bond and Jason Bourne movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/i-grew-up-on-action-movies-i-love-the-james-bond-and-jason-bourne/)

[Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/)

> [Rumors about me? Calista Flockhart, Pam Anderson, and Matt Damon. That's who I'm dating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/rumors-about-me-calista-flockhart-pam-anderson-and-matt-damon-that-s/)

[Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/)

> [If my husband's going to kiss anybody, let it be Matt Damon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/if-my-husband-s-going-to-kiss-anybody-let-it-be-matt-damon/)

[Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/)

> [I'm certainly not going to play any of Matt Damon's roles in the future. But he will eventually grow into mine, since he'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-m-certainly-not-going-to-play-any-of-matt-damon-s-roles-in-the/)

[Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/)

> [I would love to work with Matt Damon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idina-menzel/i-would-love-to-work-with-matt-damon/)

[Idina Menzel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idina-menzel/)

> [I knew Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were really talented. As actors, they were both studly young men, and they had great writers' chops.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-knew-matt-damon-and-ben-affleck-were-really-talented-as-actors-they/)

[Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/)

> [I look up to Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. I'm a huge fan of their work. I also like actors who really transform themselves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-poulter/i-look-up-to-leonardo-dicaprio-and-matt-damon-i-m-a-huge-fan-of-their/)

[Will Poulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-poulter/)

> [We want the best actor, and that's why Matt Damon worked so well in this role, because he's a great actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-farrelly/we-want-the-best-actor-and-that-s-why-matt-damon-worked-so-well-in/)

[Bobby Farrelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-farrelly/)

> [Matt Damon's anti-fracking diatribe was funded by the royal family of the United Arab Emirates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/matt-damon-s-anti-fracking-diatribe-was-funded-by-the-royal-family-of/)

[Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/)

> [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/)

## More by Elvis Mitchell

> [There are storytelling traditions that come from Africa that are unique from anywhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/there-are-storytelling-traditions-that-come-from-africa-that-are/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [The world may not be ready yet for the film equivalent of books on tape, but this peculiar phenomenon has arrived in the form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-world-may-not-be-ready-yet-for-the-film-equivalent-of-books-on/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [What we're most aware of in 'Eight-Legged Freaks' is how similar it is to other movies, a recombinant mutated species itself, the product of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/what-we-re-most-aware-of-in-eight-legged-freaks-is-how-similar-it-is/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [Watching daring, high-tech criminals in action, I have the same thought that probably occurs to other moviegoers: if these guys just held on to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/watching-daring-high-tech-criminals-in-action-i-have-the-same-thought/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [The influence of John Hughes is fully felt in the melodrama 'Donnie Darko.' This first film written and directed by Richard Kelly is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-influence-of-john-hughes-is-fully-felt-in-the-melodrama-donnie/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [Some people bring their work home with them. You might suppose that Sid Mashburn is one of those guys - the man was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/some-people-bring-their-work-home-with-them-you-might-suppose-that/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [In 'Requiem for a Dream,' the director Darren Aronofsky's adaptation of Hubert Selby Jr.'s lower-depths novel, Jared Leto has lost so much weight, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/in-requiem-for-a-dream-the-director-darren-aronofsky-s-adaptation-of/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [That's a part of success: figuring out what success means to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/that-s-a-part-of-success-figuring-out-what-success-means-to-you/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [Miramax seems to be showing the same faith in Roberto Benigni's 'Pinocchio' that the Republican Party showed in Trent Lott; the live-action version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/miramax-seems-to-be-showing-the-same-faith-in-roberto-benigni-s/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [The Ebert thing just didn't work out. We just couldn't, like, come to an agreement. And 'Movieline', they obviously didn't want me, because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-ebert-thing-just-didn-t-work-out-we-just-couldn-t-like-come-to-an/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [I've been cheered by the reaction to what I've done with Film Independent at LACMA and the organizational support I've received in pursuing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/i-ve-been-cheered-by-the-reaction-to-what-i-ve-done-with-film/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [If Mr. Chan ever makes another movie like 'The Tuxedo,' it's American audiences that will see him in court. With 'Shanghai Knights,' he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/if-mr-chan-ever-makes-another-movie-like-the-tuxedo-it-s-american/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [In Moulin Rouge, Baz Luhrmann takes the most thrilling moments in a movie musical-the seconds before the actors are about to burst into song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/in-moulin-rouge-baz-luhrmann-takes-the-most-thrilling-moments-in-a/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [The mission of '8 Mile' is essentially to garner sympathy for a white rapper involved in an old-school shootout - a rap contest. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/the-mission-of-8-mile-is-essentially-to-garner-sympathy-for-a-white/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

> [If a movie requires the lead actor to spend a good chunk of his onscreen time talking to himself, and Popeye is unavailable because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/if-a-movie-requires-the-lead-actor-to-spend-a-good-chunk-of-his/)

[Elvis Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

[Explore all 147 Elvis Mitchell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/)

## 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": "No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne' movies, he burned himself down to a central nervous system - his focus fried away unnecessary calories.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Elvis Mitchell"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-determination-to-the-extent/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-determination-to-the-extent/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/243/elvis-mitchell-2864_actor_no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-d_34311.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“No actor has made a career of exerting determination to the extent that Matt Damon has. In the 'Bourne'…” — Elvis Mitchell",
                "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": "Elvis Mitchell",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-mitchell/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "No actor has made a career...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-determination-to-the-extent/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-mitchell/no-actor-has-made-a-career-of-exerting-determination-to-the-extent/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
