--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've only half-admitted I'm a…" description: "\"I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do better when I'm acting is to really be rig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg" --- # I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am… ![“I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do better when I'm acting is to really be rigorous and to think I know how to do it. To use my brain.” quote by Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg) > “I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do better when I'm acting is to really be rigorous and to think I know how to do it. To use my brain.” [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits to needing more intellectual rigor in their craft, emphasizing thoughtful preparation. **In simple terms:** Need to think more critically when acting. Key Takeaway Apply analytical thinking to improve performance. Themes self-improvement craft intellectual rigor Mood reflective analytical Type inspirational professional When to use this quote - rehearsals - character study - career advancement Key Concepts method acting professionalism self-critique Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance analysis with instinct? - What practices foster deeper engagement? A Different Perspective Rigor alone may stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [In thinking about the end of the world, it's only fair to be rigorous and think about whether it would even be a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cord-jefferson/in-thinking-about-the-end-of-the-world-it-s-only-fair-to-be-rigorous/) [Cord Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cord-jefferson/) > [The better the acting is, the harder it is to see what the process is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/the-better-the-acting-is-the-harder-it-is-to-see-what-the-process-is/) [Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/) > [Women are better at acting then men. Why? Because we have to be. If successfully convincing someone bigger than you are of something he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/women-are-better-at-acting-then-men-why-because-we-have-to-be-if/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [I don't know what I'm like. I'm better acting someone further away from myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-baxendale/i-don-t-know-what-i-m-like-i-m-better-acting-someone-further-away/) [Helen Baxendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-baxendale/) > [The key to my perseverance was absolutely loving the craft of acting. I just figured that if I kept doing it, at the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-taylor/the-key-to-my-perseverance-was-absolutely-loving-the-craft-of-acting/) [Tamara Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-taylor/) > [Most young actors, that's all they're trying to do: Get better at acting and be able to keep doing it. And that doesn't work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-mendelsohn/most-young-actors-that-s-all-they-re-trying-to-do-get-better-at/) [Ben Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-mendelsohn/) > [I couldn't have asked for a better acting partner and a better human being to work with. We have to work very closely together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/i-couldn-t-have-asked-for-a-better-acting-partner-and-a-better-human/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I don't think I'm very cool as a person. I'm just better than anyone else at acting cool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/i-don-t-think-i-m-very-cool-as-a-person-i-m-just-better-than-anyone/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [I think once I found stand-up, it was like, 'Oh... this is so much better than acting! I get to perform but I get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-tomlinson/i-think-once-i-found-stand-up-it-was-like-oh-this-is-so-much-better/) [Taylor Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-tomlinson/) > [Actors spend most of their time out of work, so I actually spend more time making furniture. The thing about furniture that's much better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schoeffling/actors-spend-most-of-their-time-out-of-work-so-i-actually-spend-more/) Michael Schoeffling > [You do some acting in a room for a few minutes, hopefully get something out of it that makes you a bit better at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/you-do-some-acting-in-a-room-for-a-few-minutes-hopefully-get/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [I've always believed in trying to be as open as possible. I think it almost comes with the job - if you can bare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-fox/i-ve-always-believed-in-trying-to-be-as-open-as-possible-i-think-it/) [Emilia Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-fox/) > [I'm thankful that I was able to show a better side of me in acting, and I hope that you'll continue to have high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ok-taec-yeon/i-m-thankful-that-i-was-able-to-show-a-better-side-of-me-in-acting/) [Ok Taec-yeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ok-taec-yeon/) > [It's tough when take 1 is technically okay and take 2 has better acting. Out here (Hollywood) they print the first one. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-holliday/it-s-tough-when-take-1-is-technically-okay-and-take-2-has-better/) [Judy Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-holliday/) > [The better the acting is, the less visible the director and the less visible the actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-elliott/the-better-the-acting-is-the-less-visible-the-director-and-the-less/) [Marianne Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-elliott/) ## More by Emily Mortimer > [I never felt I was quite the ticket academically. I always felt I had to put in an enormous amount of effort not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-never-felt-i-was-quite-the-ticket-academically-i-always-felt-i-had/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [The thing I miss about L.A. is time. I feel like I had much more time there, partly because no one is ever really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/the-thing-i-miss-about-l-a-is-time-i-feel-like-i-had-much-more-time/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [The ratings thing is the real issue. It really hurts movies. For example, in Redbelt, I smoked. The whole plot of my character was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/the-ratings-thing-is-the-real-issue-it-really-hurts-movies-for/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I was terribly shy when I was growing up, I really wasn't confident with other people and I think I was always afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-was-terribly-shy-when-i-was-growing-up-i-really-wasn-t-confident/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I am a good mother and I feel proud about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-am-a-good-mother-and-i-feel-proud-about-it/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I did my homework and didn't go out much, and had a very highly developed kitsch fantasy life where I dreamed of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-did-my-homework-and-didn-t-go-out-much-and-had-a-very-highly/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I think half the time I just assume I don't really know what I'm doing - you have to do that to a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-think-half-the-time-i-just-assume-i-don-t-really-know-what-i-m/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I'm still shy - I'm no good at my children's parent-teacher conferences, and I'm slowly learning how to ask for what I want. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-m-still-shy-i-m-no-good-at-my-children-s-parent-teacher-conferences/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [There were moments where I was being kicked in the stomach, and even though I had this brace on to protect me, I still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/there-were-moments-where-i-was-being-kicked-in-the-stomach-and-even/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I guess secrets are part of the fabric of everybody's lives. I mean everybody's lives, and guilt is part of the fabric of everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-guess-secrets-are-part-of-the-fabric-of-everybody-s-lives-i-mean/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [I decided to give acting a serious, committed try, and soon after, I read the script for 'Lovely and Amazing.' The story was beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-decided-to-give-acting-a-serious-committed-try-and-soon-after-i/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [New York is great, but I miss L.A. - I feel like there was something exotic about L.A. that I kind of underestimated at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/new-york-is-great-but-i-miss-l-a-i-feel-like-there-was-something/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [But I have to grow out of it, because it's very boring, really. Even when you're telling people how crap you are, you're still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/but-i-have-to-grow-out-of-it-because-it-s-very-boring-really-even/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [You do the one film that you think is terrible, but it's a big studio film and you hope you'll get another job because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/you-do-the-one-film-that-you-think-is-terrible-but-it-s-a-big-studio/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) > [You are exposing yourself all the time as an actor. There's the risk of being thought of as bad or boring or unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/you-are-exposing-yourself-all-the-time-as-an-actor-there-s-the-risk/) [Emily Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) [Explore all 73 Emily Mortimer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/) ## 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": "I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do better when I'm acting is to really be rigorous and to think I know how to do it. To use my brain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emily Mortimer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-professional-i-know-i-am-i-ve-paid-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-professional-i-know-i-am-i-ve-paid-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/emily-mortimer-9413_acting_i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-profession_415291.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've only half-admitted I'm a professional. I know I am, I've paid my dues, but one of the things I could do…” — Emily Mortimer", "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": "Emily Mortimer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-mortimer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've only half-admitted I'm a professional....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-professional-i-know-i-am-i-ve-paid-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-mortimer/i-ve-only-half-admitted-i-m-a-professional-i-know-i-am-i-ve-paid-my/#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 } } ] } ```