--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, you always look for things…" description: "\"As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch you and that are different than you are, so that you can surprise yourself, and you want to s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png" --- # As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch… ![“As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch you and that are different than you are, so that you can surprise yourself, and you want to surround yourself with the highest caliber of people that will make you look good.” quote by Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png) > “As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch you and that are different than you are, so that you can surprise yourself, and you want to surround yourself with the highest caliber of people that will make you look good.” [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors seek challenging, diverse roles and high‑caliber collaborators to grow and surprise themselves. **In simple terms:** Seek challenges and great peers for growth. Key Takeaway Embrace stretch roles and surround yourself with talent. Themes growth collaboration self‑discovery Mood inspired determined Type motivational career When to use this quote - audition prep - career planning - networking - artistic development Key Concepts acting creative risk peer influence Questions to Reflect On - What role would stretch you most? - How do you find mentors? A Different Perspective High‑caliber peers may be scarce or competitive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Look](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-look-1088397/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Caliber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caliber/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Stretch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stretch/) [Stretch Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stretch-different-2225189/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-want-2225191/) [Surround](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surround/) [Surround yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surround-yourself/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Things Stretch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-stretch-2225190/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [It's nice to stretch in different directions and use different muscles. You can get swallowed into Hollywood, where it's all about bums on seats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/it-s-nice-to-stretch-in-different-directions-and-use-different/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [It's always fun to get to do things that stretch you and that you don't get to do a lot, but you never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bowles/it-s-always-fun-to-get-to-do-things-that-stretch-you-and-that-you-don/) [Lauren Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bowles/) > [“Life isn't only about the big moments whether they be good or bad. Maybe it’s about the small things that stretch out to strengthen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/life-isn-t-only-about-the-big-moments-whether-they-be-good-or-bad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I'm a chameleon when it comes to guitar playing and like to stretch out into different territories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/i-m-a-chameleon-when-it-comes-to-guitar-playing-and-like-to-stretch/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [You want it to feel like a surprise. You want to keep him guessing whether he'll make you smile entirely so that when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-moran/you-want-it-to-feel-like-a-surprise-you-want-to-keep-him-guessing/) [Michelle Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-moran/) > [I just want to keep trying to surprise myself and I want to keep challenging myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-aniston/i-just-want-to-keep-trying-to-surprise-myself-and-i-want-to-keep/) [Jennifer Aniston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-aniston/) > [I am really pleased to hear each of my songs described as a total surprise. This is what I want!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-mckeown/i-am-really-pleased-to-hear-each-of-my-songs-described-as-a-total/) [Erin McKeown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-mckeown/) > [It's an incredible privilege for an actor to look into the camera. It's like looking right into the heart of the film, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-watson/it-s-an-incredible-privilege-for-an-actor-to-look-into-the-camera-it/) [Emily Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-watson/) > [As an actor, I look at first what I can borrow from what I really feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-bauer-van-straten/as-an-actor-i-look-at-first-what-i-can-borrow-from-what-i-really-feel/) [Kristin Bauer van Straten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-bauer-van-straten/) > [I'm a character actor, but I look like a leading man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-m-a-character-actor-but-i-look-like-a-leading-man/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [Being an actor is fantastic because you get to live your dreams and all of that, but I always think it's slightly irritating when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-hunnam/being-an-actor-is-fantastic-because-you-get-to-live-your-dreams-and/) [Charlie Hunnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-hunnam/) > [I just like watching people who really are not self-conscious, who aren't aware, because I fear that one could become too self-conscious, too artful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-walter/i-just-like-watching-people-who-really-are-not-self-conscious-who/) [Harriet Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harriet-walter/) > [Most of your life as an actor in Hollywood, either an actress or an actor, you have to look - you have to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/most-of-your-life-as-an-actor-in-hollywood-either-an-actress-or-an/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [Of course, as a model and actor, one has to look good and maintain oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-tresa/of-course-as-a-model-and-actor-one-has-to-look-good-and-maintain/) [Catherine Tresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-tresa/) > [Like any other actor, I also look for good scripts and want to portray some memorable characters on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salim-kumar/like-any-other-actor-i-also-look-for-good-scripts-and-want-to-portray/) [Salim Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salim-kumar/) ## More by Emmy Rossum > [I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-like-ren-descartes-theory-about-a-ball-of-wax-you-can-change-its/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [She's lonely and wounded and very vulnerable and it really is a story about people at the heart of it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/she-s-lonely-and-wounded-and-very-vulnerable-and-it-really-is-a-story/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Life can be very funny and very tragic. Everyone has stuff that they've been through that makes up whatever fire it is that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/life-can-be-very-funny-and-very-tragic-everyone-has-stuff-that-they/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I just really gravitate towards a nostalgia for a time when things were simpler. When beauty was more classical and glamorous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-just-really-gravitate-towards-a-nostalgia-for-a-time-when-things/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I've never had my brows done - I tweeze them myself. I used to watch my mom pluck her brows, that's how I learned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-ve-never-had-my-brows-done-i-tweeze-them-myself-i-used-to-watch-my/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [There's something safe about playing a character, but then it's like, 'Who am I underneath it all?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/there-s-something-safe-about-playing-a-character-but-then-it-s-like/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I love to create and I love to be challenged and I love to do things that are scary, so I think I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-love-to-create-and-i-love-to-be-challenged-and-i-love-to-do-things/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [If I can't find a project that I'm really interested in, I'll just go back to college where I've been studying art history and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/if-i-can-t-find-a-project-that-i-m-really-interested-in-i-ll-just-go/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Never get your girlfriend a pet that she didn't know she was getting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/never-get-your-girlfriend-a-pet-that-she-didn-t-know-she-was-getting/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I hate cats. But this cancer cat made me feel bad, so I was like, Okay, I'll take her back to L. A. and give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-hate-cats-but-this-cancer-cat-made-me-feel-bad-so-i-was-like-okay-i/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Everyone messes up in relationships and has peaks and valleys in their personal lives. When I realized it wasn't the end of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/everyone-messes-up-in-relationships-and-has-peaks-and-valleys-in/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I'm an actor, so I love to be degraded!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-m-an-actor-so-i-love-to-be-degraded/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Too many times you come across lyrics that sound like you've heard them before or you can't really relate to them. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/too-many-times-you-come-across-lyrics-that-sound-like-you-ve-heard/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [I love the silhouettes of the '50s that were feminine and womanly without being too revealing. I've always gravitated towards that kind of sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/i-love-the-silhouettes-of-the-50s-that-were-feminine-and-womanly/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Hey @giseleofficial, I feel ya girl. #kidding #fakebaby #soymilk #shameless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/hey-giseleofficial-i-feel-ya-girl-kidding-fakebaby-soymilk-shameless/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) [Explore all 75 Emmy Rossum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) ## 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": "As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch you and that are different than you are, so that you can surprise yourself, and you want to surround yourself with the highest caliber of people that will make you look good.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Emmy Rossum" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-that-will-stretch-you-and-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-that-will-stretch-you-and-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/372/emmy-rossum-9076_actor_as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-t_1824853.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an actor, you always look for things that will stretch you and that are different than you are, so that…” — Emmy Rossum", "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": "Emmy Rossum", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As an actor, you always look...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-that-will-stretch-you-and-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/as-an-actor-you-always-look-for-things-that-will-stretch-you-and-that/#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 } } ] } ```