--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I learnt how acting is more about…" description: "\"I learnt how acting is more about listening to the other person; it is about reaction. You learn to be a foil, and that helped when it came to directin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc6/eoin-macken-17220_acting_i-learnt-how-acting-is-more-about-listen_1927834.jpg" --- # I learnt how acting is more about listening to the other… ![“I learnt how acting is more about listening to the other person; it is about reaction. You learn to be a foil, and that helped when it came to directing.” quote by Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc6/eoin-macken-17220_acting_i-learnt-how-acting-is-more-about-listen_1927834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc6/eoin-macken-17220_acting_i-learnt-how-acting-is-more-about-listen_1927834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc6/eoin-macken-17220_acting_i-learnt-how-acting-is-more-about-listen_1927834.jpg) > “I learnt how acting is more about listening to the other person; it is about reaction. You learn to be a foil, and that helped when it came to directing.” [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective acting hinges on listening and reacting, not just performing; this skill aids directing. **In simple terms:** Listening fuels performance and leadership. Key Takeaway Practice active listening. Themes acting directing communication Mood inspirational reflective Type educational professional When to use this quote - theatre - film production - team leadership Key Concepts listening skills reactive performance leadership development Questions to Reflect On - How does listening improve your leadership? - What other skills complement listening in directing? A Different Perspective Listening alone may not address technical aspects of directing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ## Related quotes > [Acting is about listening, and that's something that took me awhile. You almost don't have to learn your lines, if you listen to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mcgrath/acting-is-about-listening-and-that-s-something-that-took-me-awhile/) [Mark McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mcgrath/) > [Something people say about acting is that acting is listening. But I think that writing is listening, too. That you really have to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/something-people-say-about-acting-is-that-acting-is-listening-but-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [People keep asking me where I learnt acting. And I say that there is no special school for acting or drama where you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saba-qamar/people-keep-asking-me-where-i-learnt-acting-and-i-say-that-there-is/) [Saba Qamar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saba-qamar/) > [I learnt acting in Delhi from Barry John, who also taught Shah Rukh Khan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harshvardhan-rane/i-learnt-acting-in-delhi-from-barry-john-who-also-taught-shah-rukh/) [Harshvardhan Rane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harshvardhan-rane/) > [I learnt to keep my acting subtle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/i-learnt-to-keep-my-acting-subtle/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) > [My brother's my teacher, my mentor, and we both learnt all the acting basics from our father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/my-brother-s-my-teacher-my-mentor-and-we-both-learnt-all-the-acting/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [I've learnt that there's acting for film, acting for theatre, and acting for an audition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-snook/i-ve-learnt-that-there-s-acting-for-film-acting-for-theatre-and/) [Sarah Snook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-snook/) > [Yes, my acting was not stylised. I always underplayed, maybe because I never learnt acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waheeda-rehman/yes-my-acting-was-not-stylised-i-always-underplayed-maybe-because-i/) [Waheeda Rehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waheeda-rehman/) > [Listening is harder than just acting. Listening is the hardest part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-ratner/listening-is-harder-than-just-acting-listening-is-the-hardest-part/) [Brett Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-ratner/) > [If you can hear music, you can hear the musicality of the way someone speaks. It's easier to nail down the way that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/if-you-can-hear-music-you-can-hear-the-musicality-of-the-way-someone/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [The key to acting has much more to do with listening than with talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-leo/the-key-to-acting-has-much-more-to-do-with-listening-than-with-talking/) [Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-leo/) > [The big secret in acting is listening to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-wallach/the-big-secret-in-acting-is-listening-to-people/) [Eli Wallach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-wallach/) > [I would rather do a play because it's instantaneous. You go on the stage, and you know whether it's happening or not. Somebody asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-durning/i-would-rather-do-a-play-because-it-s-instantaneous-you-go-on-the/) [Charles Durning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-durning/) > [I love acting so much, but listening to music and making music has been the greatest savior for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-kirke/i-love-acting-so-much-but-listening-to-music-and-making-music-has/) [Lola Kirke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-kirke/) > [Acting is about listening and reacting. John Wayne was right: Acting is just reacting. You don't have to do much - as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/acting-is-about-listening-and-reacting-john-wayne-was-right-acting-is/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) ## More by Eoin Macken > [Merlin' was awesome, but the costumes would drive you insane. Every day, you'd get into chain mail and wear 30 pounds of that stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/merlin-was-awesome-but-the-costumes-would-drive-you-insane-every-day/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I'd never properly done pilot season in America. I did it for just a couple of weeks, a couple of years ago. Usually, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-d-never-properly-done-pilot-season-in-america-i-did-it-for-just-a/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [When you write a book, people legitimise it by actually reading the book and so it's almost okay to write another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/when-you-write-a-book-people-legitimise-it-by-actually-reading-the/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [You never know with a new show. It takes awhile for shows to find their feet and for people to connect with it. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/you-never-know-with-a-new-show-it-takes-awhile-for-shows-to-find/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I think modelling helped me. I was very shy and self-conscious when I went to college, and I think in some ways modelling exacerbates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-think-modelling-helped-me-i-was-very-shy-and-self-conscious-when-i/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I think it's much harder to make dramatic films, and much harder to create a film that's engaging, where you're actually properly looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-think-it-s-much-harder-to-make-dramatic-films-and-much-harder-to/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I love science fiction just because of the scope of what it can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-love-science-fiction-just-because-of-the-scope-of-what-it-can-be/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I rode a horse into a tree. I did. But I'm okay. Horses are naturally meant to avoid trees. This one didn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-rode-a-horse-into-a-tree-i-did-but-i-m-okay-horses-are-naturally/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [If you could do 'Mario Kart' as a really cool film I'd do that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/if-you-could-do-mario-kart-as-a-really-cool-film-i-d-do-that/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [Because I don't understand what would be someone's motives to want to go into space, where you're possibly going to die, and to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/because-i-don-t-understand-what-would-be-someone-s-motives-to-want-to/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [I love Sci-Fi. It's pretty much all I watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/i-love-sci-fi-it-s-pretty-much-all-i-watch/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [The fun of that sci-fi and adventure stuff is that it's always somebody who's not believed and is not being trusted. If you saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/the-fun-of-that-sci-fi-and-adventure-stuff-is-that-it-s-always/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [When you're in college, you meet somebody that you think is a little bit arrogant and cocky, and you don't like them because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/when-you-re-in-college-you-meet-somebody-that-you-think-is-a-little/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [With acting, you have to put in the groundwork, then maybe you'll get lucky. It's a slog but it's also fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/with-acting-you-have-to-put-in-the-groundwork-then-maybe-you-ll-get/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) > [A lot of fashion photographers are telling a story with their pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-macken/a-lot-of-fashion-photographers-are-telling-a-story-with-their-pictures/) [Eoin Macken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) [Explore all 37 Eoin Macken quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-macken/) ## 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 learnt how acting is more about listening to the other person; it is about reaction. 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