--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Drama school can't make you a brilliant…" description: "\"Drama school can't make you a brilliant actor, but you can do stuff for three years - you're not going to be fired. You should just go for it all, even..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ad/ewan-mcgregor-2364_actor_drama-school-can-t-make-you-a-brilliant_2365895.jpg" --- # Drama school can't make you a brilliant actor, but you can… ![“Drama school can't make you a brilliant actor, but you can do stuff for three years - you're not going to be fired. You should just go for it all, even the stuff you think is codswallop.” quote by Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ad/ewan-mcgregor-2364_actor_drama-school-can-t-make-you-a-brilliant_2365895.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ad/ewan-mcgregor-2364_actor_drama-school-can-t-make-you-a-brilliant_2365895.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ad/ewan-mcgregor-2364_actor_drama-school-can-t-make-you-a-brilliant_2365895.jpg) > “Drama school can't make you a brilliant actor, but you can do stuff for three years - you're not going to be fired. You should just go for it all, even the stuff you think is codswallop.” [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Formal training isn’t the sole path to brilliance; practical experience and persistence matter more. **In simple terms:** Practice and persistence outweigh formal training. Key Takeaway Prioritize experience and persistence. Themes learning career persistence Mood pragmatic determined Type motivational career When to use this quote - acting - career building - long‑term projects - risk taking Key Concepts education skill development Questions to Reflect On - What experience will you seek now? - How do you balance learning with doing? A Different Perspective Formal training can still provide valuable fundamentals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Drama school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [That's the great thing about being an actor: Stuff shows up that you never thought was going to go down. You get to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kirk/that-s-the-great-thing-about-being-an-actor-stuff-shows-up-that-you/) [Justin Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kirk/) > [I can't negotiate and collaborate with a character to create a distilled dramatic investigation of the raw material. I need to work with an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-can-t-negotiate-and-collaborate-with-a-character-to-create-a/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I want to walk the bases - I want to do all the actor-y stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cho/i-want-to-walk-the-bases-i-want-to-do-all-the-actor-y-stuff/) [John Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cho/) > [It helps me as an actor to always be on top of my stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-totah/it-helps-me-as-an-actor-to-always-be-on-top-of-my-stuff/) [Josie Totah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-totah/) > [“It didn't take long to figure out I'll never go back to teaching public high school. Why would I, when I can make virtually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-hardy/it-didn-t-take-long-to-figure-out-i-ll-never-go-back-to-teaching/) [Nicole Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-hardy/) > [You can make your own son or daughter one of a kind if you have the time and will to do so; school can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/you-can-make-your-own-son-or-daughter-one-of-a-kind-if-you-have-the/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [“This school is enough to make anyone a communist.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-walton/this-school-is-enough-to-make-anyone-a-communist/) [Jo Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-walton/) > [I could have gone to a bigger school. I use it as motivation going to a school that loved me. I wanted to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kawhi-leonard/i-could-have-gone-to-a-bigger-school-i-use-it-as-motivation-going-to/) [Kawhi Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kawhi-leonard/) > [I dislike school I'd rather make money But I'm smart enough to know In order to make money I gotta stay in school .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dislike-school-i-d-rather-make-money-but-i-m-smart-enough-to-know/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was the kid at school who would make the joke about himself before anyone else did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sugg/i-was-the-kid-at-school-who-would-make-the-joke-about-himself-before/) [Joe Sugg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sugg/) > [I mentioned charter schools, and experimenting with our school system, to make it work. I think that's something we really have to pay attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-mentioned-charter-schools-and-experimenting-with-our-school-system/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I think everyone at school experiences some form of bullying. With kids at school, it can be anything - it can be your shoes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-corden/i-think-everyone-at-school-experiences-some-form-of-bullying-with/) [James Corden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-corden/) > [Eventually, to get through school, I would make good meaningless blobs if I had to. And so they thought I was falling in with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/eventually-to-get-through-school-i-would-make-good-meaningless-blobs/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [If I was a principal of a school I'd make the school uniform onesies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-i-was-a-principal-of-a-school-i-d-make-the-school-uniform-onesies/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I went to a tiny little high school... I'd make my foray into Calgary if I wanted to see a movie or do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-durance/i-went-to-a-tiny-little-high-school-i-d-make-my-foray-into-calgary-if/) [Erica Durance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-durance/) ## More by Ewan McGregor > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't want to make decisions about what I'm going to do before I'm doing it because I base my acting off my partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-don-t-want-to-make-decisions-about-what-i-m-going-to-do-before-i-m/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years-old/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've got a black woolen hat and it's got Pervert written across the front of it. It's the name of the clothing label. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-got-a-black-woolen-hat-and-it-s-got-pervert-written-across-the/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [There is some really good crack when I come back here. This is where I learned to swear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-is-some-really-good-crack-when-i-come-back-here-this-is-where-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I think if you're going on thinking oh, I can do this with my eyes shut, then it's probably not the right thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-think-if-you-re-going-on-thinking-oh-i-can-do-this-with-my-eyes/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I was nine years old when I made up my mind that that was what I definitely wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-was-nine-years-old-when-i-made-up-my-mind-that-that-was-what-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I was born in '71, so I remember bits of glam rock on 'Top of the Pops' toward the late '70s, but I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-was-born-in-71-so-i-remember-bits-of-glam-rock-on-top-of-the-pops/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I'm sometimes asked 'Can you lose the accent?'and I say 'No, but I can put on another one'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-m-sometimes-asked-can-you-lose-the-accent-and-i-say-no-but-i-can/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've never worked with an acting coach, no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-never-worked-with-an-acting-coach-no/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I especially love my Moto Guzzi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-especially-love-my-moto-guzzi/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've never found acting that difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-ve-never-found-acting-that-difficult/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I love skiing, scuba diving and hang-gliding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-skiing-scuba-diving-and-hang-gliding/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [There's something that happens where you go, if you're lucky, goodness me, from film to another film to another film. And you can sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-s-something-that-happens-where-you-go-if-you-re-lucky-goodness/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't care about Oscars. It's such self-aggrandizing nonsense. It's a way to manipulate people into believing that their choices are what's good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-don-t-care-about-oscars-it-s-such-self-aggrandizing-nonsense-it-s-a/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) [Explore all 170 Ewan McGregor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) ## 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": "Drama school can't make you a brilliant actor, but you can do stuff for three years - you're not going to be fired. 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