--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All my life, even as an actor, I felt…" description: "\"All my life, even as an actor, I felt like I was really trying to be dutiful, which sometimes got in my way of being creative and being an artist.\" — F..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/fala-chen-12192_actor_all-my-life-even-as-an-actor-i-felt-like_834224.jpg" --- # All my life, even as an actor, I felt like I was really… ![“All my life, even as an actor, I felt like I was really trying to be dutiful, which sometimes got in my way of being creative and being an artist.” quote by Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/fala-chen-12192_actor_all-my-life-even-as-an-actor-i-felt-like_834224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/fala-chen-12192_actor_all-my-life-even-as-an-actor-i-felt-like_834224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffe/fala-chen-12192_actor_all-my-life-even-as-an-actor-i-felt-like_834224.jpg) > “All my life, even as an actor, I felt like I was really trying to be dutiful, which sometimes got in my way of being creative and being an artist.” [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Balancing duty and creativity can create tension, hindering artistic expression. **In simple terms:** Duty can stifle creativity. Key Takeaway Find harmony between responsibility and artistic freedom. Themes art creativity duty personal growth career development Mood reflective inquisitive Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - project deadlines - creative brainstorming - personal projects - performance reviews Key Concepts psychology art theory Questions to Reflect On - In what ways does responsibility enhance or limit your creativity? - How can you integrate duty without losing artistic spark? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on duty may suppress authentic artistic voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-felt-586403/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Dutiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dutiful/) [Felt Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-like/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-actor/) [My life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-life/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Trying Dutiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-dutiful-586404/) ## Related quotes > [whatever devotion to something else there was in him had been made impure by church taken as a weekly, dutiful thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-boyle/whatever-devotion-to-something-else-there-was-in-him-had-been-made/) [Kay Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-boyle/) > [To have a dutiful family, the father's principle of rule must be love, not fear. His sway must be gentle, or he will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/to-have-a-dutiful-family-the-father-s-principle-of-rule-must-be-love/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [In point of fact I was a perfectly devoted and dutiful little Catholic—until the day I learned that animals have no souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kay/in-point-of-fact-i-was-a-perfectly-devoted-and-dutiful-little/) [Susan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kay/) > [When I have loving parents, it is not difficult to be dutiful to them. But if I can be dutiful to parents who hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-low/when-i-have-loving-parents-it-is-not-difficult-to-be-dutiful-to-them/) [Alex Low](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-low/) > [I have too much work on my hands and I would not be a dutiful husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/i-have-too-much-work-on-my-hands-and-i-would-not-be-a-dutiful-husband/) [Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/) > [“I know. I know. Me? Dutiful daughter? All-round good girl? Owner of an up-and-coming event-planning company? Killer of plants and unwed at thirty? Pulling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-desai/i-know-i-know-me-dutiful-daughter-all-round-good-girl-owner-of-an-up/) [Sara Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-desai/) > [It becomes us, therefore, to be contented, and dutiful subjects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-mayhew/it-becomes-us-therefore-to-be-contented-and-dutiful-subjects/) [Jonathan Mayhew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-mayhew/) > [“Responsibility and duty are different things, you can sacrifice your responsibility for your duty but you cannot sacrifice your duty for your responsibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/responsibility-and-duty-are-different-things-you-can-sacrifice-your/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Being faithful and dutiful is a precious quality of human beings but it creates disasters if the master is a devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/being-faithful-and-dutiful-is-a-precious-quality-of-human-beings-but/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) > [We would often rather seem dutiful to others than to succeed in our duties; and often we would rather tell our friends that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/we-would-often-rather-seem-dutiful-to-others-than-to-succeed-in-our/) [Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/) > [“Ordinary men earns responsibility towards their family, extraordinary men earns duty towards their nation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/ordinary-men-earns-responsibility-towards-their-family-extraordinary/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [A dutiful mother is someone who follows every step her child makes...And a good mother is someone whose child wants to follow her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/a-dutiful-mother-is-someone-who-follows-every-step-her-child-makes/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Can't remember a time when I didn't want to be an actor... though it felt like something I couldn't do until I grew up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/can-t-remember-a-time-when-i-didn-t-want-to-be-an-actor-though-it/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > ['GLOW' was the first time that, from head to toe, I was asked to use my body in a functional, powerful way as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/glow-was-the-first-time-that-from-head-to-toe-i-was-asked-to-use-my/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [I've always slightly worried the kids who play football around my house. They know I'm an actor, but felt sorry for me because they'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/i-ve-always-slightly-worried-the-kids-who-play-football-around-my/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) ## More by Fala Chen > [When I worked in Asia for a long time, I just felt like I needed a break.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/when-i-worked-in-asia-for-a-long-time-i-just-felt-like-i-needed-a/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [When I was a teenager in Georgia I always felt like the odd one. I never felt like I fit in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/when-i-was-a-teenager-in-georgia-i-always-felt-like-the-odd-one-i/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [Armani was a natural fit. And who doesn't like to be invited to Milan and be greeted by Mr. Armani himself? He's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/armani-was-a-natural-fit-and-who-doesn-t-like-to-be-invited-to-milan/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I get auditions for best friend, best girlfriend, a doctor who appears in one scene and tells the protagonist that he has cancer, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-get-auditions-for-best-friend-best-girlfriend-a-doctor-who-appears/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [Like most kids born in China back in the 1980s, I didn't have any siblings. I spent my childhood in Chengdu and had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/like-most-kids-born-in-china-back-in-the-1980s-i-didn-t-have-any/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I ride a bicycle to school every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-ride-a-bicycle-to-school-every-morning/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [It actually takes me a few years before I can watch my own shows, and even then, it's still hard. I'll be like, 'Oh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/it-actually-takes-me-a-few-years-before-i-can-watch-my-own-shows-and/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I was a rebel, the worst kid you could ask for. I did the opposite of everything my parents asked me to do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-was-a-rebel-the-worst-kid-you-could-ask-for-i-did-the-opposite-of/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [Whenever I get no callbacks from the casting people, I will try for the next one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/whenever-i-get-no-callbacks-from-the-casting-people-i-will-try-for/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I'm incredibly close to my family and I think family is such an important thing, in Asian culture especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-m-incredibly-close-to-my-family-and-i-think-family-is-such-an/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [Can you imagine, just talking and chatting with Tony Leung? I got to ask all my fan girl questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/can-you-imagine-just-talking-and-chatting-with-tony-leung-i-got-to/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I wasn't feeling challenged. I needed to walk away and unlearn and relearn everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-wasn-t-feeling-challenged-i-needed-to-walk-away-and-unlearn-and/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I regret something about every single one of my roles. I always, always have something to regret about them, because I just think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-regret-something-about-every-single-one-of-my-roles-i-always-always/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [You're just constantly outputting, and giving all you know so you don't have time to look inside of yourself and to really reflect. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/you-re-just-constantly-outputting-and-giving-all-you-know-so-you-don/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) > [I don't think I'll ever be comfortable posing for a photographer; I was never trained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fala-chen/i-don-t-think-i-ll-ever-be-comfortable-posing-for-a-photographer-i/) [Fala Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) [Explore all 56 Fala Chen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fala-chen/) ## 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! 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