--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really wasn't even sure if I should…" description: "\"I really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I would like try and figure out if I could be good enough to do it. It was like 10 or 12 years i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/forest-whitaker-3022_acting_i-really-wasn-t-even-sure-if-i-should-co_2046468.jpg" --- # I really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I… ![“I really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I would like try and figure out if I could be good enough to do it. It was like 10 or 12 years into my career before I felt like maybe I can do it. It was such a different time than now.” quote by Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/forest-whitaker-3022_acting_i-really-wasn-t-even-sure-if-i-should-co_2046468.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/forest-whitaker-3022_acting_i-really-wasn-t-even-sure-if-i-should-co_2046468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c62/forest-whitaker-3022_acting_i-really-wasn-t-even-sure-if-i-should-co_2046468.jpg) > “I really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I would like try and figure out if I could be good enough to do it. It was like 10 or 12 years into my career before I felt like maybe I can do it. It was such a different time than now.” [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He doubts his talent until years of experience give him confidence to pursue acting fully. **In simple terms:** Self‑doubt fades with experience. Key Takeaway Trust your growing skill set. Themes self‑confidence career growth Mood reflective inspirational Type personal growth motivational When to use this quote - career transition - acting auditions - personal development - mentorship Key Concepts identity validation resilience Questions to Reflect On - What experience boosted your confidence? - How can you nurture self‑belief? A Different Perspective Confidence may still waver during new challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-like-233504/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Be good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-good/) [Career Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-felt-556899/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Continue Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continue-acting-354286/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Figures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/figures/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [If i could](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/if-i-could/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-career-621242/) ## Related quotes > [In my career I have never felt that my being a woman was an obstacle or an advantage. I guess I've been oblivious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/in-my-career-i-have-never-felt-that-my-being-a-woman-was-an-obstacle/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [Actually even at the beginning of my career, I never felt rejected. I was still working hard and believed in myself. I wasn't in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-kaif/actually-even-at-the-beginning-of-my-career-i-never-felt-rejected-i/) [Katrina Kaif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-kaif/) > [For the first ten years of my career, I felt suffocated. People constantly stood over me while I tried to create. And in 2009,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/for-the-first-ten-years-of-my-career-i-felt-suffocated-people/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [You always want to play at the highest level possible and make the most of your career, and I felt like I did everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-dempsey/you-always-want-to-play-at-the-highest-level-possible-and-make-the/) [Clint Dempsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-dempsey/) > ['300' was a real turning point in my career. Until then, I felt like a steam train that was slowly chugging to the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-butler/300-was-a-real-turning-point-in-my-career-until-then-i-felt-like-a/) [Gerard Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-butler/) > [At the very beginning of my career I felt very strongly about what type of artist I wanted to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/at-the-very-beginning-of-my-career-i-felt-very-strongly-about-what/) [Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/) > [Tennis was my hobby which became my career but it never felt like a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-henman/tennis-was-my-hobby-which-became-my-career-but-it-never-felt-like-a/) [Tim Henman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-henman/) > [To me, OVW was one of my favorite periods in my career. I felt like I was on the greatest adventure of all time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wade-barrett/to-me-ovw-was-one-of-my-favorite-periods-in-my-career-i-felt-like-i/) [Wade Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wade-barrett/) > [There was a time in my career when I felt like I wasn't being true to myself. I was being moulded into an artist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-beer/there-was-a-time-in-my-career-when-i-felt-like-i-wasn-t-being-true-to/) [Madison Beer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-beer/) > [I was raised in, and presumably to, the cutlery business. I really didn't think that that's what I wanted to do for a career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-was-raised-in-and-presumably-to-the-cutlery-business-i-really-didn/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [There were times in my career when I felt like I was serving several different masters, and for me, that wasn't beneficial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-harper/there-were-times-in-my-career-when-i-felt-like-i-was-serving-several/) [Luke Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-harper/) > [One thing I have throughout my career, it felt like I did my best to align myself with quality artists, quality work, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/common/one-thing-i-have-throughout-my-career-it-felt-like-i-did-my-best-to/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/common/) > [In my own personal career, I have felt almost the most difficult thing to deal with is someone who doesn't tell you what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-wintour/in-my-own-personal-career-i-have-felt-almost-the-most-difficult-thing/) [Anna Wintour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-wintour/) > [There hasn't been one moment in my career where I felt I didn't have any control over the creative aspects of my records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrique-iglesias/there-hasn-t-been-one-moment-in-my-career-where-i-felt-i-didn-t-have/) [Enrique Iglesias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrique-iglesias/) > [When I had to go to school and could no longer travel to be with her on the set, she gave up her career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hepburn-ferrer/when-i-had-to-go-to-school-and-could-no-longer-travel-to-be-with-her/) [Sean Hepburn Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hepburn-ferrer/) ## More by Forest Whitaker > [To try and act like we haven't had great progress is not true. Obama didn't fail - he changed the psyche of the nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/to-try-and-act-like-we-haven-t-had-great-progress-is-not-true-obama/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [In high school, I did some musicals, but I never took acting until college. I was studying opera, classical voice, and a speech teacher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/in-high-school-i-did-some-musicals-but-i-never-took-acting-until/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I'm really excited that people are receiving my performance like this. It makes me feel good, because I've been working really hard. And this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-m-really-excited-that-people-are-receiving-my-performance-like-this/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [If I go to a reunion in east Texas, my mother's side or my father's, one out of ten is a preacher or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/if-i-go-to-a-reunion-in-east-texas-my-mother-s-side-or-my-father-s/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [ As an artist, it's a great opportunity to play a character like this \[Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland\]. And… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/as-an-artist-it-s-a-great-opportunity-to-play-a-character-like-this/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I can play a man who's despicable. But I'll still look inside him to find a point of connection. If I can find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-can-play-a-man-who-s-despicable-but-i-ll-still-look-inside-him-to/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [It's all about destiny. That's why people look at the zodiac or the I Ching - because there's a certain order to life, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/it-s-all-about-destiny-that-s-why-people-look-at-the-zodiac-or-the-i/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [My wife is completely different from me: she's good with everyone, whereas I'm good at directed conversation when I have a purpose for it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/my-wife-is-completely-different-from-me-she-s-good-with-everyone/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I was a curious child. I'd debate with anyone who came to the door - people from the Islamic community... Jehovah's Witnesses... anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-was-a-curious-child-i-d-debate-with-anyone-who-came-to-the-door/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [There was a time in my acting career, where I was trying to figure out if acting was the thing to do. You know?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/there-was-a-time-in-my-acting-career-where-i-was-trying-to-figure-out/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [The first time I ever went out of the country, it was to London. I was with the choir from my college, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/the-first-time-i-ever-went-out-of-the-country-it-was-to-london-i-was/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [If I were to mark three, I'd mark Bird, because I grew immensely as an artist, I learned a lot, and also, I think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/if-i-were-to-mark-three-i-d-mark-bird-because-i-grew-immensely-as-an/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I try to be like a forest: revitalizing and constantly growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-try-to-be-like-a-forest-revitalizing-and-constantly-growing/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [I stay true, because whatever the project is, I'm still looking for inside of that character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/i-stay-true-because-whatever-the-project-is-i-m-still-looking-for/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) > [It's a contract of connection to be in the same space and watch and listen to stories and be caught in them. When you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forest-whitaker/it-s-a-contract-of-connection-to-be-in-the-same-space-and-watch-and/) [Forest Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) [Explore all 142 Forest Whitaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forest-whitaker/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 really wasn't even sure if I should continue acting. I would like try and figure out if I could be good enough to do it. It was like 10 or 12 years into my career before I felt like maybe I can do it. 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