--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I never set out to be an actor. Again, my…" description: "\"I never set out to be an actor. Again, my mother presented this job by job to me at the time, and if it sounded fun, I would say yes and if it didn't, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/gaby-hoffmann-2890_actor_i-never-set-out-to-be-an-actor-again-my_844135.jpg" --- # I never set out to be an actor. Again, my mother presented… ![“I never set out to be an actor. Again, my mother presented this job by job to me at the time, and if it sounded fun, I would say yes and if it didn't, I would say no. I always knew, since I was 7 or 8 years old, that it was a means to an end and that I wanted to go to college.” quote by Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/gaby-hoffmann-2890_actor_i-never-set-out-to-be-an-actor-again-my_844135.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/gaby-hoffmann-2890_actor_i-never-set-out-to-be-an-actor-again-my_844135.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c2/gaby-hoffmann-2890_actor_i-never-set-out-to-be-an-actor-again-my_844135.jpg) > “I never set out to be an actor. Again, my mother presented this job by job to me at the time, and if it sounded fun, I would say yes and if it didn't, I would say no. I always knew, since I was 7 or 8 years old, that it was a means to an end and that I wanted to go to college.” [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting was a means to an end, chosen for fun and as a path to education, not a lifelong ambition. **In simple terms:** Acting was a fun step toward college, not a career goal. Key Takeaway Choose work that aligns with personal goals. Themes career education choice fun Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - College applications - audition decisions - career counseling Key Concepts Opportunity cost career planning personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What drives your career choices? - How to balance fun and ambition? A Different Perspective May limit long‑term professional development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a better actor because I'm a mother, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-lehman/i-m-a-better-actor-because-i-m-a-mother-i-think/) [Kristin Lehman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-lehman/) > [I come from an artistic family. My dad's an actor, my mother's an actress, my sister's an actress. So I kind of grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/i-come-from-an-artistic-family-my-dad-s-an-actor-my-mother-s-an/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) > [“Love is the most permanent of things, nothing can really shake it, I wished I knew that years ago”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-gomes-mckie/love-is-the-most-permanent-of-things-nothing-can-really-shake-it-i/) Marsha Gomes-Mckie > [I feel very fortunate to have known James Salter, not very well, but I knew him over the years. Always, people would be talking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-salle/i-feel-very-fortunate-to-have-known-james-salter-not-very-well-but-i/) [David Salle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-salle/) > [“But if there was one thing she knew from years as a mechanic, it was that some stains never came out.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-meyer/but-if-there-was-one-thing-she-knew-from-years-as-a-mechanic-it-was/) [Marissa Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-meyer/) > [“But you’re not the person I knew ten years ago. The Sebastian I knew was sweet and gentle and loving, but you … you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-harvey-berrick/but-you-re-not-the-person-i-knew-ten-years-ago-the-sebastian-i-knew/) [Jane Harvey-Berrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-harvey-berrick/) > [But why had he always felt so strongly the magnetic pull of home, why had he thought so much about it and remembered it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-wolfe/but-why-had-he-always-felt-so-strongly-the-magnetic-pull-of-home-why/) [Thomas Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-wolfe/) > [But what could I do? Be stupid for a while? I wasn't sure I knew how, even after so many years of careful observation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/but-what-could-i-do-be-stupid-for-a-while-i-wasn-t-sure-i-knew-how/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [“What I know at sixty, I knew as well at twenty. Forty years of a long, a superfluous, labor of verification.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-i-know-at-sixty-i-knew-as-well-at-twenty-forty-years-of-a-long-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I knew at five years old what I wanted to do for a living. I started reading newspapers and books out loud at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mauro-ranallo/i-knew-at-five-years-old-what-i-wanted-to-do-for-a-living-i-started/) [Mauro Ranallo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mauro-ranallo/) > [You remind me of Christopher Columbus in that you're always discovering things people knew about years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-remind-me-of-christopher-columbus-in-that-you-re-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All we knew for two years was wake up, soundcheck, play the show, go to sleep and fit in a slice of pizza at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alana-haim/all-we-knew-for-two-years-was-wake-up-soundcheck-play-the-show-go-to/) [Alana Haim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alana-haim/) > [Once you walk off the set, if you're an actor, the rest isn't your responsibility, which I like a lot. I'm not responsible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-kirk/once-you-walk-off-the-set-if-you-re-an-actor-the-rest-isn-t-your/) [Justin Kirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-kirk/) > [It's a very important skill set for an actor to be able to bring the humor into any moment, whether you're doing drama or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-buzolic/it-s-a-very-important-skill-set-for-an-actor-to-be-able-to-bring-the/) [Nathaniel Buzolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-buzolic/) > [Don't get too set on becoming an actor at an early age. I think that's where some people get into trouble. Acting becomes their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-highmore/don-t-get-too-set-on-becoming-an-actor-at-an-early-age-i-think-that-s/) [Freddie Highmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-highmore/) ## More by Gaby Hoffmann > [We all got driven out of Manhattan. It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [If somebody smiles at me on the street, I'm like, 'Hi, have a nice day!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/if-somebody-smiles-at-me-on-the-street-i-m-like-hi-have-a-nice-day/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [My senior thesis was a documentary. By the time I graduated from college, I thought I was going to make films, and my interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/my-senior-thesis-was-a-documentary-by-the-time-i-graduated-from/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [My mom could be pretty strict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/my-mom-could-be-pretty-strict/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [Television has filled the space for actors that really want to make good work and not just make a lot of money and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/television-has-filled-the-space-for-actors-that-really-want-to-make/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I think anyone who behaves boorishly but without a good sense of humor is not as fun to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-think-anyone-who-behaves-boorishly-but-without-a-good-sense-of/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I was never that famous, but I do think going to college and really getting away from the business and taking a true break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-was-never-that-famous-but-i-do-think-going-to-college-and-really/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I certainly don't have any boundaries myself, but I think I'm very aware of other people's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-certainly-don-t-have-any-boundaries-myself-but-i-think-i-m-very/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [It's funny because I grew up with the T.V. on 24 hours a day. And the more money I made, the more T.V.s we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/it-s-funny-because-i-grew-up-with-the-t-v-on-24-hours-a-day-and-the/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [History is weirdly dismissed as not having anything to do with the present moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/history-is-weirdly-dismissed-as-not-having-anything-to-do-with-the/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [Looking at somebody looking good is so... boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/looking-at-somebody-looking-good-is-so-boring/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I just try to show up and be relaxed and present and honest. And that's my only trick. And sometimes it works, and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-just-try-to-show-up-and-be-relaxed-and-present-and-honest-and-that/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I started missing acting when I was in school, and I realized after being in the business after however many years that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-started-missing-acting-when-i-was-in-school-and-i-realized-after/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I think I happened to work with sort of a bunch of slightly difficult male directors when I was a kid. I've since worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-think-i-happened-to-work-with-sort-of-a-bunch-of-slightly-difficult/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [My mother is the sort of a person who has no boundaries and no filter. She also has a big ego, but it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/my-mother-is-the-sort-of-a-person-who-has-no-boundaries-and-no-filter/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) [Explore all 146 Gaby Hoffmann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) ## 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": "I never set out to be an actor. Again, my mother presented this job by job to me at the time, and if it sounded fun, I would say yes and if it didn't, I would say no. 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