--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had admired Richard Burton for years…" description: "\"I had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I had ever worked with him. He was a great, great actor. It was a joy to get to know him as a p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg" --- # I had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I… ![“I had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I had ever worked with him. He was a great, great actor. It was a joy to get to know him as a person.” quote by Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg) > “I had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I had ever worked with him. He was a great, great actor. It was a joy to get to know him as a person.” [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on admiration for Richard Burton, noting personal joy in discovering his humanity beyond fame. **In simple terms:** He enjoyed learning Burton’s personal side. Key Takeaway Seek personal connections beyond public personas. Themes admiration humanity legacy personal growth Mood appreciative thoughtful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - acting workshops - biographical documentaries - networking events - personal mentorship Key Concepts celebrity culture mentor relationships human connection Questions to Reflect On - What qualities do you value in colleagues? - How can you see beyond public images? A Different Perspective Fame can obscure true character. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Admired Richard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admired-richard-538852/) [Burton Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burton-years-538853/) [Great Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-actor/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Richard Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/richard-burton-538851/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years and years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-and-years/) ## Related quotes > [Mother was engaged briefly to Richard Burton years ago and did a tiny part with him in the film 'Jackpot.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-oxenberg/mother-was-engaged-briefly-to-richard-burton-years-ago-and-did-a-tiny/) [Catherine Oxenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-oxenberg/) > [ I'm a big fan of \[Frank\] Sinatra, he was the best at what he did. The last thing I do is model my career… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-connick-jr/i-m-a-big-fan-of-frank-sinatra-he-was-the-best-at-what-he-did-the/) [Harry Connick, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-connick-jr/) > [I watched a film with a very famous, great, great actor, I won't mention his name because everyone loves his memory, but I thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-watched-a-film-with-a-very-famous-great-great-actor-i-won-t-mention/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [Richard Burton came from the same town as me, so I thought I'd follow my nose, and follow my luck. I think I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/richard-burton-came-from-the-same-town-as-me-so-i-thought-i-d-follow/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [Richard is a very sexy man. He's got that sort of jungle essence that one can sense." (on Richard Burton)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/richard-is-a-very-sexy-man-he-s-got-that-sort-of-jungle-essence-that/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [“Since I was a little girl, I believed I was a child of destiny, and if that is true, Richard Burton was surely my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/since-i-was-a-little-girl-i-believed-i-was-a-child-of-destiny-and-if/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) > [I hung around with Jason Robards, Richard Harris, Robert Shaw, Richard Burton. I knew not to match them for drinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-hung-around-with-jason-robards-richard-harris-robert-shaw-richard/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Mine is an actor's voice, not a singer's voice, but the part was written for an actor (Richard Burton), not a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/mine-is-an-actor-s-voice-not-a-singer-s-voice-but-the-part-was/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [Every actor tries to come to Broadway be it Richard Burton, Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor or Shirley McClain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asrani/every-actor-tries-to-come-to-broadway-be-it-richard-burton-marlon/) [Asrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asrani/) > [Richard Burton is my number one idol. One, because we come from very similar backgrounds and two, because of his fantastic talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/richard-burton-is-my-number-one-idol-one-because-we-come-from-very/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [Richard Burton is one of my heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shand/richard-burton-is-one-of-my-heroes/) [Mark Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shand/) > [“I love not being me, not being Elizabeth Taylor, but being Richard Burton's wife.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tayor/i-love-not-being-me-not-being-elizabeth-taylor-but-being-richard/) [Elizabeth Tayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-tayor/) > [It's a little bit silly to pit us all against each other as if we were running a race. Just think about the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-margulies/it-s-a-little-bit-silly-to-pit-us-all-against-each-other-as-if-we/) [Julianna Margulies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-margulies/) > [I met Peter O'Toole for the first time at Dad's memorial service because my Dad didn't hang around with people like that when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/i-met-peter-o-toole-for-the-first-time-at-dad-s-memorial-service/) [Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/) > [My favourite actor in the world is Richard Burton. I just think he just had everything. I probably couldn't play him, because he's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claes-bang/my-favourite-actor-in-the-world-is-richard-burton-i-just-think-he/) [Claes Bang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claes-bang/) ## More by Gale Gordon > [My wife and I love to read. We're going to have to move out to make room for the books! And we have our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/my-wife-and-i-love-to-read-we-re-going-to-have-to-move-out-to-make/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) > [My voice, I have to say, is kind of miraculous because I was born with a cleft palate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/my-voice-i-have-to-say-is-kind-of-miraculous-because-i-was-born-with/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) > [The last thing in the world I should have done was go into the theater because was inordinately shy as a young man. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/the-last-thing-in-the-world-i-should-have-done-was-go-into-the/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) > [I've worked with very few that I considered unpleasant. Dennis the Menace was a joy to work on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-ve-worked-with-very-few-that-i-considered-unpleasant-dennis-the/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) > [I think anybody who has been in the theater, prefers it. Television is a... factory. You turn out things on a revolving assembly line.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-think-anybody-who-has-been-in-the-theater-prefers-it-television-is/) [Gale Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) [Explore all 6 Gale Gordon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/) ## 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 had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I had ever worked with him. He was a great, great actor. It was a joy to get to know him as a person.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gale Gordon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-and-years-before-i-had-ever/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-and-years-before-i-had-ever/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b4/gale-gordon-56654_actors_i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-a_1637616.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had admired Richard Burton for years and years before I had ever worked with him. He was a great, great…” — Gale Gordon", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gale Gordon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-gordon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had admired Richard Burton for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-and-years-before-i-had-ever/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-gordon/i-had-admired-richard-burton-for-years-and-years-before-i-had-ever/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```