--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I messed around in high school, but I…" description: "\"I messed around in high school, but I pretty much put it away until I did a television show in San Francisco.\" — Gary Cole" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/gary-cole-9784_high-school_i-messed-around-in-high-school-but-i-pre_891364.jpg" --- # I messed around in high school, but I pretty much put it… ![“I messed around in high school, but I pretty much put it away until I did a television show in San Francisco.” quote by Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/gary-cole-9784_high-school_i-messed-around-in-high-school-but-i-pre_891364.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/gary-cole-9784_high-school_i-messed-around-in-high-school-but-i-pre_891364.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/50b/gary-cole-9784_high-school_i-messed-around-in-high-school-but-i-pre_891364.jpg) > “I messed around in high school, but I pretty much put it away until I did a television show in San Francisco.” [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) ## 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 youthful mischief, noting a shift to serious work after a TV opportunity. **In simple terms:** He stopped messing around after TV work. Key Takeaway Channel early energy into focused projects. Themes growth career discipline Mood introspective optimistic Type career personal When to use this quote - career transition - skill development - project focus - life priorities Key Concepts personal development media industry Questions to Reflect On - How did the TV show change your outlook? - What lessons from youth still help you? A Different Perspective Early habits may still influence current work style. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Did Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-television-705816/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [Messed High](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messed-high-1150894/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Shows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shows/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television San](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-san-1150893/) [Television show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-show/) ## Related quotes > [It's amazing how many people you see on TV. I did my first television show a month ago, and the next day five million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/it-s-amazing-how-many-people-you-see-on-tv-i-did-my-first-television/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [The first thing I did on television was a PBS thing where I played a priest. It was a Walt Whitman or Carl Sandburg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-grammer/the-first-thing-i-did-on-television-was-a-pbs-thing-where-i-played-a/) [Kelsey Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-grammer/) > [Before I did any television or film, I did years and years of theater. Television and film stuff, even though it went on for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-shalhoub/before-i-did-any-television-or-film-i-did-years-and-years-of-theater/) [Tony Shalhoub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-shalhoub/) > [I did three television shows in Poughkeepsie in one day, with Adrian Adonis and The Iron Sheik. They gave us no food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/i-did-three-television-shows-in-poughkeepsie-in-one-day-with-adrian/) [Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/) > [I never stopped working when I got married and had kids. I did television and always tried to do what I could do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soni-razdan/i-never-stopped-working-when-i-got-married-and-had-kids-i-did/) [Soni Razdan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soni-razdan/) > [Canadian cities looked the way American cities did on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gibson/canadian-cities-looked-the-way-american-cities-did-on-television/) [William Gibson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gibson/) > [After I did television, I just felt I didn't have any more to give to the medium. And so I went back to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ng-chin-han/after-i-did-television-i-just-felt-i-didn-t-have-any-more-to-give-to/) [Ng Chin Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ng-chin-han/) > [I did a television commercial when I was 12 back home with Diaw. I have known him a long time. We are very close.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-fournier/i-did-a-television-commercial-when-i-was-12-back-home-with-diaw-i/) [Evan Fournier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-fournier/) > [Did television execs have souls? Now, that was an existential question and a half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/did-television-execs-have-souls-now-that-was-an-existential-question/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [A successful current affairs television show seems to be more and more a cross between a music hall turn and a scene in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-macmillan/a-successful-current-affairs-television-show-seems-to-be-more-and/) [Harold MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-macmillan/) > [I have a new television show in the works, and that is all I can say right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-stone/i-have-a-new-television-show-in-the-works-and-that-is-all-i-can-say/) [Angie Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-stone/) > [That's what happens when they give guys like me a television show: you try and get toys and Garbage Pail Kids!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/that-s-what-happens-when-they-give-guys-like-me-a-television-show-you/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [Being on a successful television show is a good thing. It’s steady work. It’s a chance to work with a group of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-rowan/being-on-a-successful-television-show-is-a-good-thing-it-s-steady/) [Kelly Rowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-rowan/) > [At the end of the day, if you don't identify with the main characters, no television show will work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiro-murai/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-you-don-t-identify-with-the-main-characters/) [Hiro Murai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiro-murai/) > [I felt pretty good growing up. I didnt feel a lot of prejudice or racism. But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) ## More by Gary Cole > [It was really executed well, from the art direction to the wardrobe to everyone else. And I have to say, two really exceptional directors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/it-was-really-executed-well-from-the-art-direction-to-the-wardrobe-to/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [The one nice thing about doing a character for a long time is, you begin to feel more comfortable, and you are thinking less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/the-one-nice-thing-about-doing-a-character-for-a-long-time-is-you/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Christopher Walken could literally read a phone book and fill a theater, and it would be interesting to watch. I've often wanted to produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/christopher-walken-could-literally-read-a-phone-book-and-fill-a/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Other than advances in technology and equipment, making a movie is the same as it was when I started, at least. I don't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/other-than-advances-in-technology-and-equipment-making-a-movie-is-the/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [A lot of actors in my age bracket look at being still standing as pretty good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/a-lot-of-actors-in-my-age-bracket-look-at-being-still-standing-as/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Clint Eastwood is a very soft-spoken, humble guy, actually, which helped put somebody like me at ease, who had never worked with somebody as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/clint-eastwood-is-a-very-soft-spoken-humble-guy-actually-which-helped/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [When you make a movie, it's up to so many things and so many people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/when-you-make-a-movie-it-s-up-to-so-many-things-and-so-many-people/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Television is a big roulette table on so many levels. That's all it is for actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/television-is-a-big-roulette-table-on-so-many-levels-that-s-all-it-is/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I just don't eat too much. That's never been my problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/i-just-don-t-eat-too-much-that-s-never-been-my-problem/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I am also a drummer of sorts. I've got an electronic set sitting in my bedroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/i-am-also-a-drummer-of-sorts-i-ve-got-an-electronic-set-sitting-in-my/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I don't think anyone sets out to do something bad, it's just that it's very difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/i-don-t-think-anyone-sets-out-to-do-something-bad-it-s-just-that-it-s/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Improv is not something I had a lot of experience with, because for a long time, my only experience in front of a camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/improv-is-not-something-i-had-a-lot-of-experience-with-because-for-a/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [Then, at some point, you get identified with certain things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/then-at-some-point-you-get-identified-with-certain-things/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > [I still like to listen to the people that I came of age on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/i-still-like-to-listen-to-the-people-that-i-came-of-age-on/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) > ['Office Space' I loved doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/office-space-i-loved-doing/) [Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) [Explore all 70 Gary Cole quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/) ## More High school quotes > [High school sucked. 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I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [“I swear that I will never cause trouble for anybody, as long as I live!! So please! 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