--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a working actor, and that's what I…" description: "\"I'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted.\" — Genevieve O'Reilly" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg" --- # I'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted. ![“I'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted.” quote by Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg) > “I'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted.” [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She affirms her lifelong desire to be a professional actor. **In simple terms:** She always wanted to be an actor. Key Takeaway Pursue your true vocation with dedication. Themes career passion identity determination Mood inspirational realistic Type career personal When to use this quote - audition process - career planning - role preparation - industry networking Key Concepts theatre studies personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - What sacrifices are needed for artistic careers? - How do you sustain motivation over time? A Different Perspective Passion may clash with practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Working actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-actor/) ## Related quotes > [Theres just a big group of actors in London. There are new ones coming in all the time, who are looking for work, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-eaton/theres-just-a-big-group-of-actors-in-london-there-are-new-ones-coming/) [Rebecca Eaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-eaton/) > [Being a working actor, you're going to do a Spelling show. It's hard not to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casper-van-dien/being-a-working-actor-you-re-going-to-do-a-spelling-show-it-s-hard/) [Casper Van Dien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casper-van-dien/) > [My career is very easy to interpret. It's about working. I'm a working actor, so that's how I see myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-astin/my-career-is-very-easy-to-interpret-it-s-about-working-i-m-a-working/) [Sean Astin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-astin/) > [I've been in the industry long enough now - I've been a working actor since 2002. I'm very aware that at some point, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-heughan/i-ve-been-in-the-industry-long-enough-now-i-ve-been-a-working-actor/) [Sam Heughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-heughan/) > [I don't feel I was ever a 'famous' child actor. I was just a working actor who happened to be a kid. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-moss/i-don-t-feel-i-was-ever-a-famous-child-actor-i-was-just-a-working/) [Elisabeth Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-moss/) > [Nothing is harder than working with an actor who doesn't take it seriously or show up in the same way that you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/nothing-is-harder-than-working-with-an-actor-who-doesn-t-take-it/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [You know, when I was little, I actually did want to be an actor. But I only wanted to play myself. So Instagram is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-calloway/you-know-when-i-was-little-i-actually-did-want-to-be-an-actor-but-i/) [Caroline Calloway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-calloway/) > [“I didn’t really know what kind of actor I wanted to be back then. I didn’t have a real plan or even a mentor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-didn-t-really-know-what-kind-of-actor-i-wanted-to-be-back-then-i/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [We're just actors, man, just part of things. We're just doing our jobs, like everyone else does their jobs. The adulation for us is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkummar-rao/we-re-just-actors-man-just-part-of-things-we-re-just-doing-our-jobs/) [Rajkummar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkummar-rao/) > [I thought, if I was going to date an actor, I wanted a real actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-reeve/i-thought-if-i-was-going-to-date-an-actor-i-wanted-a-real-actor/) [Dana Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-reeve/) > [I had delusions of being a 'serious actor,' and I wanted to pursue those delusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley-shipp/i-had-delusions-of-being-a-serious-actor-and-i-wanted-to-pursue-those/) [John Wesley Shipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley-shipp/) > [The truth is, ever since I was little, I've wanted to be an actor more than I ever wanted to be a movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-moriarty/the-truth-is-ever-since-i-was-little-i-ve-wanted-to-be-an-actor-more/) [Cathy Moriarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-moriarty/) > [I didn't become an actor because I wanted to act. Actually, I wanted to become a marine biologist. But most of all, I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-aames/i-didn-t-become-an-actor-because-i-wanted-to-act-actually-i-wanted-to/) [Willie Aames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-aames/) > [I never saw myself so much as an actor. I wanted to be a cartoonist like Charles M. Schulz and create my own world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hamill/i-never-saw-myself-so-much-as-an-actor-i-wanted-to-be-a-cartoonist/) [Mark Hamill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hamill/) > [I think I was about 16 when I first figured I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to be a fighter pilot before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-irons/i-think-i-was-about-16-when-i-first-figured-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-i/) [Max Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-irons/) ## More by Genevieve O'Reilly > [It's not difficult to be attracted to Rupert Penry-Jones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/it-s-not-difficult-to-be-attracted-to-rupert-penry-jones/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I love Adelaide. It's a great place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-love-adelaide-it-s-a-great-place/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [We used to speak Irish - Gaelic Irish - around the dinner table, but over the years, we lost that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/we-used-to-speak-irish-gaelic-irish-around-the-dinner-table-but-over/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I've had quite a wide spread of a career. But it's not like I've had to negotiate what Sienna Miller has had to negotiate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-ve-had-quite-a-wide-spread-of-a-career-but-it-s-not-like-i-ve-had/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [All of my dad's family, his brothers and sisters, my nana and grandad and all of the cousins emigrated to Australia within two years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/all-of-my-dad-s-family-his-brothers-and-sisters-my-nana-and-grandad/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I have a few homes. I have my family home in Adelaide where my parents and my brothers and sisters are, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-have-a-few-homes-i-have-my-family-home-in-adelaide-where-my-parents/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [Whenever I do a play, there are 'Star Wars' fans at the stage door, and they're always lovely - so excited and so effusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/whenever-i-do-a-play-there-are-star-wars-fans-at-the-stage-door-and/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [When I was around 13 or 14, there were visits to the theater, which really ignited my passion. Going to see live theater is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/when-i-was-around-13-or-14-there-were-visits-to-the-theater-which/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [My goal has always been, from the time I was at drama school, about longevity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/my-goal-has-always-been-from-the-time-i-was-at-drama-school-about/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [It's great to have a job and then go to another one, and have another one to go to after that. It doesn't always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/it-s-great-to-have-a-job-and-then-go-to-another-one-and-have-another/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I think most Irish people are creative. Whether it's music, or dance, or... certainly storytelling is in the blood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-think-most-irish-people-are-creative-whether-it-s-music-or-dance-or/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [What's that comment about every actor being a waiter who is out of a job? I did a lot of waitressing, and I loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/what-s-that-comment-about-every-actor-being-a-waiter-who-is-out-of-a/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I think there are lots of reasons to take projects. Being scared about one is always good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-think-there-are-lots-of-reasons-to-take-projects-being-scared-about/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [Certainly in my youth there was lots of singing, lots of storytelling, and whenever we went to a party, you had to do a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/certainly-in-my-youth-there-was-lots-of-singing-lots-of-storytelling/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) > [I'm a bit of a mongrel, really!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-m-a-bit-of-a-mongrel-really/) [Genevieve O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) [Explore all 25 Genevieve O'Reilly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/) ## 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'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Genevieve O'Reilly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-always-wanted/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-always-wanted/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccd/genevieve-o-reilly-23958_actor_i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-al_2523301.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a working actor, and that's what I always wanted.” — Genevieve O'Reilly", "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": "Genevieve O'Reilly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genevieve-o-reilly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm a working actor, and that's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-always-wanted/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genevieve-o-reilly/i-m-a-working-actor-and-that-s-what-i-always-wanted/#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 } } ] } ```