---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm…"
description: "\"As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the other person and what they're giving me, what I need to be giving them, and what the character i..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg"
---

#  As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the…

![“As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the other person and what they're giving me, what I need to be giving them, and what the character is thinking.” quote by Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg)

> “As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the other person and what they're giving me, what I need to be giving them, and what the character is thinking.”

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

An actor must stay attuned to a partner, balancing give and take while inhabiting a character’s mind.

**In simple terms:** Actors focus on partners and character thoughts.

Key Takeaway

Listen and respond authentically.

Themes

collaboration empathy craft

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

inspirational practical

When to use this quote

- rehearsals
- film sets
- improv workshops
- directed scenes
- co-creation

Key Concepts

theatre method acting interpersonal dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain your own voice while serving the role?
- What boundaries help keep character and self distinct?

A Different Perspective

Risk of losing personal authenticity if overly absorbed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't think I'm capable of giving a character every possible victory, no matter how much I love them, without feeling as if their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-silvera/i-don-t-think-i-m-capable-of-giving-a-character-every-possible/)

[Adam Silvera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-silvera/)

> [One is made by all the things around one. There are many things that have made one. For a writer to go around looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/one-is-made-by-all-the-things-around-one-there-are-many-things-that/)

[V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/)

> [“When you are mindfully focused, the person with whom you are communicating feels that you are making them a priority—that you value their time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/when-you-are-mindfully-focused-the-person-with-whom-you-are/)

[Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/)

> [I like to work and am a focused person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/i-like-to-work-and-am-a-focused-person/)

[Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/)

> [It's hard academically for an ADD sufferer - but, doing something they love, they can be the most focused person of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-gatlin/it-s-hard-academically-for-an-add-sufferer-but-doing-something-they/)

[Justin Gatlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-gatlin/)

> [I'm a very focused person. If I'm focusing on something I don't like distractions and I like to just do that one thing. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunnar-nelson/i-m-a-very-focused-person-if-i-m-focusing-on-something-i-don-t-like/)

[Gunnar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gunnar-nelson/)

> [I did more research into the police procedure. I worked out with SWAT guys and ex- and active military guys, and consulted with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kang/i-did-more-research-into-the-police-procedure-i-worked-out-with-swat/)

[Tim Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kang/)

> [We dont have time to be focused on what the next person is doing, financial problems, or negativity. God said 'stay focused on ME…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-dont-have-time-to-be-focused-on-what-the-next-person-is-doing/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am a focused person. I am a fighter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-das-gracas-silva-foster/i-am-a-focused-person-i-am-a-fighter/)

[Maria das Gracas Silva Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-das-gracas-silva-foster/)

> [Gollum was so interesting to me because he's morally ambivalent, and I love the notion of a quest that is to lose something. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/gollum-was-so-interesting-to-me-because-he-s-morally-ambivalent-and-i/)

[Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/)

> [The attitude of the American public toward the external projection of American power has been much more ambivalent. The public supported America's engagement in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-attitude-of-the-american-public-toward-the-external-projection-of/)

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/)

> [There is scarcely room for doubt that something in the psychological relation of a mother-in-law to a son-in-law breeds hostility between them and makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/there-is-scarcely-room-for-doubt-that-something-in-the-psychological/)

[Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/)

> [When you 'make good,' you find out who your real friends are. You find out pretty quick. And it's a very ambivalent feeling, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-camp/when-you-make-good-you-find-out-who-your-real-friends-are-you-find/)

[Greg Camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-camp/)

> [Americans have always had an ambivalent attitude toward intelligence. When they feel threatened, they want a lot of it, and when they don't, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-a-walters/americans-have-always-had-an-ambivalent-attitude-toward-intelligence/)

[Vernon A. Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-a-walters/)

> [“I find it ironic that someone so ambivalent about living fights so hard to survive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-grover-swank/i-find-it-ironic-that-someone-so-ambivalent-about-living-fights-so/)

[Denise Grover Swank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-grover-swank/)

## More by Geoffrey Rush

> [What I appreciated was the fact that the script delved into how Australians were - and still are - condescended to by the English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/what-i-appreciated-was-the-fact-that-the-script-delved-into-how/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [It's nice going to work and not having to always get on a plane to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/it-s-nice-going-to-work-and-not-having-to-always-get-on-a-plane-to-do/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [This is what happens when you are on the wrong side of 40. Young adults, who could be your children, are now working with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/this-is-what-happens-when-you-are-on-the-wrong-side-of-40-young/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [Being in my more senior years now, you hope somewhere along the track that you're going to get to collide with a role that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/being-in-my-more-senior-years-now-you-hope-somewhere-along-the-track/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I'm so envious of certain actors that have that natural facility to hear a cadence and the rhythm of an accent, that it goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-m-so-envious-of-certain-actors-that-have-that-natural-facility-to/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I die in almost every film I've been in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-die-in-almost-every-film-i-ve-been-in/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I enjoy roles that involve a task outside of my natural capabilities - for example, playing a number of musical instruments or sword fighting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-enjoy-roles-that-involve-a-task-outside-of-my-natural-capabilities/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [People are intrigued and fascinated, almost obsessed with the private lives of great public personalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/people-are-intrigued-and-fascinated-almost-obsessed-with-the-private/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I live in Australia, and I am Australian, and because I grew up in an era where we didn't have a film industry, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-live-in-australia-and-i-am-australian-and-because-i-grew-up-in-an/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [For certain, you have to be lost to find a place that can’t be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/for-certain-you-have-to-be-lost-to-find-a-place-that-can-t-be-found/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [A huge part of what we do as actors is learning to ignore the camera, as if it's not even there, while simultaneously being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/a-huge-part-of-what-we-do-as-actors-is-learning-to-ignore-the-camera/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [Like any classic you hope to get rid of all the varnish that's built up over the centuries where people expect it to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/like-any-classic-you-hope-to-get-rid-of-all-the-varnish-that-s-built/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I don't like the ocean. I'm not a natural swimmer, even though I come from Australia. That' a terrible thing to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-don-t-like-the-ocean-i-m-not-a-natural-swimmer-even-though-i-come/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [There's often rarely any dialogue in a sex scene. With your fellow actor, it's good to talk about what the unspoken dialogue is, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/there-s-often-rarely-any-dialogue-in-a-sex-scene-with-your-fellow/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

> [I asked, 'What is this guy?' They said, he's part-fish, part-bird, maybe a bit of lizard, and you don't have to go through five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/i-asked-what-is-this-guy-they-said-he-s-part-fish-part-bird-maybe-a/)

[Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

[Explore all 67 Geoffrey Rush quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/)

## 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": "As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the other person and what they're giving me, what I need to be giving them, and what the character is thinking.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Geoffrey Rush"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-focused-on-the-other-person/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-focused-on-the-other-person/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/geoffrey-rush-10169_actor_as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-f_1236001.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“As an actor, I'm ambivalent because I'm focused on the other person and what they're giving me, what I need…” — Geoffrey Rush",
                "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": "Geoffrey Rush",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "As an actor, I'm ambivalent because...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-focused-on-the-other-person/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/as-an-actor-i-m-ambivalent-because-i-m-focused-on-the-other-person/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
