--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She didn't need to go to acting school to…" description: "\"She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the essence of acting is to act like you're not acting.\" — George Burns" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png" --- # She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the… ![“She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the essence of acting is to act like you're not acting.” quote by George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png) > “She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the essence of acting is to act like you're not acting.” [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting truly means being natural, shedding self‑consciousness to embody the role authentically. **In simple terms:** Act like you’re not acting. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity. Themes authenticity performance confidence Mood humorous insightful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - stage performance - public speaking - teaching - social interactions Key Concepts acting technique psychology of self presence Questions to Reflect On - When have you felt most authentic? - How can you reduce self‑consciousness? A Different Perspective Overthinking can hinder natural performance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-school/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) ## Related quotes > [The art of acting is act like you are not acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cotn-dlvx/the-art-of-acting-is-act-like-you-are-not-acting/) Cotn Dlvx > [The essence of acting is the conveyance of truth through the medium of the actor's mind and person. The science of acting deals with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minnie-maddern-fiske/the-essence-of-acting-is-the-conveyance-of-truth-through-the-medium/) [Minnie Maddern Fiske](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minnie-maddern-fiske/) > [The essence of acting is seeing the world from another point of view. That's what acting is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/the-essence-of-acting-is-seeing-the-world-from-another-point-of-view/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [I'm curious about other people. That's the essence of my acting. I'm interested in what it would be like to be you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-m-curious-about-other-people-that-s-the-essence-of-my-acting-i-m/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [I've just been very excited that over the years I've constantly had those types of different experiences. I like staying a little bit like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosario-dawson/i-ve-just-been-very-excited-that-over-the-years-i-ve-constantly-had/) [Rosario Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosario-dawson/) > [All acting is an act of imagination. You are simply conjuring up imaginary circumstances in your mind and responding truthfully to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/all-acting-is-an-act-of-imagination-you-are-simply-conjuring-up/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [I've been drawing since I was a little kid, but it's not something I love to do every day. If there's one thing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinny-guadagnino/i-ve-been-drawing-since-i-was-a-little-kid-but-it-s-not-something-i/) [Vinny Guadagnino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinny-guadagnino/) > [Study, find all the good teachers and study with them, get involved in acting to act, not to be famous or for the money.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/study-find-all-the-good-teachers-and-study-with-them-get-involved-in/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [The art of acting is not to act. Once you show them more, what you show them, in fact is bad acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/the-art-of-acting-is-not-to-act-once-you-show-them-more-what-you-show/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [“You cannot think your way into a new way of acting, but you can act your way into a new way of thinking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cannot-think-your-way-into-a-new-way-of-acting-but-you-can-act/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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 feel like with acting it's not like you make a choice - it's kind of in you and you have to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-feel-like-with-acting-it-s-not-like-you-make-a-choice-it-s-kind-of/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [It's so funny, you go to acting school thinking you're going to learn how to be other people, but really it taught me how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/it-s-so-funny-you-go-to-acting-school-thinking-you-re-going-to-learn/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [Besides stray instances of acting in school and college, I hadn't prepared myself to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mawra-hocane/besides-stray-instances-of-acting-in-school-and-college-i-hadn-t/) [Mawra Hocane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mawra-hocane/) > [I didn't go to acting school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-chatwin/i-didn-t-go-to-acting-school/) [Justin Chatwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-chatwin/) ## More by George Burns > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Being an actor is easy, just picture someone in a room and you outside waiting for your cue to go in. Elliot Gould's been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/being-an-actor-is-easy-just-picture-someone-in-a-room-and-you-outside/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Sex can be fun after eighty, after ninety, and after lunch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/sex-can-be-fun-after-eighty-after-ninety-and-after-lunch/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/too-bad-all-the-people-who-know-how-to-run-this-country-are-busy/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [At my age flowers scare me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/at-my-age-flowers-scare-me/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I was brought up to respect my elders, so now I don't have to respect anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-was-brought-up-to-respect-my-elders-so-now-i-don-t-have-to-respect/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [What actresses do today when they appear on the screen is what they did once upon a time for getting to appear on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/what-actresses-do-today-when-they-appear-on-the-screen-is-what-they/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If you were married to Marilyn Monroe, you'd cheat with some ugly girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/if-you-were-married-to-marilyn-monroe-you-d-cheat-with-some-ugly-girl/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I find you have to take each day as it comes and be thankful for who's left and whatever you can still do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-find-you-have-to-take-each-day-as-it-comes-and-be-thankful-for-who/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Take care not to wear stripes that are out of sync with your wrinkles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/take-care-not-to-wear-stripes-that-are-out-of-sync-with-your-wrinkles/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [ By \[age\] 93, I had shrunk quite a lot. My car was known as the Phantom Cadillac. People would see it whizzing by and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/by-age-93-i-had-shrunk-quite-a-lot-my-car-was-known-as-the-phantom/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [I drink coffee with my right hand, and I smoke with my left. But I talk with both hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/i-drink-coffee-with-my-right-hand-and-i-smoke-with-my-left-but-i-talk/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Nice to be here? At my age it's nice to be anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/nice-to-be-here-at-my-age-it-s-nice-to-be-anywhere/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [Be sure to wear a good cologne, a nice aftershave lotion, and a strong underarm deodorant. And it might be a good idea to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/be-sure-to-wear-a-good-cologne-a-nice-aftershave-lotion-and-a-strong/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [My best advice: Fall in love with what you do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/my-best-advice-fall-in-love-with-what-you-do-for-a-living/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) [Explore all 151 George Burns quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the essence of acting is to act like you're not acting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Burns" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-to-learn-that-the-essence-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-to-learn-that-the-essence-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c1/george-burns-2737_acting_she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-t_3141775.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She didn't need to go to acting school to learn that the essence of acting is to act like you're not acting.” — George Burns", "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": "George Burns", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "She didn't need to go to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-to-learn-that-the-essence-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/she-didn-t-need-to-go-to-acting-school-to-learn-that-the-essence-of/#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 } } ] } ```