--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really recognized a part of myself - my…" description: "\"I really recognized a part of myself - my true self as a child - in performances like Val Kilmer and Nicolas Cage. I mean, really big, muscular perform..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/greta-lee-6817_big_i-really-recognized-a-part-of-myself-my_2917325.jpg" --- # I really recognized a part of myself - my true self as a… ![“I really recognized a part of myself - my true self as a child - in performances like Val Kilmer and Nicolas Cage. I mean, really big, muscular performances. I wanted to do that. I wanted to take that on. And I believed that I could.” quote by Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/greta-lee-6817_big_i-really-recognized-a-part-of-myself-my_2917325.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/greta-lee-6817_big_i-really-recognized-a-part-of-myself-my_2917325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d82/greta-lee-6817_big_i-really-recognized-a-part-of-myself-my_2917325.jpg) > “I really recognized a part of myself - my true self as a child - in performances like Val Kilmer and Nicolas Cage. I mean, really big, muscular performances. I wanted to do that. I wanted to take that on. And I believed that I could.” [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker identifies with the bold, larger‑than‑life energy of actors like Val Kilmer and Nicolas Cage, seeking to embody that confidence. **In simple terms:** Finding confidence by emulating powerful performances. Key Takeaway Channel boldness to unlock personal potential. Themes self‑discovery performance confidence Mood inspired determined Type reflective motivational When to use this quote - theatre auditions - public speaking - personal branding - creative projects Key Concepts identity role model artistic expression Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of those performances inspire you? - How can you balance imitation with originality? A Different Perspective Mimicking others may suppress authentic voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Muscular Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscular-performances-4233485/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nicolas-cage/) [Performances Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances-like-1252269/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-child-1835712/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [True self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-self/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/val-kilmer-229995/) ## Related quotes > [A lot of the people I'm working with are not actors, or it's their first time in a movie. I'm not trying to shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-swanberg/a-lot-of-the-people-i-m-working-with-are-not-actors-or-it-s-their/) [Joe Swanberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-swanberg/) > [I love performances that move me, like Waheeda Rehman in any of her roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazel-keech/i-love-performances-that-move-me-like-waheeda-rehman-in-any-of-her/) [Hazel Keech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazel-keech/) > [Unlike motor sport, I didn't get into music for the live performances. I like writing and studio work and seeing how a song can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-villeneuve/unlike-motor-sport-i-didn-t-get-into-music-for-the-live-performances/) [Jacques Villeneuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-villeneuve/) > [Label me all you want see if I care, Do I look like I have labeled china on my fore head?? I get looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myothersweetangel199/label-me-all-you-want-see-if-i-care-do-i-look-like-i-have-labeled/) [Myothersweetangel199](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myothersweetangel199/) > [“Children have an amazing ability to perceive this need in the parent(s). The true self of the child seems to know it unconsciously. I’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bradshaw/children-have-an-amazing-ability-to-perceive-this-need-in-the-parent/) [John Bradshaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bradshaw/) > [My real self, the self I have always been from a child, is a loner and nerd, slightly overweight, with a very heavy fringe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayley-atwell/my-real-self-the-self-i-have-always-been-from-a-child-is-a-loner-and/) [Hayley Atwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayley-atwell/) > [“When a child's needs are not met (because they conflict with those of its caretakers), the child's boundaries become defined by the needs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-friedman/when-a-child-s-needs-are-not-met-because-they-conflict-with-those-of/) [Joel Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-friedman/) > [Spartan is about this elite unit of the armed forces named the Delta Force. I play a protege of Val Kilmer's character, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-luke/spartan-is-about-this-elite-unit-of-the-armed-forces-named-the-delta/) [Derek Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-luke/) > [The hardest achievement in acting - in my opinion, anyway - is nailing a role that absolutely nobody else could have played. Pacino owned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-simmons/the-hardest-achievement-in-acting-in-my-opinion-anyway-is-nailing-a/) [Bill Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-simmons/) > [Val Kilmer gave my husband, David Mamet, a Randall knife as a gift when the two of them were making the film 'Spartan.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-pidgeon/val-kilmer-gave-my-husband-david-mamet-a-randall-knife-as-a-gift-when/) [Rebecca Pidgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-pidgeon/) > [When it was announced that Michael Keaton was going to be Batman, everyone was mad. When they announced that Val Kilmer was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-vaughn/when-it-was-announced-that-michael-keaton-was-going-to-be-batman/) [Baron Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-vaughn/) > [I don't want to be Batman. Let Val Kilmer do it. I just want to be Uncle Batman. I have this whole 'warm relationship'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-west/i-don-t-want-to-be-batman-let-val-kilmer-do-it-i-just-want-to-be/) [Adam West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-west/) > [My first-ever celebrity crush was Val Kilmer from 'Top Secret!' Not his biggest film, but I remember loving him in that movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/my-first-ever-celebrity-crush-was-val-kilmer-from-top-secret-not-his/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [I had a lot of fun with Val Kilmer. He's like a big kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-luke/i-had-a-lot-of-fun-with-val-kilmer-he-s-like-a-big-kid/) [Derek Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-luke/) > [There are two things I will never do in my life. I will never climb Mount Everest, and I will never work with Val…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-frankenheimer/there-are-two-things-i-will-never-do-in-my-life-i-will-never-climb/) [John Frankenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-frankenheimer/) ## More by Greta Lee > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [A lot of silence takes so much specificity and detail. 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That's like, not a real fun creative place to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/we-never-set-out-to-make-one-of-the-first-asian-american-shows-on/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [It's an active fight against this messaging that we've been hit over the head with since we were really young, that you were supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/it-s-an-active-fight-against-this-messaging-that-we-ve-been-hit-over/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [I'm all about the child-rearing propaganda. Do the kids thing, do the family thing. If anything, it just makes you a better artist. 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But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. 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