--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best advice my dad ever gave me is…" description: "\"The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ef/haley-joel-osment-13043_acting_the-best-advice-my-dad-ever-gave-me-is-t_460758.png" --- # The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is… ![“The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and playing him as if it were a normal day in the life of that character.” quote by Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ef/haley-joel-osment-13043_acting_the-best-advice-my-dad-ever-gave-me-is-t_460758.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ef/haley-joel-osment-13043_acting_the-best-advice-my-dad-ever-gave-me-is-t_460758.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ef/haley-joel-osment-13043_acting_the-best-advice-my-dad-ever-gave-me-is-t_460758.png) > “The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and playing him as if it were a normal day in the life of that character.” [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True performance requires internalizing a role, not merely mimicking outward behavior. **In simple terms:** Act by truly becoming the character, not just pretending. Key Takeaway Embody the role fully. Themes acting authenticity identity performance Mood introspective inspired Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - theatre auditions - film rehearsals - public speaking - personal confidence - role-play therapy Key Concepts method acting psychology role immersion Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate self from character? - When does immersion become unhealthy? A Different Perspective May blur personal boundaries and cause emotional strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Best advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-advice/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dancing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dancing/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mask/) ## Related quotes > [Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/acting-is-not-acting-it-isn-t-putting-on-a-face-and-dancing-around-in/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Acting is the absence of acting. It's believing in the truth of the moment you are creating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-busey/acting-is-the-absence-of-acting-it-s-believing-in-the-truth-of-the/) [Gary Busey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-busey/) > [I think the best advice I got is that acting isn't acting - you just want to just be, you want to be just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/i-think-the-best-advice-i-got-is-that-acting-isn-t-acting-you-just/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [Acting isn't necessarily pretending. It's storytelling. It's giving someone your perspective on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-bowersox/acting-isn-t-necessarily-pretending-it-s-storytelling-it-s-giving/) [Crystal Bowersox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-bowersox/) > [Acting isn't for me. I don't like being told what to do. I'm more interested in set design, more visually driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/acting-isn-t-for-me-i-don-t-like-being-told-what-to-do-i-m-more/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [Acting isn't a sure thing. We're not set to have jobs for the rest of lives, and fame is really fickle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-gould/acting-isn-t-a-sure-thing-we-re-not-set-to-have-jobs-for-the-rest-of/) [Nolan Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-gould/) > [Since ballet has such a solid classical framework, everything is supposed to be a very specific way, so you learn to look at things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonoya-mizuno/since-ballet-has-such-a-solid-classical-framework-everything-is/) [Sonoya Mizuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonoya-mizuno/) > [Acting isn't the be-all end-all. There are a lot of other things in my life that will bring me joy if I didn't act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/acting-isn-t-the-be-all-end-all-there-are-a-lot-of-other-things-in-my/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [Someone once shouted: 'We know you're acting and this isn't real' at a gig in Cambridge. I was 25, playing a 50-year-old lounge singer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-demetriou/someone-once-shouted-we-know-you-re-acting-and-this-isn-t-real-at-a/) [Jamie Demetriou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-demetriou/) > [Acting isn't a game of "pretend." It's an exercise in being real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/acting-isn-t-a-game-of-pretend-it-s-an-exercise-in-being-real/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I like working one-on-one with someone, and I think that to go to a school of acting isn't really my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maeve/i-like-working-one-on-one-with-someone-and-i-think-that-to-go-to-a/) [Stella Maeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maeve/) > [If there is any sense of order to the universe, acting is what I am meant to do. I'm not manufactured. I know acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-qualls/if-there-is-any-sense-of-order-to-the-universe-acting-is-what-i-am/) [DJ Qualls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-qualls/) > [There was a time when I only wanted to show off, but as I've grown older, I've realised that acting isn't an end in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naseeruddin-shah/there-was-a-time-when-i-only-wanted-to-show-off-but-as-i-ve-grown/) [Naseeruddin Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naseeruddin-shah/) > [Acting isn't that hard, really. I mean, I think that people make a big deal about it, but you just kind of try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/acting-isn-t-that-hard-really-i-mean-i-think-that-people-make-a-big/) [Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/) > [The acting thing is so beyond my control. Acting isn't mine. You're like a tiny piece in this big, corporate mechanism that needs chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/the-acting-thing-is-so-beyond-my-control-acting-isn-t-mine-you-re/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) ## More by Haley Joel Osment > [When you get lucky, as I did getting to work on a series of amazing films, one of the drawbacks career-wise is that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/when-you-get-lucky-as-i-did-getting-to-work-on-a-series-of-amazing/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [What I like least about acting is that when you're only in one place, you're missing the other part of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/what-i-like-least-about-acting-is-that-when-you-re-only-in-one-place/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [One of the cool things about getting to audition for things on short notice is that it teaches you to memorize efficiently. So I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/one-of-the-cool-things-about-getting-to-audition-for-things-on-short/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [I went to the Experimental Theater Wing at NYU and wrote and directed a small amount of stuff there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/i-went-to-the-experimental-theater-wing-at-nyu-and-wrote-and-directed/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [I never wanted to do Harry Potter. I thought it should have stayed as a book. There are some books that should be made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/i-never-wanted-to-do-harry-potter-i-thought-it-should-have-stayed-as/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [When you're a kid, and you grow up, it takes some time for people to associate you with more things other than that initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/when-you-re-a-kid-and-you-grow-up-it-takes-some-time-for-people-to/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [My parents were both born in Birmingham, Alabama, and come from large Catholic families with lots of Michaels, Marks, and Patricks, so they wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/my-parents-were-both-born-in-birmingham-alabama-and-come-from-large/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [I like normal stuff people fear - like spiders and heights. I'm frightened by the unknown, by things that are hard to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/i-like-normal-stuff-people-fear-like-spiders-and-heights-i-m/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Just keep learning from the role and not just go for the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/just-keep-learning-from-the-role-and-not-just-go-for-the-money/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [When I was five, I went on my first audition. It was for a Pizza Hut commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/when-i-was-five-i-went-on-my-first-audition-it-was-for-a-pizza-hut/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Kobe Bryant is my favorite basketball player. He takes risks. He goes for the shot. He isn't cautious with whatever he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/kobe-bryant-is-my-favorite-basketball-player-he-takes-risks-he-goes/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [People love to get scared. People want to see the worst thing that can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/people-love-to-get-scared-people-want-to-see-the-worst-thing-that-can/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [One challenge in this industry is that you adopt a certain look for a movie, and then people don't get to see the movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/one-challenge-in-this-industry-is-that-you-adopt-a-certain-look-for-a/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/acting-is-not-acting-it-isn-t-putting-on-a-face-and-dancing-around-in/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [I went to New York University to study experimental theatre in 2006 and was there pretty consistently until 2011.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/i-went-to-new-york-university-to-study-experimental-theatre-in-2006/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) [Explore all 52 Haley Joel Osment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) ## 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": "The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. 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