--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As much as I liked acting for its…" description: "\"As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always felt I should do something that I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png" --- # As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the… ![“As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always felt I should do something that I could control.” quote by Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png) > “As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always felt I should do something that I could control.” [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The desire for creative control can outweigh the joy of spontaneous performance, prompting a shift toward structured work. **In simple terms:** I prefer work I can control over playful acting. Key Takeaway Seek roles that offer creative authority. Themes creativity control career artistic fulfillment risk Mood reflective ambitious Type philosophical career‑oriented When to use this quote - career planning - project leadership - creative direction Key Concepts artistic autonomy career decision‑making personal growth Questions to Reflect On - Do you value control over spontaneity? - How can you balance both? A Different Perspective Control can limit improvisational growth and collaboration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Playfulness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playfulness/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Double Dhamaal' is my first family entertainer and I liked acting in it because it has lots of gags and comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mallika-sherawat/double-dhamaal-is-my-first-family-entertainer-and-i-liked-acting-in/) [Mallika Sherawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mallika-sherawat/) > [I grew up doing martial arts, and it's one of these things where I always kind of liked acting, but I was never real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-hill/i-grew-up-doing-martial-arts-and-it-s-one-of-these-things-where-i/) [Jody Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-hill/) > [I always liked acting, but it was not that I was dying to become an actress. It just happened, and I am enjoying it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urmila-matondkar/i-always-liked-acting-but-it-was-not-that-i-was-dying-to-become-an/) [Urmila Matondkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urmila-matondkar/) > [I secretly liked acting, but I wanted to play football. It was an enormous dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-sives/i-secretly-liked-acting-but-i-wanted-to-play-football-it-was-an/) [Jamie Sives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-sives/) > [I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I never planned my career in the film industry, in acting. Yes, I always liked acting, but never ever I thought it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urmila-matondkar/i-never-planned-my-career-in-the-film-industry-in-acting-yes-i-always/) [Urmila Matondkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urmila-matondkar/) > [I didn't want to break with my family. I wasn't about to make waves. But I had this feeling I wanted to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kimbrough/i-didn-t-want-to-break-with-my-family-i-wasn-t-about-to-make-waves/) [Charles Kimbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kimbrough/) > [I liked writing before I figured out I liked acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-cruikshank/i-liked-writing-before-i-figured-out-i-liked-acting/) [Lucas Cruikshank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-cruikshank/) > [Radha Krishna Sir, the director of 'Jil,' had seen 'Madras Cafe' and liked my acting in it. He wanted a performer and so got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/radha-krishna-sir-the-director-of-jil-had-seen-madras-cafe-and-liked/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) > [I don't like acting and I never have liked acting and I never wanted to be an actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elsa-lanchester/i-don-t-like-acting-and-i-never-have-liked-acting-and-i-never-wanted/) [Elsa Lanchester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elsa-lanchester/) > [Rohit Shetty liked my acting in the movie 'Theeran,' which released in 2017. He believed that I would justify the role of a baddie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhimanyu-singh/rohit-shetty-liked-my-acting-in-the-movie-theeran-which-released-in/) [Abhimanyu Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhimanyu-singh/) > [Funnily enough, when I was leaving school and they asked you what you were going to do, and I just liked acting, that's never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kylie-minogue/funnily-enough-when-i-was-leaving-school-and-they-asked-you-what-you/) [Kylie Minogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kylie-minogue/) > [I liked acting early on, and I really liked roles that were meaningful to me, and 'Baywatch' was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-eleniak/i-liked-acting-early-on-and-i-really-liked-roles-that-were-meaningful/) [Erika Eleniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-eleniak/) > [When I was younger, I always liked acting. You know, like, acting locally, or community theater at school. But it's not an especially insured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/when-i-was-younger-i-always-liked-acting-you-know-like-acting-locally/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [Photography is solitary and there are lags between seeing with your eyes and seeing through the lens, and then seeing the image on your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-marclay/photography-is-solitary-and-there-are-lags-between-seeing-with-your/) [Christian Marclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-marclay/) ## More by Harold Ramis > [Somebody once told me that if you laugh at a George Bush joke, or you send an email cartoon to your friends that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/somebody-once-told-me-that-if-you-laugh-at-a-george-bush-joke-or-you/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've always thought that comedy was just another dramatic expression. I try to measure the amount of truth in a work rather than just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-always-thought-that-comedy-was-just-another-dramatic-expression/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can perceive life as tragic, or you can laugh at the tragedy of it and that turns it into comedy. It doesn't change…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/you-can-perceive-life-as-tragic-or-you-can-laugh-at-the-tragedy-of-it/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-m-terrified-beyond-the-capacity-for-rational-thought/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can't not have feelings about country clubs, whichever side you're on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/you-can-t-not-have-feelings-about-country-clubs-whichever-side-you-re/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [That's one of the great things about DVD: In addition to reaching people who didn't catch the movie in theaters, you get to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/that-s-one-of-the-great-things-about-dvd-in-addition-to-reaching/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [It doesn't take any longer to improvise 10 takes than it takes to shoot 10 takes of the same thing. It turns out to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/it-doesn-t-take-any-longer-to-improvise-10-takes-than-it-takes-to/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I've never taken a script to the stage or to principal photography and said, "This is perfect. This is as good as it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-ve-never-taken-a-script-to-the-stage-or-to-principal-photography/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I realized that my righteous indignation was a form of entertainment for me. I loved getting pissed off at injustice. I didn't do anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-realized-that-my-righteous-indignation-was-a-form-of-entertainment/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [My characters aren't losers. They're rebels. They win by their refusal to play by everyone else's rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/my-characters-aren-t-losers-they-re-rebels-they-win-by-their-refusal/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I made a handshake agreement with my best friend in college, Michael Shamberg, who is now a movie producer. We used to write shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-made-a-handshake-agreement-with-my-best-friend-in-college-michael/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [The trick with sequels is, you have to give people what they liked before, yet be innovative enough so they don't feel like they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/the-trick-with-sequels-is-you-have-to-give-people-what-they-liked/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [Life doesn't care about your vision. You just gotta roll with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/life-doesn-t-care-about-your-vision-you-just-gotta-roll-with-it/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [I look for the meaning in what's funny, and I look for what's funny about things that are meaningful to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/i-look-for-the-meaning-in-what-s-funny-and-i-look-for-what-s-funny/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) > [You can't love somebody into a state of mental health. A lot of people get into serious relationships thinking they're going to heal someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/you-can-t-love-somebody-into-a-state-of-mental-health-a-lot-of-people/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) [Explore all 117 Harold Ramis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## 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": "As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always felt I should do something that I could control.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harold Ramis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1a2/harold-ramis-4057_acting_as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfu_276733.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage…” — Harold Ramis", "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": "Harold Ramis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As much as I liked acting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-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 } } ] } ```