--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a…" description: "\"As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of identification. In The Conversation I played a c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg" --- # As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at… ![“As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of identification. In The Conversation I played a character who was gay, so nobody recognised me from American Graffiti. When I did Apocalypse Now, after Star Wars, I played an intelligence officer…” quote by Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg) > “As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of identification. In The Conversation I played a character who was gay, so nobody recognised me from American Graffiti. When I did Apocalypse Now, after Star Wars, I played an intelligence officer of the American army. George Lucas saw the footage I had done and didn't recognise me until halfway through the scene.” [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early career struggle with typecasting and recognition in acting **In simple terms:** Struggled to be seen beyond previous roles Key Takeaway Seek diverse roles to break typecast Themes career identity recognition typecasting industry perseverance Mood frustrated hopeful reflective Type anecdotal career industry When to use this quote - auditions - casting decisions - networking - publicity strategies - role selection Key Concepts typecasting public perception career development Questions to Reflect On - How can actors reshape audience expectations? - What strategies help overcome typecasting? A Different Perspective Even with varied roles, audience bias can persist ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-army/) [Apocalypse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalypse/) [Apocalypse Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalypse-now/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Graffiti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graffiti/) [Identification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identification/) [Intelligence officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-officers/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Star wars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-wars/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The movie I've seen the most times, boy, that's a tough one. It would have to be a toss-up between Apocalypse Now and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crosby/the-movie-i-ve-seen-the-most-times-boy-that-s-a-tough-one-it-would/) [David Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crosby/) > [American Graffiti was the first movie where the director let me have any input. It was the first time anyone ever listened to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/american-graffiti-was-the-first-movie-where-the-director-let-me-have/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [“I realised that by being with him I had become someone else, someone I didn't recognise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-thurlow/i-realised-that-by-being-with-him-i-had-become-someone-else-someone-i/) [Chloe Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-thurlow/) > [I beg your pardon I didn't recognise you - I've changed a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/i-beg-your-pardon-i-didn-t-recognise-you-i-ve-changed-a-lot/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The media has gone through lots of things that make it a less foreign thing to have your lead character be gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-media-has-gone-through-lots-of-things-that-make-it-a-less-foreign/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [It's so politically incorrect to make a character gay and then make them 'un-gay' again. Like, once you become gay, you've crossed over, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-noxon/it-s-so-politically-incorrect-to-make-a-character-gay-and-then-make/) [Marti Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-noxon/) > [I think every time you take a female character, a black character, a Hispanic character, a gay character, and make that the point of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-wein/i-think-every-time-you-take-a-female-character-a-black-character-a/) [Len Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-wein/) > [I always liked movies like 'American Graffiti' and 'Gregory's Girl.' 'Gregory's Girl' is particularly perfect because it really captures that summer holiday bubble of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/i-always-liked-movies-like-american-graffiti-and-gregory-s-girl/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > ['American Graffiti' stayed in my mind, but I don't think to this day I've done a film that captured that same level of melancholy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-reno/american-graffiti-stayed-in-my-mind-but-i-don-t-think-to-this-day-i/) [Jean Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-reno/) > [Richard Dreyfuss, when we were doing 'American Graffiti,' was pumping me to vote for McGovern. But I think I wound up going for Nixon.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/richard-dreyfuss-when-we-were-doing-american-graffiti-was-pumping-me/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [None of the films I've done was designed for a mass audience, except for 'Indiana Jones.' Nobody in their right mind thought 'American Graffiti'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/none-of-the-films-i-ve-done-was-designed-for-a-mass-audience-except/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > ['American Graffiti' was unpleasant because of the fact that there was no money, no time, and I was compromising myself to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/american-graffiti-was-unpleasant-because-of-the-fact-that-there-was/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > ['The Wood' was sort of like 'American Graffiti' for me in a lot of different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-famuyiwa/the-wood-was-sort-of-like-american-graffiti-for-me-in-a-lot-of/) [Rick Famuyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-famuyiwa/) > [I was a banker in Morocco when I first saw 'American Graffiti.' It was before I was an actor, a melancholy time in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-reno/i-was-a-banker-in-morocco-when-i-first-saw-american-graffiti-it-was/) [Jean Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-reno/) > [Some intelligence officers filed reports saying that this is a dangerous group, but at one level it was not forwarded, it was just ignored,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoweri-museveni/some-intelligence-officers-filed-reports-saying-that-this-is-a/) [Yoweri Museveni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoweri-museveni/) ## More by Harrison Ford > [Failures are inevitable. Unfortunately, in film they live for ever and they're 40 ft wide and 20 ft high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/failures-are-inevitable-unfortunately-in-film-they-live-for-ever-and/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [The kindest word to describe my performance in school was Sloth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/the-kindest-word-to-describe-my-performance-in-school-was-sloth/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [ When we were making it \[Star Wars\], none of the effects were in. So the first time, I thought it was, you know, that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/when-we-were-making-it-star-wars-none-of-the-effects-were-in-so-the/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [A bad guy in a movie has a lot of latitude for acting. He can walk up the wall, crawl across the ceiling, go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/a-bad-guy-in-a-movie-has-a-lot-of-latitude-for-acting-he-can-walk-up/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I wanted to live the life, a different life. I didn't want to go to the same place every day and see the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-wanted-to-live-the-life-a-different-life-i-didn-t-want-to-go-to-the/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [There are a lot of different paths through the jungle, but...the simplest thing you can do is make yourself useful. Be easy to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/there-are-a-lot-of-different-paths-through-the-jungle-but-the/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [My older kids are fantastic people. It can't be the result of my influence on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/my-older-kids-are-fantastic-people-it-can-t-be-the-result-of-my/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I think I did have a reputation for being grumpy. I don't think I'm grumpy. I have opinions. I have an independent vision. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-think-i-did-have-a-reputation-for-being-grumpy-i-don-t-think-i-m/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [ That \[film What's My Line\] was very useful to me because it had Branch Rickey in a social situation. Every other bit of film… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/that-film-what-s-my-line-was-very-useful-to-me-because-it-had-branch/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [Because the character is a fiction, he's a composite of other contributors to the science that brought this enzyme therapy through the process. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/because-the-character-is-a-fiction-he-s-a-composite-of-other/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [Henry: Well I'm sorry about your head though, but I thought you were one of them. Indiana: Dad, they come in through the doors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/henry-well-i-m-sorry-about-your-head-though-but-i-thought-you-were/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [ It's the primordial characters \[of the Star Wars\]. It's the beautiful princess and the callow youth and the smartass that I played and the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/it-s-the-primordial-characters-of-the-star-wars-it-s-the-beautiful/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I love the comic opportunities that come up in the context of a father-son relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-love-the-comic-opportunities-that-come-up-in-the-context-of-a/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I don't think I have something that's pronounceable as a philosophy. ... When it was fashionable to say, "May the Force be with you,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-don-t-think-i-have-something-that-s-pronounceable-as-a-philosophy/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [I prefer to be part of a positive statement. I'm not interested in the psyche of a serial killer. What I'm interested in is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/i-prefer-to-be-part-of-a-positive-statement-i-m-not-interested-in-the/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) [Explore all 208 Harrison Ford quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) ## More American army quotes > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“The Ganeva conference on Indochina agreements stated that the south of Vietnam would be handed over to a provisional administration after two years at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/the-ganeva-conference-on-indochina-agreements-stated-that-the-south/) [Michael G. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-kramer/) > [The gallantry and aggressive fighting spirit of the Russian soldiers command the American army's admiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-c-marshall/the-gallantry-and-aggressive-fighting-spirit-of-the-russian-soldiers/) [George C. Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-c-marshall/) > [“As well, I want our special force commandos to silently slip into Cat Bi and Gia Lam airfields and destroy the aircraft stationed there.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/as-well-i-want-our-special-force-commandos-to-silently-slip-into-cat/) [Michael G. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-kramer/) > [“Looking up, Missouri saw a formation of low-flying P-47's on the horizon, heading up the coast from Naples...Sergeant Missouri laughed aloud. "They're sending us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-daly/looking-up-missouri-saw-a-formation-of-low-flying-p-47-s-on-the/) [Maureen Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-daly/) > [“Dante was standing near the Ponte Vecchio, a bridge that crosses the Arno River in Florence. It was just before 1300… Dante saw Beatrice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-johnson/dante-was-standing-near-the-ponte-vecchio-a-bridge-that-crosses-the/) [Robert A. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [“Johnson describes a scene that played out in the summer of 1940. The Germans had swept through Poland and France, and Marshall called in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/johnson-describes-a-scene-that-played-out-in-the-summer-of-1940-the/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The world came so close to self-destruction during my lifetime. I was serving in the American Army, in the Pacific, at the time they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-world-came-so-close-to-self-destruction-during-my-lifetime-i-was/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“A French lieutenant was asked by the commander of the French forces, “Jean, it seems to me that many people are only saying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/a-french-lieutenant-was-asked-by-the-commander-of-the-french-forces/) [Michael G. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-kramer/) > [When it was reported to General Washington that the army was frequently indulging in swearing, he immediately sent out the following order: The general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/when-it-was-reported-to-general-washington-that-the-army-was/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [“The Russians would lose 305,000 troops in the last 42 miles approaching Berlin---about the number of American army soldiers who died in all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-cherny/the-russians-would-lose-305-000-troops-in-the-last-42-miles/) [Andrei Cherny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-cherny/) > [In Vietnam, our soldiers came back and they were reviled as baby killers, in shame and humiliation. It isn't happening now, but I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/in-vietnam-our-soldiers-came-back-and-they-were-reviled-as-baby/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [A chaplain's assistant is customarily a figure of fun in the American Army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/a-chaplain-s-assistant-is-customarily-a-figure-of-fun-in-the-american/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [TOPE, v. To tipple, booze, swill, soak, guzzle, lush, bib, or swig. In the individual, toping is regarded with disesteem, but toping nations are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/tope-v-to-tipple-booze-swill-soak-guzzle-lush-bib-or-swig-in-the/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“One thing that became very clear during my own war service is that those who are actively taking part in war-like activities very seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-g-kramer/one-thing-that-became-very-clear-during-my-own-war-service-is-that/) [Michael G. Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-g-kramer/) [Browse all 32 American army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of identification. In The Conversation I played a character who was gay, so nobody recognised me from American Graffiti. When I did Apocalypse Now, after Star Wars, I played an intelligence officer of the American army. George Lucas saw the footage I had done and didn't recognise me until halfway through the scene.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harrison Ford" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a-problem-for-me-at-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a-problem-for-me-at-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c0/harrison-ford-1782_american-army_as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a_1216729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a matter of fact, that was a bit of a problem for me at the beginning of my career - the problem of…” — Harrison Ford", "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": "Harrison Ford", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a matter of fact, that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a-problem-for-me-at-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/as-a-matter-of-fact-that-was-a-bit-of-a-problem-for-me-at-the/#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 } } ] } ```