--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know if I was so much of an…" description: "\"I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I started doing films. That put me on the outside. I grew up in Texas, and I wasn't the child ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg" --- # I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I… ![“I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I started doing films. That put me on the outside. I grew up in Texas, and I wasn't the child of industry parents, and I didn't have a lot of friends in the industry or anything like that.” quote by Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg) > “I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I started doing films. That put me on the outside. I grew up in Texas, and I wasn't the child of industry parents, and I didn't have a lot of friends in the industry or anything like that.” [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realized he felt like an outsider only after entering filmmaking, highlighting how industry background shapes belonging. **In simple terms:** He felt like an outsider after starting films. Key Takeaway Recognize how background influences your sense of belonging. Themes identity industry belonging Mood reflective thoughtful Type personal career When to use this quote - film school - first indie project - networking events - career reflection Key Concepts social dynamics career transition Questions to Reflect On - How does your background affect your career choices? - What steps can you take to build industry connections? A Different Perspective Being an outsider can limit access to opportunities and mentorship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Outsider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outsider/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) ## Related quotes > [I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-know-always-that-i-am-an-outsider-a-stranger-in-this-century-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For although nepenthe has calmed me, I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-although-nepenthe-has-calmed-me-i-know-always-that-i-am-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I was an insurgent. I was, you know, an outsider. And I'm not sure that I'm not better being an outsider.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-was-an-insurgent-i-was-you-know-an-outsider-and-i-m-not-sure-that-i/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I grew up in Texas City, which sounds like a fake city from a TV show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edi-patterson/i-grew-up-in-texas-city-which-sounds-like-a-fake-city-from-a-tv-show/) [Edi Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edi-patterson/) > [I grew up in Texas, but that was 20 years ago. Last year, in Fort Worth, they had hail the size of softballs. We're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-paxton/i-grew-up-in-texas-but-that-was-20-years-ago-last-year-in-fort-worth/) [Bill Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-paxton/) > [I grew up in Texas, and I think anybody who grows up in the Midwest or in the South, it's just a different way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haylie-duff/i-grew-up-in-texas-and-i-think-anybody-who-grows-up-in-the-midwest-or/) [Haylie Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haylie-duff/) > [I grew up in Texas, obviously a huge football state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-brees/i-grew-up-in-texas-obviously-a-huge-football-state/) [Drew Brees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-brees/) > [I grew up in Texas and we used to go to Padre Island, eight hours in the car down to the beach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-grew-up-in-texas-and-we-used-to-go-to-padre-island-eight-hours-in/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [After doing films like 'Rock On!!' and 'Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai,' I realised that I had to do roles that suited my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prachi-desai/after-doing-films-like-rock-on-and-once-upon-a-time-in-mumbaai-i/) [Prachi Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prachi-desai/) > [I'm doing films in the south since they give me ample scope for performance and the industry is also quite organised. The roles I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikitin-dheer/i-m-doing-films-in-the-south-since-they-give-me-ample-scope-for/) [Nikitin Dheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikitin-dheer/) > [I basically enjoy doing films that are about something, that have complex roles that I can sink my teeth into. Basically, I gravitate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/i-basically-enjoy-doing-films-that-are-about-something-that-have/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [I like doing films and I wish that I could do more but I still have to audition. I don't get offered starring roles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-meadows/i-like-doing-films-and-i-wish-that-i-could-do-more-but-i-still-have/) [Tim Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-meadows/) > [I will definitely be doing films down south if anything good comes along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asin/i-will-definitely-be-doing-films-down-south-if-anything-good-comes/) [Asin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asin/) > [Immediately after 'Dil Dhadakne Do' in which I played a mother, I made the choice of not doing films which put me in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-shah/immediately-after-dil-dhadakne-do-in-which-i-played-a-mother-i-made/) [Shefali Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-shah/) > [Those actors who took to politics are those who were not doing well in films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asrani/those-actors-who-took-to-politics-are-those-who-were-not-doing-well/) [Asrani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asrani/) ## More by Henry Thomas > [I would inevitably get the girls who were interested in me because I was the guy from E.T. It was kind of tough. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-would-inevitably-get-the-girls-who-were-interested-in-me-because-i/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I've got a lot of crazy plans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-ve-got-a-lot-of-crazy-plans/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [My dad's family comes from the North, and my mother's family comes from somewhere around Carmarthenshire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/my-dad-s-family-comes-from-the-north-and-my-mother-s-family-comes/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I can't stay in L.A. too long or it starts to grow on me in a bad way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-can-t-stay-in-l-a-too-long-or-it-starts-to-grow-on-me-in-a-bad-way/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [If I can generate enough income, I'd like to get a castle, a historic castle that I can restore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/if-i-can-generate-enough-income-i-d-like-to-get-a-castle-a-historic/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [Whenever I have an opportunity, I catch a train and go to Wales and hire a car and drive around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/whenever-i-have-an-opportunity-i-catch-a-train-and-go-to-wales-and/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I grew up in a rural area, I was from kind of a poor family and my parents weren't showbiz people. But going back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-grew-up-in-a-rural-area-i-was-from-kind-of-a-poor-family-and-my/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I understood why films were made, and if they made a lot of money, they were successful. All of these things I knew. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-understood-why-films-were-made-and-if-they-made-a-lot-of-money-they/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [My son, who is 7, he passed a car in a parking lot that was probably a 1998 model, and he said, 'Wow, Dad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/my-son-who-is-7-he-passed-a-car-in-a-parking-lot-that-was-probably-a/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I was getting a lot of hassles from the public. Everybody recognized me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-was-getting-a-lot-of-hassles-from-the-public-everybody-recognized-me/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [It was like that for the first six months after 'E.T.' was in cinemas. I'd go out and get mobbed. I was a shy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/it-was-like-that-for-the-first-six-months-after-e-t-was-in-cinemas-i/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I figured out that I could think of my childhood dog that had died, and I could bring myself to tears. So I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-figured-out-that-i-could-think-of-my-childhood-dog-that-had-died/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [I got so tired of everybody talking about 'Stranger Things,' I think I developed a mental block against watching it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-got-so-tired-of-everybody-talking-about-stranger-things-i-think-i/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [Carloads of tourists would photograph the family mailbox, and there was weird mail, death threats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/carloads-of-tourists-would-photograph-the-family-mailbox-and-there/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) > [The one thing I've always done is to try not to overcomplicate anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/the-one-thing-i-ve-always-done-is-to-try-not-to-overcomplicate/) [Henry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) [Explore all 31 Henry Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/) ## More After quotes > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/at-the-drop-of-a-hat-people-will-say-there-are-no-roles-for-women/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) Deke Richards > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I have a lot of success and make a good living, but after while, you start going 'Why? Why are you doing all this?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-have-a-lot-of-success-and-make-a-good-living-but-after-while-you/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [See to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/see-to-do-good-and-you-will-find-that-happiness-will-run-after-you/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Sometimes after a compliment about my characterization skills, I'm asked if I model my characters on real people. Emphatically, no. And sort of, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/sometimes-after-a-compliment-about-my-characterization-skills-i-m/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [After The Wizard Of Oz I was typecast as a lion, and there aren't all that many parts for lions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-lahr/after-the-wizard-of-oz-i-was-typecast-as-a-lion-and-there-aren-t-all/) Bert Lahr > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. I did have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-pretty-cautious-and-not-very-athletic-so-i-ve-only-had-really/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I'd like an omelet named after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-sewell/i-d-like-an-omelet-named-after-me/) [Rufus Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-sewell/) Browse all 3,411 After quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I started doing films. That put me on the outside. I grew up in Texas, and I wasn't the child of industry parents, and I didn't have a lot of friends in the industry or anything like that.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outsider-until-after-i-started/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "After" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outsider-until-after-i-started/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/henry-thomas-20263_after_i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outs_2426192.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know if I was so much of an outsider until after I started doing films. That put me on the outside…” — Henry Thomas", "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": "Henry Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know if I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outsider-until-after-i-started/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-thomas/i-don-t-know-if-i-was-so-much-of-an-outsider-until-after-i-started/#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 } } ] } ```