---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in…"
description: "\"Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn the camera on, and it gets stiff and tight. And then you trudge back to your trailer feeling..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg"
---

#  Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn…

![“Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn the camera on, and it gets stiff and tight. And then you trudge back to your trailer feeling sad. That's been my experience of film acting.” quote by Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg)

> “Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn the camera on, and it gets stiff and tight. And then you trudge back to your trailer feeling sad. That's been my experience of film acting.”

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The actor admits confidence in rehearsal but feels stiff and sad when filmed, highlighting the challenge of translating rehearsal energy to performance.

**In simple terms:** Rehearsal confidence doesn’t always survive filming.

Key Takeaway

Find ways to stay authentic on camera.

Themes

performance anxiety authenticity artistry

Mood

anxious introspective

Type

professional creative

When to use this quote

- film sets
- rehearsals
- creative blocks

Key Concepts

acting technique self-doubt

Questions to Reflect On

- What techniques help you stay relaxed on set?
- How can you bridge rehearsal and performance?

A Different Perspective

Camera pressure can inhibit natural expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Camera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/camera/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Feeling sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-sad/) [Film acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-acting/) [Rehearsal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rehearsal/) [Sad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad/)

## Related quotes

> [My first experience with film was through a still camera. I would sit, very much against my will, with my father in the game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavid-hood/my-first-experience-with-film-was-through-a-still-camera-i-would-sit/)

[Gavid Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavid-hood/)

> [And film acting is incredibly tedious, just by its nature. It's incredibly, mind numbingly slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/and-film-acting-is-incredibly-tedious-just-by-its-nature-it-s/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [I love the digital camera because it makes shooting easier and economical. I shoot fast, and I can shoot a lot. I shoot rehearsal;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-kashyap/i-love-the-digital-camera-because-it-makes-shooting-easier-and/)

[Anurag Kashyap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-kashyap/)

> [When we experience a film, we consciously prime ourselves for illusion. Putting aside will and intellect, we make way for it in our imagination.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingmar-bergman/when-we-experience-a-film-we-consciously-prime-ourselves-for-illusion/)

[Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingmar-bergman/)

> [So we can sit with Lee Unkrich and Andrew Stanton, and all the other folks and experience what the film is going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/so-we-can-sit-with-lee-unkrich-and-andrew-stanton-and-all-the-other/)

[Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/)

> [What people don't understand about making a film is sometimes your experience on the film shapes who you are. You're gone to another country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-eastwood/what-people-don-t-understand-about-making-a-film-is-sometimes-your/)

[Scott Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-eastwood/)

> [Be able to take any job that gives you experience on a film. Don't just think that you have to be in one department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/be-able-to-take-any-job-that-gives-you-experience-on-a-film-don-t/)

[Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/)

> [Film is a great tool to play with time, going back and forth through time, or speeding time up and slowing it down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/film-is-a-great-tool-to-play-with-time-going-back-and-forth-through/)

[Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/)

> [I don't have any experience with film schools. I suspect that they're useless, because I've had experience with drama schools, and have found them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/i-don-t-have-any-experience-with-film-schools-i-suspect-that-they-re/)

[David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/)

> [It's not good just to have life experience of film-making and that's all. It's hard to play a real person when you've been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/it-s-not-good-just-to-have-life-experience-of-film-making-and-that-s/)

[Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/)

> [Yes, I faced camera for the first time for '18th Cross.' It was a great experience for me to be part of a film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-pandit/yes-i-faced-camera-for-the-first-time-for-18th-cross-it-was-a-great/)

[Radhika Pandit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-pandit/)

> [What will always be possible is for someone to walk into a dark room and experience a film and connect to it. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bujalski/what-will-always-be-possible-is-for-someone-to-walk-into-a-dark-room/)

[Andrew Bujalski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bujalski/)

> [I think theatres will always remain a sacred place where people go for something live and experience things live, which is very different than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-stroman/i-think-theatres-will-always-remain-a-sacred-place-where-people-go/)

[Susan Stroman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-stroman/)

> [When I do a project, I like the idea that someone is going to experience the book, someone is going to experience the film,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-zuckerman/when-i-do-a-project-i-like-the-idea-that-someone-is-going-to/)

[Andrew Zuckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-zuckerman/)

> [All my experience in film has been quite fleeting and tokenesque.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie/all-my-experience-in-film-has-been-quite-fleeting-and-tokenesque/)

[Goldie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie/)

## More by Hugh Grant

> [I've driven people mad on films that I've made - I want more takes; I want to try new lines. Then I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-ve-driven-people-mad-on-films-that-i-ve-made-i-want-more-takes-i/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Some newspapers in Britain have become closer to these kind of mafia families. They wield an incredible power. They choose our governments, they choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/some-newspapers-in-britain-have-become-closer-to-these-kind-of-mafia/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Well, you know I have an office, my film offices. So I know that syndrome. I fancy offices, so there must be something wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/well-you-know-i-have-an-office-my-film-offices-so-i-know-that/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [I'm such a chronic relativist, I can't hold down a strong opinion about many things long enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-m-such-a-chronic-relativist-i-can-t-hold-down-a-strong-opinion/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Do I think human beings are meant to be in 40-year-long monogamous, faithful, relationships? No, No, No. Whoever said they were? Only the Bible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/do-i-think-human-beings-are-meant-to-be-in-40-year-long-monogamous/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [And film acting is incredibly tedious, just by its nature. It's incredibly, mind numbingly slow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/and-film-acting-is-incredibly-tedious-just-by-its-nature-it-s/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Being on a film set, it's mind-numbing. It's like torture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/being-on-a-film-set-it-s-mind-numbing-it-s-like-torture/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of acting: character acting and lead acting. And in my life, to begin with, in the 1980s, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/broadly-speaking-there-are-two-kinds-of-acting-character-acting-and/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> ['The Lair of the White Worm' is quite a strange film. It's difficult to be good when you're saying lines that have been translated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/the-lair-of-the-white-worm-is-quite-a-strange-film-it-s-difficult-to/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [The only reason my work seems to be eclectic up to a certain period is because I was a failure as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/the-only-reason-my-work-seems-to-be-eclectic-up-to-a-certain-period/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Although I'm largely doing other things in life, it's very nice occasionally to put my toe back in the waters of show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/although-i-m-largely-doing-other-things-in-life-it-s-very-nice/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [I look at life and I see some very happy relationships, but I also see the vast majority as not being that happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-look-at-life-and-i-see-some-very-happy-relationships-but-i-also-see/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [Now, I quite like it. For years I sat in these interviews and everyone said, 'You're always Mister Nice Guy, why don't you ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/now-i-quite-like-it-for-years-i-sat-in-these-interviews-and-everyone/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [The reason I turn down 99% of a hundred, I mean a thousand, scripts is because romantic comedies are often very romantic but seldom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/the-reason-i-turn-down-99-of-a-hundred-i-mean-a-thousand-scripts-is/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

> [I never meant to be in romantic comedies; it's just what ended up happening. But they are tricky, in a post-1960s sexual revolution way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/i-never-meant-to-be-in-romantic-comedies-it-s-just-what-ended-up/)

[Hugh Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

[Explore all 117 Hugh Grant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/)

## 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": "Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn the camera on, and it gets stiff and tight. And then you trudge back to your trailer feeling sad. That's been my experience of film acting.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Hugh Grant"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehearsal-then-you-turn-the-camera/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Acting"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehearsal-then-you-turn-the-camera/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ad/hugh-grant-4025_acting_frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehears_2004185.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in rehearsal! Then you turn the camera on, and it gets stiff and tight. And…” — Hugh Grant",
                "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": "Hugh Grant",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-grant/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Frankly, I think I'm marvelous in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehearsal-then-you-turn-the-camera/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-grant/frankly-i-think-i-m-marvelous-in-rehearsal-then-you-turn-the-camera/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
