--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actors don't, in fact, retire, do they?…" description: "\"Actors don't, in fact, retire, do they? It took me a while to remember that.\" — Ian Mckellen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_actors-don-t-in-fact-retire-do-they-it-t_3188452.jpg" --- # Actors don't, in fact, retire, do they? It took me a while… ![“Actors don't, in fact, retire, do they? It took me a while to remember that.” quote by Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_actors-don-t-in-fact-retire-do-they-it-t_3188452.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_actors-don-t-in-fact-retire-do-they-it-t_3188452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4d/ian-mckellen-1396_actor_actors-don-t-in-fact-retire-do-they-it-t_3188452.jpg) > “Actors don't, in fact, retire, do they? It took me a while to remember that.” [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors rarely retire; they continue to contribute in various ways. **In simple terms:** Actors keep working in some form. Key Takeaway Stay engaged in your craft lifelong. Themes career longevity aging creativity industry Mood thoughtful encouraging Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - theatre - film - voice work - mentoring Key Concepts Professional identity lifelong learning Questions to Reflect On - What new roles can you explore as you age? - How do you stay relevant? A Different Perspective Physical demands may limit certain roles over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Actors Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-don-454097/) [Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact/) [Fact Retire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fact-retire-5871031/) [In fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/in-fact/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Retire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retire/) [Retire Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retire-took-5871030/) [Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/took/) [While](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/while/) ## Related quotes > [In the early eighties, there were a lot of artists involved with the music scene. 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I don't want to be that type.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wood/there-are-certain-stars-who-are-not-actors-i-don-t-want-to-be-that/) [Natalie Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wood/) > [I like actors who don't have to think too hard about what they have to do to achieve their performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-gondry/i-like-actors-who-don-t-have-to-think-too-hard-about-what-they-have/) [Michel Gondry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-gondry/) > [Actors don't really get into their stride until they're in their late 30s and 40s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orlando-bloom/actors-don-t-really-get-into-their-stride-until-they-re-in-their-late/) [Orlando Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orlando-bloom/) > [I admire a lot of actors, but I don't covet people's careers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-spencer/i-admire-a-lot-of-actors-but-i-don-t-covet-people-s-careers/) [Jesse Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-spencer/) > [There are some great actors I don't want to meet because I don't want to know how they did it. I don't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-friend/there-are-some-great-actors-i-don-t-want-to-meet-because-i-don-t-want/) [Rupert Friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-friend/) > [I guess actors don't like to direct each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jacobson/i-guess-actors-don-t-like-to-direct-each-other/) [Peter Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jacobson/) > [Child actors don't have great track records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-mann/child-actors-don-t-have-great-track-records/) [Leslie Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-mann/) > [Some actors don a woman's role briefly during the course of a film but they make it a point to appear as a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuthirakani/some-actors-don-a-woman-s-role-briefly-during-the-course-of-a-film/) [Samuthirakani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuthirakani/) > [Some actors don't even read the stage directions at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-wright/some-actors-don-t-even-read-the-stage-directions-at-all/) [Edgar Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-wright/) > [I think that most actors don't have very good opinions of themselves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rampling/i-think-that-most-actors-don-t-have-very-good-opinions-of-themselves/) [Charlotte Rampling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rampling/) > [A couple of my favorite actors are Don Cheadle, Jeffrey Wright, and, may he rest in peace, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I've had an opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/a-couple-of-my-favorite-actors-are-don-cheadle-jeffrey-wright-and-may/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [Actors don't have real value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uwe-boll/actors-don-t-have-real-value/) [Uwe Boll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uwe-boll/) ## More by Ian Mckellen > [I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-longed-for-the-theatre-and-acting-to-be-popular-no-actor/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It's my impression that I've done every job that I've been asked to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/it-s-my-impression-that-i-ve-done-every-job-that-i-ve-been-asked-to-do/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm fortunate to be famous for two rather imposing characters like Magneto and Gandalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-fortunate-to-be-famous-for-two-rather-imposing-characters-like/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/tolkien-is-as-good-as-dickens-at-sketching-a-scene/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Godot is whatever it is in life that you are waiting for: 'I'm waiting to win the lottery. I'm waiting to fall in love'.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/godot-is-whatever-it-is-in-life-that-you-are-waiting-for-i-m-waiting/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm only an actor. I'm not a writer. I'm not going to leave any legacy. 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Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-strength-of-british-theatre-should-be-that-these-actors-in-their/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Until I came out, my acting was all about disguise, and thereafter it became about telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/until-i-came-out-my-acting-was-all-about-disguise-and-thereafter-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/elijah-looks-angelic-but-his-beauty-of-spirit-is-what-makes-his-frodo/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > ['The Lego Movie?' I've never heard of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-lego-movie-i-ve-never-heard-of-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-i-appeared-in-coronation-street-i-lived-in-manchester-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef - but that's only when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/before-acting-i-wanted-to-become-a-journalist-i-also-toyed-with-the/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) [Explore all 247 Ian Mckellen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! 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