--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know how to do anything else…" description: "\"I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor.\" — Ian Somerhalder" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg" --- # I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor. ![“I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor.” quote by Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg) > “I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor.” [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker feels limited to acting, lacking other skills or interests. **In simple terms:** He sees himself only as an actor. Key Takeaway Explore interests beyond acting. Themes identity career self‑discovery Mood thoughtful curious Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - career transition - skill development - hobby exploration Key Concepts personal growth creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What other passions could you develop? - How does acting shape your self‑view? A Different Perspective Acting may be a strong identity, but diversification helps resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Actors live dependent on being validated by other people's opinions. I don't understand what it is I do that people want. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shia-labeouf/actors-live-dependent-on-being-validated-by-other-people-s-opinions-i/) [Shia LaBeouf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shia-labeouf/) > [I don't really know who I am as an actor: the best thing would be to experiment with it for the next 30 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-barnes/i-don-t-really-know-who-i-am-as-an-actor-the-best-thing-would-be-to/) [Ben Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-barnes/) > [I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor. If I wasn't in this, I would be in alternative energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-other-than-be-an-actor-if-i-wasn/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [I don't know one actor that became an actor for healthy reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-reinhold/i-don-t-know-one-actor-that-became-an-actor-for-healthy-reasons/) [Judge Reinhold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judge-reinhold/) > [I know, as an actor, I don't like sharing everything with the director. And it's fine if they don't with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-know-as-an-actor-i-don-t-like-sharing-everything-with-the-director/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [You know, if an actor or, say, a basketball player writes a rhyme, it doesn't mean he's a rapper. You got to put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redman/you-know-if-an-actor-or-say-a-basketball-player-writes-a-rhyme-it/) [Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redman/) > [My favorite actors are actors who are enigmatic and mysterious and never make the obvious choice in terms of the projects they do or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/my-favorite-actors-are-actors-who-are-enigmatic-and-mysterious-and/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [I know as an actor there is a certain liberation auditioning for a role that has no beauty requirements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mireille-enos/i-know-as-an-actor-there-is-a-certain-liberation-auditioning-for-a/) [Mireille Enos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mireille-enos/) > [You know, the hard thing about audiences not liking what a character does is that they sometimes take it out on the actor personally.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-cardellini/you-know-the-hard-thing-about-audiences-not-liking-what-a-character/) [Linda Cardellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-cardellini/) > [I - you know, I'm not an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/i-you-know-i-m-not-an-actor/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [It's such a gift when you know who you're writing for and you know that that actor is capable of so much that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/it-s-such-a-gift-when-you-know-who-you-re-writing-for-and-you-know/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [As a model you do play a certain role and you know as an actor you play another role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-ward/as-a-model-you-do-play-a-certain-role-and-you-know-as-an-actor-you/) [Gemma Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-ward/) > [Obviously I like to make sure that my life is separate, so as me as a person, I know that my fans know me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/obviously-i-like-to-make-sure-that-my-life-is-separate-so-as-me-as-a/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [Most actors will tell you that it takes a while to figure out what you want to be because we just want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachelle-lefevre/most-actors-will-tell-you-that-it-takes-a-while-to-figure-out-what/) [Rachelle Lefevre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachelle-lefevre/) > [As I didn't belong from a filmy background, I didn't know how to become an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nidhhi-agerwal/as-i-didn-t-belong-from-a-filmy-background-i-didn-t-know-how-to/) [Nidhhi Agerwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nidhhi-agerwal/) ## More by Ian Somerhalder > [I don't care how hot a girl is - if she doesn't like animals, it would be a major, major problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-care-how-hot-a-girl-is-if-she-doesn-t-like-animals-it-would/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [The most underused, under-appreciated group of people in the world is our youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/the-most-underused-under-appreciated-group-of-people-in-the-world-is/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [What I've started to realize is that social media is not just technology - it's become its own entity, full of energy waves. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/what-i-ve-started-to-realize-is-that-social-media-is-not-just/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts - it starts with a shift in consciousness. This shift allows you to recognize that with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/going-green-doesn-t-start-with-doing-green-acts-it-starts-with-a/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Nina Dobrev makes my job easy, its hard not to melt when she looks at you with those doe eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/nina-dobrev-makes-my-job-easy-its-hard-not-to-melt-when-she-looks-at/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [For me, commitment boils down to honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/for-me-commitment-boils-down-to-honor/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Social media is changing the world, and we're all here whitnessing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/social-media-is-changing-the-world-and-we-re-all-here-whitnessing-it/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Our Animal Sanctuary initiative has many layers. We are aiming to create a place where abandoned and bullied creatures come together with bullied youth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/our-animal-sanctuary-initiative-has-many-layers-we-are-aiming-to/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Men have an important role to play in sending out the message that real men do not hurt or abuse their partners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/men-have-an-important-role-to-play-in-sending-out-the-message-that/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [In each of its forms, love has an infinite scope of potential expansion, all of which I see leading to growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/in-each-of-its-forms-love-has-an-infinite-scope-of-potential/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Within hours, tweetted piece of information you've just doled out has become a monsoon, a hurricane of tangible energy that is literally circulating the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/within-hours-tweetted-piece-of-information-you-ve-just-doled-out-has/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Maybe one of the only things I do well: I cook like a maniac! I would be a chef if I weren't an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/maybe-one-of-the-only-things-i-do-well-i-cook-like-a-maniac-i-would/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [The film business creates a large amount of waste, and I'm not immune to waste in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/the-film-business-creates-a-large-amount-of-waste-and-i-m-not-immune/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [Every love story needs a catalyst of some sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/every-love-story-needs-a-catalyst-of-some-sort/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [If you love someone when you're 20 and you carry that love with you until you're 90, it's not going to be the same dynamic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/if-you-love-someone-when-you-re-20-and-you-carry-that-love-with-you/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) [Explore all 166 Ian Somerhalder quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) ## 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. 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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! 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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian Somerhalder" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-other-than-be-an-actor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-other-than-be-an-actor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ian-somerhalder-2439_theatre_i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-oth_2016328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know how to do anything else other than be an actor.” — Ian Somerhalder", "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": "Ian Somerhalder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know how to do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-other-than-be-an-actor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-don-t-know-how-to-do-anything-else-other-than-be-an-actor/#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 } } ] } ```