--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I…" description: "\"I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in some way. If not as an actor, I'd perform as an artist. It would have been something that wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/jack-kirby-4317_actor_i-m-a-guy-who-had-to-perform-some-way-i_276221.jpg" --- # I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in… ![“I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in some way. If not as an actor, I'd perform as an artist. It would have been something that would be outstanding in its own way.” quote by Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/jack-kirby-4317_actor_i-m-a-guy-who-had-to-perform-some-way-i_276221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/jack-kirby-4317_actor_i-m-a-guy-who-had-to-perform-some-way-i_276221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e0/jack-kirby-4317_actor_i-m-a-guy-who-had-to-perform-some-way-i_276221.jpg) > “I'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in some way. If not as an actor, I'd perform as an artist. It would have been something that would be outstanding in its own way.” [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He felt compelled to create, whether as an actor or artist, seeking excellence in any medium. **In simple terms:** Creative drive pushes one to excel. Key Takeaway Pursue excellence wherever you create. Themes creativity performance excellence versatility artistry Mood motivational reflective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - acting auditions - art projects - career pivots - personal branding Key Concepts creative compulsion identity through work artistic ambition Questions to Reflect On - What medium best showcases your talent? - How do you define “outstanding” in your work? A Different Perspective Risk of spreading oneself too thin across fields. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [When you get down to it, wrestling is wrestling, and when you get in the ring and start performing, it's up to you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-race/when-you-get-down-to-it-wrestling-is-wrestling-and-when-you-get-in/) [Harley Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-race/) > [I've always been a guy who has had to perform for my team. I have always expected that out of myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-k-subban/i-ve-always-been-a-guy-who-has-had-to-perform-for-my-team-i-have/) [P.K. Subban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-k-subban/) > [It has to be really interesting for me to perform the same role for 365 days non-stop. It becomes taxing for an actor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karishma-tanna/it-has-to-be-really-interesting-for-me-to-perform-the-same-role-for/) [Karishma Tanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karishma-tanna/) > [The world of the stage and the performance on the stage usually does not tend to translate very well - it doesn't tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-alexander/the-world-of-the-stage-and-the-performance-on-the-stage-usually-does/) [Jason Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-alexander/) > [An actor is here to perform. For example, if a character is a Punjabi or a Bihari, and the actor is not, doesn't mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunny-singh/an-actor-is-here-to-perform-for-example-if-a-character-is-a-punjabi/) [Sunny Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunny-singh/) > [Encouragement makes an actor perform better and boosts his confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek/encouragement-makes-an-actor-perform-better-and-boosts-his-confidence/) [Vivek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek/) > [Ultimately your job as an actor is to perform however you're being asked to perform and there's many different procedures as an actor that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-russell/ultimately-your-job-as-an-actor-is-to-perform-however-you-re-being/) [Kurt Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-russell/) > [As an actor, you have to perform the character in the way that people relate to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/as-an-actor-you-have-to-perform-the-character-in-the-way-that-people/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [I am an actor and can perform any role depending on the requirement of the film. I have done several serious and multi-dimensional roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajpal-yadav/i-am-an-actor-and-can-perform-any-role-depending-on-the-requirement/) [Rajpal Yadav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajpal-yadav/) > [People go to see Shakespeare plays over and over, not because the story is new, but because they want to see how a certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/people-go-to-see-shakespeare-plays-over-and-over-not-because-the/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [When I turned director, I enjoyed the challenge of making an actor perform to his best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nizhalgal-ravi/when-i-turned-director-i-enjoyed-the-challenge-of-making-an-actor/) [Nizhalgal Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nizhalgal-ravi/) > ['GLOW' was the first time that, from head to toe, I was asked to use my body in a functional, powerful way as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gilpin/glow-was-the-first-time-that-from-head-to-toe-i-was-asked-to-use-my/) [Betty Gilpin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gilpin/) > [Sometimes you have to get out of your own way as an actor. Young actors tend to over prepare sometimes and over think it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-langella/sometimes-you-have-to-get-out-of-your-own-way-as-an-actor-young/) [Frank Langella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-langella/) > [I'm a New York person. I've never gone out of the way to speak to the press to change my persona - I probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapaport/i-m-a-new-york-person-i-ve-never-gone-out-of-the-way-to-speak-to-the/) [Michael Rapaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapaport/) > [I don't want people to define me. That's the best way for an actor to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/i-don-t-want-people-to-define-me-that-s-the-best-way-for-an-actor-to/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) ## More by Jack Kirby > [All human beings have the capability of doing what they want, what they're attracted to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/all-human-beings-have-the-capability-of-doing-what-they-want-what/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I always resent anybody interfering with anybody else trying to do his job. Everybody has his own job to do. If he's good, he'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-always-resent-anybody-interfering-with-anybody-else-trying-to-do/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I get a lot of comics, and I can look at a comic and tell immediately whether I'll enjoy it or not. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-get-a-lot-of-comics-and-i-can-look-at-a-comic-and-tell-immediately/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [If you're a thorough professional, and they won't let you do a professional job, nobody's going to benefit from it. The people who produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/if-you-re-a-thorough-professional-and-they-won-t-let-you-do-a/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Nobody ever asked me to do anything. Nobody knew what to do. When comics were brand new, nobody knew what kind of comics to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/nobody-ever-asked-me-to-do-anything-nobody-knew-what-to-do-when/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I've done things that I wouldn't ordinarily seem capable of doing. And I've proven myself in situations where there's life and death at stake.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-ve-done-things-that-i-wouldn-t-ordinarily-seem-capable-of-doing-and/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Some of my friends became gangsters. You became a gangster depending upon how fast you wanted a suit. Gangsters weren't the stereotypes you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/some-of-my-friends-became-gangsters-you-became-a-gangster-depending/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [A man is entitled to draw things in his own style. I didn't hurt Superman. I made him powerful. I admire Superman, but I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/a-man-is-entitled-to-draw-things-in-his-own-style-i-didn-t-hurt/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I taught myself how to draw, and I soon found out it was what I really wanted to do. I didn't think I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-taught-myself-how-to-draw-and-i-soon-found-out-it-was-what-i-really/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I've never done anything half-heartedly; it's a disservice to me and the audience if I do it half-heartedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-ve-never-done-anything-half-heartedly-it-s-a-disservice-to-me-and/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [My purpose was what my father's purpose was - to make a living and to have a family. I was going to do the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/my-purpose-was-what-my-father-s-purpose-was-to-make-a-living-and-to/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I hated to fight all the time just to enjoy my day. Fighting wasn't the kind of thing that I enjoyed, but I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-hated-to-fight-all-the-time-just-to-enjoy-my-day-fighting-wasn-t/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [Kid ... Comics will break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/kid-comics-will-break-your-heart/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [All life on Earth is subject to the rumbles and rockings of the parent stucture which has no control over the disastrous effects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/all-life-on-earth-is-subject-to-the-rumbles-and-rockings-of-the/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) > [I feel that man can transcend himself to a point where he can accomplish greater things than he thinks. I see people depressed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kirby/i-feel-that-man-can-transcend-himself-to-a-point-where-he-can/) [Jack Kirby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) [Explore all 112 Jack Kirby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kirby/) ## 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! 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'm a guy who had to perform some way. I had to perform in some way. If not as an actor, I'd perform as an artist. 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