--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting doesn't have anything to do with…" description: "\"Acting doesn't have anything to do with listening to the words. We never really listen, in general conversation, to what the other person is saying. We..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/jack-lemmon-15749_acting_acting-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with_51336.jpg" --- # Acting doesn't have anything to do with listening to the… ![“Acting doesn't have anything to do with listening to the words. We never really listen, in general conversation, to what the other person is saying. We listen to what they mean. And what they mean is often quite apart from the words. When you see a scene between two actors that goes really well…” quote by Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/jack-lemmon-15749_acting_acting-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with_51336.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/jack-lemmon-15749_acting_acting-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with_51336.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b5/jack-lemmon-15749_acting_acting-doesn-t-have-anything-to-do-with_51336.jpg) > “Acting doesn't have anything to do with listening to the words. We never really listen, in general conversation, to what the other person is saying. We listen to what they mean. And what they mean is often quite apart from the words. When you see a scene between two actors that goes really well you can be sure they're not listening to each other - they're feeling what the other person is trying to get at. Know what I mean?” [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True acting relies on interpreting intent and emotion rather than literal dialogue, allowing performers to respond to the underlying meaning. **In simple terms:** Acting is about feeling intent, not words. Key Takeaway Listen to subtext, not just words. Themes communication empathy interpretation performance nonverbal cues Mood introspective analytical thoughtful Type observation insight When to use this quote - theatrical rehearsal - film scene work - improvisation class - director-actor discussion - acting coach feedback Key Concepts subtext emotional resonance intent presence Practical Applications - enhance actor training - improve script analysis Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on subtext change an actor's preparation? - What techniques help actors stay present to another's intent? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-doesn-641484/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Listening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening/) [Listening Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/listening-words-729135/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Saying Listen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-listen-729136/) [Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [It's not about what you're saying, it's about how you listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/it-s-not-about-what-you-re-saying-it-s-about-how-you-listen/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [If I play somebody's mixtape, if it gets on my nerves halfway through because it's too loud or everything sounds the same, it makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valee/if-i-play-somebody-s-mixtape-if-it-gets-on-my-nerves-halfway-through/) [Valee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valee/) > [“Sometimes we hear more of what a person is saying when we listen to what they’re not saying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-p-mauro-sr/sometimes-we-hear-more-of-what-a-person-is-saying-when-we-listen-to/) [Anthony P. Mauro, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-p-mauro-sr/) > [Being a writer means taking the leap from listening to saying 'Listen to me'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jhumpa-lahiri/being-a-writer-means-taking-the-leap-from-listening-to-saying-listen/) [Jhumpa Lahiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jhumpa-lahiri/) > [“Don't listen to what I'm saying. Listen to what I'm listening to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-listen-to-what-i-m-saying-listen-to-what-i-m-listening-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“just because one is submissive doesn’t make them stupid. My experience has suggested the opposite. 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Please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-tell-you-everything-that-is-really-nothing-and-nothing-of-what-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything about her seems to be saying, Listen, if you don’t look attentively, if you don’t go beyond my simplicity to detect the simmering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/everything-about-her-seems-to-be-saying-listen-if-you-don-t-look/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [Listening to someone talk isn't at all like listening to their words played over on a machine. What you hear when you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/listening-to-someone-talk-isn-t-at-all-like-listening-to-their-words/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [“Sometimes, when people speak, I cease listening to their words and zoom in instead on the cadence, and it can seem lovely, and at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/sometimes-when-people-speak-i-cease-listening-to-their-words-and-zoom/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/so-when-you-are-listening-to-somebody-completely-attentively-then-you-2/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [You can tell a person's past, present and future by listening to the words they use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/you-can-tell-a-person-s-past-present-and-future-by-listening-to-the/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“So when you are listening to somebody, completely, attentively, then you are listening not only to the words, but also to the feeling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-marks/so-when-you-are-listening-to-somebody-completely-attentively-then-you/) [Darryl Marks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-marks/) > [Like a baby learning language, we learn how to communicate with God by listening to His words first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/like-a-baby-learning-language-we-learn-how-to-communicate-with-god-by/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More by Jack Lemmon > [I have been fortunate to be able to have a career playing comedy and drama. And it's awfully hard - it's like apples and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-have-been-fortunate-to-be-able-to-have-a-career-playing-comedy-and/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [how she moves. That's just like Jell-O on springs. She must have some sort of built-in motors. I tell you, it's a whole different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/how-she-moves-that-s-just-like-jell-o-on-springs-she-must-have-some/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [Once I had started film, I suddenly said, 'Wow, I love it.' I moved there from New York. But I've always gone back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/once-i-had-started-film-i-suddenly-said-wow-i-love-it-i-moved-there/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [Anything truly worthwhile does not come easy. 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I understand them and their frustrations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/people-are-probably-correct-when-they-see-me-as-the-so-called/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I think whatever you do, if you are going to do well or even if you don't do it well, you have to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-think-whatever-you-do-if-you-are-going-to-do-well-or-even-if-you/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I had no desire to be in the movies. All my training had been in the theater, thank God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-had-no-desire-to-be-in-the-movies-all-my-training-had-been-in-the/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [In general, I think comedy is more difficult to write, to direct, and to act successfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/in-general-i-think-comedy-is-more-difficult-to-write-to-direct-and-to/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [If I'd been bright, I'd have realized that I was horribly uncomfortable, amazingly frustrated, and like any sensible person, I'd have quit. But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/if-i-d-been-bright-i-d-have-realized-that-i-was-horribly/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I have lost someone I loved as a brother, as a closest friend, and a remarkable human being. We have also lost one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-have-lost-someone-i-loved-as-a-brother-as-a-closest-friend-and-a/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I don't think Ed Horman could be dishonest if his life depended on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-don-t-think-ed-horman-could-be-dishonest-if-his-life-depended-on-it/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [I had already played a lead on Broadway before I ever did a film. I had had three, four seasons of stock with good,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/i-had-already-played-a-lead-on-broadway-before-i-ever-did-a-film-i/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [Part of an actor's job is to actually adopt the world-view of the character she is playing and to tell the story from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/part-of-an-actor-s-job-is-to-actually-adopt-the-world-view-of-the/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) > [Success is always somebody else's opinion of you; but it doesn't amount to a damn compared to your own opinion of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lemmon/success-is-always-somebody-else-s-opinion-of-you-but-it-doesn-t/) [Jack Lemmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) [Explore all 42 Jack Lemmon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lemmon/) ## 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! 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