--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Since I started acting, I've always been…" description: "\"Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort of 'beastly entity' that is America and Hollywood, and semi-consciously, I devised a kind of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png" --- # Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort… ![“Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort of 'beastly entity' that is America and Hollywood, and semi-consciously, I devised a kind of route in - I'd seen a lot of people try and fail.” quote by Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png) > “Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort of 'beastly entity' that is America and Hollywood, and semi-consciously, I devised a kind of route in - I'd seen a lot of people try and fail.” [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) ## 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 sees America and Hollywood as a powerful, sometimes predatory force, and he consciously navigates it to avoid common pitfalls. **In simple terms:** America/Hollywood feels like a beast; he plans a careful path. Key Takeaway Choose a strategic route, not a reckless one. Themes industry power navigation career risk Mood cautious determined reflective Type advice industry insight personal narrative When to use this quote - audition preparation - contract negotiation - public image management - network building Key Concepts media influence personal agency survival strategy Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance ambition with caution? - What signs indicate a risky situation? A Different Perspective The 'beast' can also offer opportunities if approached wisely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [I think when I started acting, the whole time I was working towards one day coming to America. Hollywood, in particular, is seen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-hemsworth/i-think-when-i-started-acting-the-whole-time-i-was-working-towards/) [Liam Hemsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-hemsworth/) > [Ever since I first started acting I've wanted to have a long career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hutcherson/ever-since-i-first-started-acting-i-ve-wanted-to-have-a-long-career/) [Josh Hutcherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hutcherson/) > [Hollywood is much more than America. Hollywood belongs to all of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/hollywood-is-much-more-than-america-hollywood-belongs-to-all-of-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [The ultimate idea of rags-to-riches success in America is the Hollywood movie star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marin-ireland/the-ultimate-idea-of-rags-to-riches-success-in-america-is-the/) [Marin Ireland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marin-ireland/) > [People in America and Hollywood are very good at pronouncing my name, to begin with. Socially, they're very adept at listening to somebody's name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioan-gruffudd/people-in-america-and-hollywood-are-very-good-at-pronouncing-my-name/) [Ioan Gruffudd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioan-gruffudd/) > [ If Hollywood is the global producer for \[media\] products all around the world, that's of concern. If all audiences around the world know of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-dong/if-hollywood-is-the-global-producer-for-media-products-all-around-the/) Arthur Dong > [With acting, I've always gotten by in life acting in situations. I'm a small person. I didn't have a chance to be a bully.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-keyah-crystal-keymah/with-acting-i-ve-always-gotten-by-in-life-acting-in-situations-i-m-a/) [T'Keyah Crystal Keymah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-keyah-crystal-keymah/) > [When I was younger, people used to say you only really prove yourself as an actor on stage. And I disagree with that. Some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/when-i-was-younger-people-used-to-say-you-only-really-prove-yourself/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [It matters to me, acting. It's what I do. It's what I've given up a lot to do. It's my life source. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-bates/it-matters-to-me-acting-it-s-what-i-do-it-s-what-i-ve-given-up-a-lot/) [Kathy Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-bates/) > [I haven't given up on acting, but I've gone away from it for a while to concentrate on myself and the fans of 'Star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-logan/i-haven-t-given-up-on-acting-but-i-ve-gone-away-from-it-for-a-while/) [Daniel Logan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-logan/) > [I can't take a break from acting but I've learnt to work my way around films and devote time to my music career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diljit-dosanjh/i-can-t-take-a-break-from-acting-but-i-ve-learnt-to-work-my-way/) [Diljit Dosanjh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diljit-dosanjh/) > [Acting is something I've done since I was six years old, performing for my mum and my family in the living room, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-cole/acting-is-something-i-ve-done-since-i-was-six-years-old-performing/) [Lily Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-cole/) > [I like to jump into different worlds. I'm attracted to the emotional rollercoaster of acting. Now I've been doing it for so many years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-like-to-jump-into-different-worlds-i-m-attracted-to-the-emotional/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [I enjoy acting now more than I ever have. I've had lots of difficult times when I was younger, but that was all tied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/i-enjoy-acting-now-more-than-i-ever-have-i-ve-had-lots-of-difficult/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [Acting has always been something I've wanted to get into. I think the best models are actors; you're taking on a character. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-ross/acting-has-always-been-something-i-ve-wanted-to-get-into-i-think-the/) [Liberty Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-ross/) ## More by Jack O'Connell > [I'd be lying if I said I never think about my female fans in certain shots and certain scenes. Like, when I'm topless, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-d-be-lying-if-i-said-i-never-think-about-my-female-fans-in-certain/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I was a youngster looking up to dudes like Vicky McClure, Joe Dempsie and Michael Socha - in fact, he was a big influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-was-a-youngster-looking-up-to-dudes-like-vicky-mcclure-joe-dempsie/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I find the education I got from living in Derby and being streetwise and knowing the people that I know, the lessons that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-find-the-education-i-got-from-living-in-derby-and-being-streetwise/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I worked on a farm for a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-worked-on-a-farm-for-a-little-bit/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I like the ideology of there being no such thing as perfection. But I'm of the opinion that I have witnessed perfection at various…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-like-the-ideology-of-there-being-no-such-thing-as-perfection-but-i/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [When all my mates used to think they were proper rude boys, they used to take the piss out of me for wearing casual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/when-all-my-mates-used-to-think-they-were-proper-rude-boys-they-used/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I wanted to join the Army when football failed. That was my only realistic form of making an honest living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-wanted-to-join-the-army-when-football-failed-that-was-my-only/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I feel like I've grown up on screen quite a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-feel-like-i-ve-grown-up-on-screen-quite-a-lot/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I'm actually a hippy in real life. I had three dreadlocks on the back of my head once. They were spawning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-m-actually-a-hippy-in-real-life-i-had-three-dreadlocks-on-the-back/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [It's an old story, really: seduced and corrupted, in the end, by an obsessive love for the text.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/it-s-an-old-story-really-seduced-and-corrupted-in-the-end-by-an/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [I quite like to sing, actually - just belting out numbers with my guitar. I find that it's a form of tranquility. After all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/i-quite-like-to-sing-actually-just-belting-out-numbers-with-my-guitar/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [The way America appreciates cinema is different from anywhere in the world. It's celebrated and supported. I don't just mean by the individuals, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/the-way-america-appreciates-cinema-is-different-from-anywhere-in-the/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [ Certain jobs \[films\] are for the business really, because they get an audience, they get a global audience. Certain jobs are as an artist.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/certain-jobs-films-are-for-the-business-really-because-they-get-an/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [If I'm among my boys or people I've grown up with, I can be immature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/if-i-m-among-my-boys-or-people-i-ve-grown-up-with-i-can-be-immature/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) > [Reading scripts is actually quite a relaxing part of the job. Strangely relaxing. This is a whole different ball game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/reading-scripts-is-actually-quite-a-relaxing-part-of-the-job/) [Jack O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) [Explore all 22 Jack O'Connell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/) ## 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": "Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort of 'beastly entity' that is America and Hollywood, and semi-consciously, I devised a kind of route in - I'd seen a lot of people try and fail.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack O'Connell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been-aware-of-the-sort-of-beastly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been-aware-of-the-sort-of-beastly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/753/jack-o-connell-26040_acting_since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been_1234281.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Since I started acting, I've always been aware of the sort of 'beastly entity' that is America and…” — Jack O'Connell", "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": "Jack O'Connell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-o-connell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Since I started acting, I've always...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been-aware-of-the-sort-of-beastly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-o-connell/since-i-started-acting-i-ve-always-been-aware-of-the-sort-of-beastly/#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 } } ] } ```