--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was about 17, I didn't speak…" description: "\"When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a foreign language. I'd just grunt. The only time I talked was when I said my lines on set. I did..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png" --- # When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a… ![“When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a foreign language. I'd just grunt. The only time I talked was when I said my lines on set. I didn't speak to any of the actors or anything. Then one day Alison from the Corrie press office started talking to me in the green room and I just…” quote by Jack P. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png) > “When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a foreign language. I'd just grunt. The only time I talked was when I said my lines on set. I didn't speak to any of the actors or anything. Then one day Alison from the Corrie press office started talking to me in the green room and I just decided to talk back. She ran upstairs to tell everyone that she'd just had a 10-minute conversation with me like it was the most unbelievable thing in the world. I just woke up one day and thought, 'I'm going to talk today'. I've really made up for lost time since.” [Jack P. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes overcoming language barriers and social anxiety by taking a small, deliberate step—talking to a colleague—leading to confidence growth and career progress. **In simple terms:** A single conversation sparked his confidence and career. Key Takeaway Take small social risks to build confidence. Themes confidence communication growth overcoming fear career development Mood optimistic encouraging reflective Type motivational personal development When to use this quote - acting set - press interactions - networking events - language immersion - career milestones Key Concepts social anxiety language learning personal development Questions to Reflect On - What small step can you take today? - Who can you ask for a gentle push? A Different Perspective The breakthrough required external prompting, which may not always be available. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Didn Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-speak/) [Foreign language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-language/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Grunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grunt/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Lost time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost-time/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [One day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-day/) [Only time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only-time/) [Presses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presses/) [Ran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ran/) [Rooms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooms/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-english/) [Started Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-talking/) [Talked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talked/) [Talked Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talked-said-2490215/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Talked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-talked-2322396/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Unbelievable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbelievable/) [Unbelievable things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbelievable-things/) [Upstairs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upstairs/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“When was the last time we talked? Before we moved? Even now, when we had time to talk, he walked off to make phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-stone/when-was-the-last-time-we-talked-before-we-moved-even-now-when-we-had/) [C.L. Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-l-stone/) > [Time itself is talked about as something that is unusual, that there could be a parallel time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-spall/time-itself-is-talked-about-as-something-that-is-unusual-that-there/) [Timothy Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-spall/) > [She had a hit for every syllable: 'Don't. You. Ever. Talk. To. Me. Like. That. Ever. Again.' That was the last time I ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-may-treanor/she-had-a-hit-for-every-syllable-don-t-you-ever-talk-to-me-like-that/) [Misty May-Treanor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-may-treanor/) > [I just had that mindset to never settle. That's a credit to my pops, too. He used to say 'the sky's the limit' every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dababy/i-just-had-that-mindset-to-never-settle-that-s-a-credit-to-my-pops/) [DaBaby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dababy/) > [Fidel Castro just talked a long time, and he talked and he talked and he talked and he talked... and he talked during the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-mcgruder/fidel-castro-just-talked-a-long-time-and-he-talked-and-he-talked-and/) [Aaron McGruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-mcgruder/) > [I'm a send this out to everybody who talked about me. Said I'd be dead or in jail by now, it's ok though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-boosie/i-m-a-send-this-out-to-everybody-who-talked-about-me-said-i-d-be-dead/) [Lil Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-boosie/) > [“When I was younger all kinds of people talked to me,” she said. “Told me all sorts of things. Fascinating stories, beautiful, strange stories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-was-younger-all-kinds-of-people-talked-to-me-she-said-told-me/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Washington knew what he was about, though; he listened more than he talked, and when he said something, it was to the point.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/washington-knew-what-he-was-about-though-he-listened-more-than-he/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“And saying you love him is the same as saying you don’t want to know what he really thinks of you. If you talked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/and-saying-you-love-him-is-the-same-as-saying-you-don-t-want-to-know/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [“Interviewer: The other day, when we first talked, you said that you felt that, when you were writing, you were often following invisible patterns.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-stone/interviewer-the-other-day-when-we-first-talked-you-said-that-you-felt/) [Ruth Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-stone/) > [“I never talked about you much." I said to Hardy. My voice sounded odd to my own ears. Hardy stared into my eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-never-talked-about-you-much-i-said-to-hardy-my-voice-sounded-odd-to/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [In chess the most unbelievable thing for me is that it's a game for everybody: rich, poor, girl, boy, old, young. It's a fantastic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judit-polgar/in-chess-the-most-unbelievable-thing-for-me-is-that-it-s-a-game-for/) [Judit Polgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judit-polgar/) > [I have never seen a thin person drinking Diet Coke.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-have-never-seen-a-thin-person-drinking-diet-coke/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [If you believe, then unbelievable things can sometimes be possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tebow/if-you-believe-then-unbelievable-things-can-sometimes-be-possible/) [Tim Tebow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tebow/) > [The most unbelievable thing about my behaviour is that I was convinced it was entirely f\*\*king normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/the-most-unbelievable-thing-about-my-behaviour-is-that-i-was/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) ## More by Jack P. Shepherd > [People say I try to be the centre of attention, but I think I just try to make people laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/people-say-i-try-to-be-the-centre-of-attention-but-i-think-i-just-try/) [Jack P. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/) > [I know I'm getting something out of it (counseling), Pat is getting something, even my daughter is getting something out of it. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/i-know-i-m-getting-something-out-of-it-counseling-pat-is-getting/) [Jack P. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/) > [I won't deny that I'm in touch with my feminine side. If I'm in a lift and there's no one in there, I'll have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/i-won-t-deny-that-i-m-in-touch-with-my-feminine-side-if-i-m-in-a-lift/) [Jack P. Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/) [Explore all 4 Jack P. Shepherd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a foreign language. I'd just grunt. The only time I talked was when I said my lines on set. I didn't speak to any of the actors or anything. Then one day Alison from the Corrie press office started talking to me in the green room and I just decided to talk back. She ran upstairs to tell everyone that she'd just had a 10-minute conversation with me like it was the most unbelievable thing in the world. I just woke up one day and thought, 'I'm going to talk today'. I've really made up for lost time since.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack P. Shepherd" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-english-was-like-a-foreign/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-english-was-like-a-foreign/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23b/jack-p-shepherd-71843_actors_when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-engli_1859060.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was about 17, I didn't speak. English was like a foreign language. I'd just grunt. The only time I…” — Jack P. Shepherd", "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 P. Shepherd", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-p-shepherd/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was about 17, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-english-was-like-a-foreign/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-p-shepherd/when-i-was-about-17-i-didn-t-speak-english-was-like-a-foreign/#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 } } ] } ```