--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I acted at school but got very bad parts…" description: "\"I acted at school but got very bad parts - things that they'd made up in Shakespeare plays like 'Guard 17' - so I wrote plays and gave myself parts, th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/jack-whitehall-16605_acted_i-acted-at-school-but-got-very-bad-parts_2881480.jpg" --- # I acted at school but got very bad parts - things that… ![“I acted at school but got very bad parts - things that they'd made up in Shakespeare plays like 'Guard 17' - so I wrote plays and gave myself parts, then I wrote sketches, then I did stand-up. Even in the school nativity I was the emu in the manger.” quote by Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/jack-whitehall-16605_acted_i-acted-at-school-but-got-very-bad-parts_2881480.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/jack-whitehall-16605_acted_i-acted-at-school-but-got-very-bad-parts_2881480.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce8/jack-whitehall-16605_acted_i-acted-at-school-but-got-very-bad-parts_2881480.jpg) > “I acted at school but got very bad parts - things that they'd made up in Shakespeare plays like 'Guard 17' - so I wrote plays and gave myself parts, then I wrote sketches, then I did stand-up. Even in the school nativity I was the emu in the manger.” [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He turned early rejection into creative self‑production, progressively expanding his performance mediums. **In simple terms:** He used setbacks to create his own opportunities. Key Takeaway Create your own stage when denied. Themes creativity self‑determination career growth Mood determusiastic reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - school theater - stand‑up - writing - sketches - personal branding Key Concepts self‑production comedy adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn rejection into a new project? - What resources help you self‑produce? A Different Perspective Self‑production may limit exposure compared to mainstream platforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Shakespeare Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-plays/) [Sketches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sketches/) ## Related quotes > [I never really acted at school. It was doing small parts on TV that really got me started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-highmore/i-never-really-acted-at-school-it-was-doing-small-parts-on-tv-that/) [Freddie Highmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-highmore/) > [The only reason I acted in school was because of the community. I was in the chorus of every play and was never the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/the-only-reason-i-acted-in-school-was-because-of-the-community-i-was/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [At Murry Bergtraum High I wanted to be as different from my father as possible. So I acted out in school, I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leguizamo/at-murry-bergtraum-high-i-wanted-to-be-as-different-from-my-father-as/) [John Leguizamo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leguizamo/) > [The only reason why I acted in school was because of the community, like I was in the chorus of every play, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krasinski/the-only-reason-why-i-acted-in-school-was-because-of-the-community/) [John Krasinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krasinski/) > [I acted all through school and college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sarbh/i-acted-all-through-school-and-college/) [Jim Sarbh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sarbh/) > [I didn't act in Israel, but I wrote plays at home and acted in plays at school. I tried to get an agent when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/odeya-rush/i-didn-t-act-in-israel-but-i-wrote-plays-at-home-and-acted-in-plays/) [Odeya Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/odeya-rush/) > [“Like Princes crowned they bore them-- Like Demi-Gods they wrought, When the New World lay before them In headlong fact and thought. Fate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/like-princes-crowned-they-bore-them-like-demi-gods-they-wrought-when/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [The books are always there, just the way you wrote them. The plays often don't turn out the way you wanted them to because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-books-are-always-there-just-the-way-you-wrote-them-the-plays/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I was my class playwright and I wrote plays set in villages with kings and chiefs.My plays were about treason and betrayals. If they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sefi-atta/i-was-my-class-playwright-and-i-wrote-plays-set-in-villages-with/) [Sefi Atta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sefi-atta/) > [People are fascinated by the rich: Shakespeare wrote plays about kings, not beggars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominick-dunne/people-are-fascinated-by-the-rich-shakespeare-wrote-plays-about-kings/) [Dominick Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominick-dunne/) > [I wrote before I could write. I got my hands on a journal, maybe a hand-me-down; I had three older siblings. My first entries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/i-wrote-before-i-could-write-i-got-my-hands-on-a-journal-maybe-a-hand/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [“I have never thought that the man of Stratford-on-Avon wrote the plays of Shakespeare.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-never-thought-that-the-man-of-stratford-on-avon-wrote-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Let's dispel the idiotic notion that the plays were not written by Shakespeare. Of course they were written by Shakespeare. How can we look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-barnes/let-s-dispel-the-idiotic-notion-that-the-plays-were-not-written-by/) Paul Barnes > [The Greeks used to use the same stories, the same mythology, time after time, different authors. There was no premium placed upon an original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-miller/the-greeks-used-to-use-the-same-stories-the-same-mythology-time-after/) [Arthur Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-miller/) > [I always wanted to be some kind of writer - I wrote plays and songs and "books" before I realized living and breathing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-duhamel/i-always-wanted-to-be-some-kind-of-writer-i-wrote-plays-and-songs-and/) [Denise Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-duhamel/) ## More by Jack Whitehall > [I like to think I'm a bit smarter than I sometimes let on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-like-to-think-i-m-a-bit-smarter-than-i-sometimes-let-on/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I've definitely become smuttier. When I first started out, I had these aspirations: 'I'm not going to do jokes about anything crude because I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-ve-definitely-become-smuttier-when-i-first-started-out-i-had-these/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [Oh, you wanna do a little bit of roleplay? Could you just play dead?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/oh-you-wanna-do-a-little-bit-of-roleplay-could-you-just-play-dead/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [Once you start doing a lot, you don't ever want to stop working. It feels weird if you're not doing something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/once-you-start-doing-a-lot-you-don-t-ever-want-to-stop-working-it/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [If I could look like anyone, it would be Jamie Redknapp - even up close, he's amazing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/if-i-could-look-like-anyone-it-would-be-jamie-redknapp-even-up-close/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I was the first person in the world to audition for 'The Hobbit'. The casting director told me that when I went in. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-was-the-first-person-in-the-world-to-audition-for-the-hobbit-the/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [This sausage roll only contains 2% of your daily intake of calories... if you lick it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/this-sausage-roll-only-contains-2-of-your-daily-intake-of-calories-if/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I only got into comedy to get laid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-only-got-into-comedy-to-get-laid/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I want to write a film. I need to think of the right idea and focus on that; I love writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-want-to-write-a-film-i-need-to-think-of-the-right-idea-and-focus-on/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I love Downton Abbey. It's just great. My mother giving birth to me was just like Lady Sybil giving birth, except that there wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-love-downton-abbey-it-s-just-great-my-mother-giving-birth-to-me-was/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I bought one of those anti-bullying wristbands when they first came out. I say 'bought', I actually stole it off a short, fat ginger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-bought-one-of-those-anti-bullying-wristbands-when-they-first-came/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [Society is so divided in its perception of public school people. Most people who went to public school behave in the right way, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/society-is-so-divided-in-its-perception-of-public-school-people-most/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [I have got a fantastic life and I just like to get on with it, and I am quite a private person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/i-have-got-a-fantastic-life-and-i-just-like-to-get-on-with-it-and-i/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [When I'm on stage, I'm quite over the top - I'm quite flamboyant and camp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/when-i-m-on-stage-i-m-quite-over-the-top-i-m-quite-flamboyant-and-camp/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) > [Some comics have long routines to get them in the mood - I just prefer to sit down, write out the same jokes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-whitehall/some-comics-have-long-routines-to-get-them-in-the-mood-i-just-prefer/) [Jack Whitehall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) [Explore all 39 Jack Whitehall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-whitehall/) ## More Acted quotes > [I never really acted at school. It was doing small parts on TV that really got me started.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-highmore/i-never-really-acted-at-school-it-was-doing-small-parts-on-tv-that/) [Freddie Highmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-highmore/) > [I've acted for as long as I can remember, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-purnell/i-ve-acted-for-as-long-as-i-can-remember-really/) [Ella Purnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-purnell/) > [It's rare to get a really truly wonderfully written, acted and produced sci-fi show, period.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hatch/it-s-rare-to-get-a-really-truly-wonderfully-written-acted-and/) [Richard Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hatch/) > [Asked at the hearing why she hadn't pressed the FBI more closely about what it knew, or didn't know, about domestic terrorist threats, Rice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-fineman/asked-at-the-hearing-why-she-hadn-t-pressed-the-fbi-more-closely/) [Howard Fineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-fineman/) > [When you acted like 'The Beast' I still saw 'The Prince' in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/when-you-acted-like-the-beast-i-still-saw-the-prince-in-you/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [Show me a man who has acted, and who has not been the victim and slave of his action. What they have done commits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/show-me-a-man-who-has-acted-and-who-has-not-been-the-victim-and-slave/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I am something of a ham. Yeah, I'd always been a writer. But in high school, I acted in plays. So it wasn't as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-deford/i-am-something-of-a-ham-yeah-i-d-always-been-a-writer-but-in-high/) [Frank Deford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-deford/) > [“The way I acted...It wasn't you" "Oh, no. You're not even human. You don't get to use the It's not you, it's me line!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-landers/the-way-i-acted-it-wasn-t-you-oh-no-you-re-not-even-human-you-don-t/) [Melissa Landers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-landers/) > [I never acted out with my actions to show people that I'm getting grown, you never see me with a cigarette, or see me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/i-never-acted-out-with-my-actions-to-show-people-that-i-m-getting/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [I think I'm one of those guys who was sort of always in comedy. I thought of myself - and other people seemed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-daly/i-think-i-m-one-of-those-guys-who-was-sort-of-always-in-comedy-i/) [Andy Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-daly/) > [It was all for the Games. How you acted. -Peeta Mellark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunger-games/it-was-all-for-the-games-how-you-acted-peeta-mellark/) [Hunger Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunger-games/) > [I acted like Cary Grant for so long that I became Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-grant/i-acted-like-cary-grant-for-so-long-that-i-became-cary-grant/) [Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-grant/) > [The kinds of roles dogs fill can be hard to come by in human relationships. We touch the dog or the pet at whim.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/the-kinds-of-roles-dogs-fill-can-be-hard-to-come-by-in-human/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [I acted in 'Oomakkuyil' under Balu Mahendra's baton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/y-g-mahendran/i-acted-in-oomakkuyil-under-balu-mahendra-s-baton/) [Y. G. Mahendran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/y-g-mahendran/) > [I really loved when I started doing '70s Show,' though I had never acted before, so it was a great training ground being on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/topher-grace/i-really-loved-when-i-started-doing-70s-show-though-i-had-never-acted/) [Topher Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/topher-grace/) Browse all 192 Acted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I acted at school but got very bad parts - things that they'd made up in Shakespeare plays like 'Guard 17' - so I wrote plays and gave myself parts, then I wrote sketches, then I did stand-up. 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