--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started acting when I was 5 years old…" description: "\"I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty well known for a while. Your self-esteem and your identity start to become wrapped up in that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg" --- # I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty… ![“I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty well known for a while. Your self-esteem and your identity start to become wrapped up in that celebrity, and when that starts to fade away, your self-esteem and your identity start to fade away with it.” quote by Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg) > “I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty well known for a while. Your self-esteem and your identity start to become wrapped up in that celebrity, and when that starts to fade away, your self-esteem and your identity start to fade away with it.” [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It describes how early fame can intertwine self‑esteem with public identity, leading to vulnerability when fame fades. **In simple terms:** Fame can tie self‑esteem to public image, causing loss when fame ends. Key Takeaway Cultivate self‑worth independent of external validation. Themes identity self‑esteem celebrity psychology Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career transition - post‑celebrity life - mental health - personal growth Key Concepts self‑concept ego public perception Questions to Reflect On - What internal values can sustain you beyond fame? - How do you rebuild identity after public attention? A Different Perspective It may simplify complex psychological processes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Celebrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrity/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/) ## Related quotes > [I started acting when I was three years old, so I was able to see the inside before seeing the wrapping; I wasn't seeing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-andre-grondin/i-started-acting-when-i-was-three-years-old-so-i-was-able-to-see-the/) [Marc-Andre Grondin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-andre-grondin/) > [I started acting when I was five years old. I found it randomly, through listening to my brother study monologues. I auditorally started memorizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-grace-moretz/i-started-acting-when-i-was-five-years-old-i-found-it-randomly/) [Chloe Grace Moretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-grace-moretz/) > [When I first started acting I was about nine years old. I had never been to audition in my life and my agent sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-ludwig/when-i-first-started-acting-i-was-about-nine-years-old-i-had-never/) [Alexander Ludwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-ludwig/) > [I always wanted to be a filmmaker, but I started acting when I was 9 years old. I looked a certain part that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-antin/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-filmmaker-but-i-started-acting-when-i-was-9/) [Steve Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-antin/) > [No, I always wanted to be a singer. It was kind of funny that I took this road, started acting, then-almost ten years later-in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tia-carrere/no-i-always-wanted-to-be-a-singer-it-was-kind-of-funny-that-i-took/) [Tia Carrere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tia-carrere/) > [The only time I eat alone is if I'm really tired or upset about something or on the phone to one of my friends,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-blue-richards/the-only-time-i-eat-alone-is-if-i-m-really-tired-or-upset-about/) [Dakota Blue Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-blue-richards/) > [I went to NYU for acting, for six years. I thought acting was the easy way out or in because I didn't put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drea-de-matteo/i-went-to-nyu-for-acting-for-six-years-i-thought-acting-was-the-easy/) [Drea de Matteo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drea-de-matteo/) > [I won't be surprised if I stopped acting after some years because there are other things in life that interest me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-won-t-be-surprised-if-i-stopped-acting-after-some-years-because/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [I've been acting since I was six years old, but not professionally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-emerson/i-ve-been-acting-since-i-was-six-years-old-but-not-professionally/) [Jacqueline Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-emerson/) > [I was able to support myself by acting alone about six years ago. Until then, I was just scraping by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-falco/i-was-able-to-support-myself-by-acting-alone-about-six-years-ago/) [Edie Falco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-falco/) > [At the end of drama school, I made a contract with myself: I'd try acting for five years. I was 26. I had already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-jackman/at-the-end-of-drama-school-i-made-a-contract-with-myself-i-d-try/) [Hugh Jackman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-jackman/) > [And I taught acting for years, and without knowing it that was the real thing that started bending me toward directing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/and-i-taught-acting-for-years-and-without-knowing-it-that-was-the/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [And I've been lucky in that I haven't had another job besides acting in the last five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/and-i-ve-been-lucky-in-that-i-haven-t-had-another-job-besides-acting/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I've been acting for many years now, and I find there's nothing I enjoy more than making films with my friends and people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-ve-been-acting-for-many-years-now-and-i-find-there-s-nothing-i/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [With a recent birthday, I've been acting now for twenty years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thayer-david/with-a-recent-birthday-i-ve-been-acting-now-for-twenty-years/) [Thayer David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thayer-david/) ## More by Jackie Earle Haley > [Playing Willie Loomis was really fun for me because it was something nice and different to embody. It was neat playing this drunken servant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/playing-willie-loomis-was-really-fun-for-me-because-it-was-something/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [Robert Englund's done an amazing job over the years playing Freddy. Everybody's that's a fan of "Nightmare" loves Robert and you know so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/robert-englund-s-done-an-amazing-job-over-the-years-playing-freddy/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I've got a lot of wonderfully talented, creative directors I've worked with in Texas, but the market we're in, they kind of have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-ve-got-a-lot-of-wonderfully-talented-creative-directors-i-ve-worked/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I love working on films and I'd love to do some interesting work, but if somebody asked me, 'Would you like 'Human Target' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-love-working-on-films-and-i-d-love-to-do-some-interesting-work-but/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > ['Alien' is one of my all-time favorite horror films - that has a great monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/alien-is-one-of-my-all-time-favorite-horror-films-that-has-a-great/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I'd always avoided stuff like 'Where are they now?' or 'Whatever happened to?' Just 'No thanks, thanks for calling.' You tell me, have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-d-always-avoided-stuff-like-where-are-they-now-or-whatever-happened/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I bite the hell out of my fingernails. I can't stop. I should stop. It would be nice to grow my fingernails out. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-bite-the-hell-out-of-my-fingernails-i-can-t-stop-i-should-stop-it/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [The horror genre is not my favorite. I think it's fun, there's a great place for it and I get a kick out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/the-horror-genre-is-not-my-favorite-i-think-it-s-fun-there-s-a-great/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [When you're talking about Tim Burton, you're talking about a guy that has such a visual sense, an aesthetic, a storytelling style. It's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/when-you-re-talking-about-tim-burton-you-re-talking-about-a-guy-that/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [That transition from child to adult actor is so incredibly elusive. The roles that were coming to me as a young adult were not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/that-transition-from-child-to-adult-actor-is-so-incredibly-elusive/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [When you act, it's better not to fake the emotion. It's better to find the emotion within yourself and your experiences, and see if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/when-you-act-it-s-better-not-to-fake-the-emotion-it-s-better-to-find/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I'm an actor, I worry about everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-m-an-actor-i-worry-about-everything/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [You can't please everybody. All you can do is really just try to work from the heart and do the best job that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/you-can-t-please-everybody-all-you-can-do-is-really-just-try-to-work/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [I've never been a big horror genre fan, but I did go see 'Nightmare on Elm Street' in the theaters and I dug it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-ve-never-been-a-big-horror-genre-fan-but-i-did-go-see-nightmare-on/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) > [There's such a fan base for 'Dark Shadows'. I remember watching the show as a kid, but I wasn't an ardent fan. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/there-s-such-a-fan-base-for-dark-shadows-i-remember-watching-the-show/) [Jackie Earle Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) [Explore all 23 Jackie Earle Haley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/) ## 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": "I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty well known for a while. Your self-esteem and your identity start to become wrapped up in that celebrity, and when that starts to fade away, your self-esteem and your identity start to fade away with it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jackie Earle Haley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old-and-i-was-pretty-well-known/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old-and-i-was-pretty-well-known/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6a/jackie-earle-haley-24917_acting_i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old_1068330.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I started acting when I was 5 years old. And I was pretty well known for a while. Your self-esteem and your…” — Jackie Earle Haley", "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": "Jackie Earle Haley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-earle-haley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I started acting when I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old-and-i-was-pretty-well-known/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-earle-haley/i-started-acting-when-i-was-5-years-old-and-i-was-pretty-well-known/#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 } } ] } ```