--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was only when I finished the course…" description: "\"It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become an actor.\" — James D'arcy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png" --- # It was only when I finished the course and left my… ![“It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become an actor.” quote by James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png) > “It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become an actor.” [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing a career shift can happen unexpectedly, prompting self‑discovery. **In simple terms:** Unexpected moments reveal new paths. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected opportunities. Themes self‑discovery career change serendipity Mood reflective curious Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - graduation - travel - career transition - personal growth Key Concepts identity risk growth Questions to Reflect On - What hidden talents might you discover? - Are you prepared for the consequences? A Different Perspective May overlook practical planning. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus/) [Bus Realised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bus-realised-2275701/) [Diploma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diploma/) [Diploma Bus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diploma-bus-2275699/) [Finished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finished/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Graduation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduation/) [I realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-realized/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left Graduation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-graduation-2275700/) [Realised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realised/) [Realised Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realised-actor-1487891/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I am very passionate about what I do; I give it 200 percent, and I don't think it will ever change. But I've realised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-kapoor/i-am-very-passionate-about-what-i-do-i-give-it-200-percent-and-i-don/) [Shahid Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-kapoor/) > [It was during 'Khoon Bhari Maang' that I realised that I can only become an actor and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rekha/it-was-during-khoon-bhari-maang-that-i-realised-that-i-can-only/) [Rekha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rekha/) > [The first time I thought I should be an actor was in school. 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'schooled' to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-pupil-is-schooled-to-confuse-teaching-with-learning-grade/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [At the moment of death we will not be judged according to the number of good deeds we have done or by the diplomas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/at-the-moment-of-death-we-will-not-be-judged-according-to-the-number/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [When it was availed to me that I had free time, I chose to go to cooking school every day, six hours a day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teri-hatcher/when-it-was-availed-to-me-that-i-had-free-time-i-chose-to-go-to/) [Teri Hatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teri-hatcher/) > [Cities are broke, there are no jobs, people without a high school diploma and sometimes even with a college degree can't get jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/cities-are-broke-there-are-no-jobs-people-without-a-high-school/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't have my diploma from the University of Nebraska hanging on my office wall, and I don't have my diploma from Columbia up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-don-t-have-my-diploma-from-the-university-of-nebraska-hanging-on-my/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Art is a course in personal development that has no reliable diploma and no known end. The pursuit of art instructs in beauty as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-genn/art-is-a-course-in-personal-development-that-has-no-reliable-diploma/) [Robert Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-genn/) > [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Illiteracy does not impede the practice of democracy, as witnessed by the success of democracy in India despite the high illiteracy rate. One doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaa-al-aswany/illiteracy-does-not-impede-the-practice-of-democracy-as-witnessed-by/) [Alaa Al Aswany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaa-al-aswany/) ## More by James D'arcy > [I respect journalism. I was always very aware of journalism from a very broad point of view, but I'd say my baptism by fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-respect-journalism-i-was-always-very-aware-of-journalism-from-a/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I've played my fair share of unpleasant character, and I have to tell you that you sleep better when you're playing fun characters. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-ve-played-my-fair-share-of-unpleasant-character-and-i-have-to-tell/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [It felt good doing a physical job, and going home each evening feeling like I had really done a day's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-felt-good-doing-a-physical-job-and-going-home-each-evening-feeling/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I, like many people, had some sort of preconception about Madonna. One of the preconceptions was that she had the extraordinary work ethic, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-like-many-people-had-some-sort-of-preconception-about-madonna-one/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [The reason I wanted to be an actor is that I don't want to play me for the rest of my life and make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/the-reason-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-is-that-i-don-t-want-to-play-me/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [There are lots of people I admire and respect, but I don't necessarily want to be like them. I'm to happy being myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/there-are-lots-of-people-i-admire-and-respect-but-i-don-t-necessarily/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I find it incredibly romantic that people should fight for a cause they believe in and be prepared to die for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-find-it-incredibly-romantic-that-people-should-fight-for-a-cause/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I'm not really very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-m-not-really-very-ambitious/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [There is an odd sense of responsibility attached to appearing in a drama about a real piece of history. A work of fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/there-is-an-odd-sense-of-responsibility-attached-to-appearing-in-a/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I went further and further back through the centuries to get a sense of perspective but now at least I understand why Irish history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-went-further-and-further-back-through-the-centuries-to-get-a-sense/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I talked to everyone about the project: actors and extras, members of the crew and passers by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-talked-to-everyone-about-the-project-actors-and-extras-members-of/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [All directors on all sets behave slightly differently depending on what the scene is. For example, if you are doing a love scene, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/all-directors-on-all-sets-behave-slightly-differently-depending-on/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [It's difficult to gauge that. With a bad guy you just know you're bad. To play a nice guy is harder - unless you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-s-difficult-to-gauge-that-with-a-bad-guy-you-just-know-you-re-bad/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [Baddies always do get the best lines, that's the honest truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/baddies-always-do-get-the-best-lines-that-s-the-honest-truth/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) > [I don't have any expectations as an actor and being rich and famous is not my driving force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/i-don-t-have-any-expectations-as-an-actor-and-being-rich-and-famous/) [James D'arcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) [Explore all 28 James D'arcy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James D'arcy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-and-left-my-graduation-diploma/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-and-left-my-graduation-diploma/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e73/james-d-arcy-21647_actor_it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-a_1831203.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It was only when I finished the course and left my graduation diploma on the bus that I realised I'd become…” — James D'arcy", "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": "James D'arcy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-d-arcy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It was only when I finished...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-and-left-my-graduation-diploma/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-d-arcy/it-was-only-when-i-finished-the-course-and-left-my-graduation-diploma/#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 } } ] } ```