--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting is not about anything romantic…" description: "\"Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy.\" — James Earl Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg" --- # Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy… ![“Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy.” quote by James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg) > “Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy.” [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting focuses on realistic storytelling, not romance or fantasy, though imagination is used. **In simple terms:** Acting is about truth, not romance. Key Takeaway Prioritize authentic storytelling. Themes acting realism imagination Mood reflective professional Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - workshop training - script analysis - directing Key Concepts theatre film studies Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance realism with audience expectations? - When is fantasy useful in performance? A Different Perspective Romantic narratives still attract audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic/) ## Related quotes > [“To write you dreams of fantasy, is to create fantasy in another's dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-shepherd/to-write-you-dreams-of-fantasy-is-to-create-fantasy-in-another-s/) [Rob Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-shepherd/) > [“To write your dreams of fantasy, is to create fantasy in another's dreams”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-shepherd/to-write-your-dreams-of-fantasy-is-to-create-fantasy-in-another-s/) [Rob Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-shepherd/) > [Play and transformation were a bit part of my childhood - using whatever materials were at our disposal, my brothers and I would constantly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rockwell/play-and-transformation-were-a-bit-part-of-my-childhood-using/) [David Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rockwell/) > [We don't create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/we-don-t-create-a-fantasy-world-to-escape-reality-we-create-it-to-be-2/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [We don’t create a fantasy world to escape reality, we create it to be able to stay. I believe we have always done this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-barry/we-don-t-create-a-fantasy-world-to-escape-reality-we-create-it-to-be/) [Lynda Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-barry/) > [It's my job, to create a fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-heche/it-s-my-job-to-create-a-fantasy/) [Anne Heche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-heche/) > [The thinking person has the strange characteristic to like to create a fantasy in the place of the unsolved problem, a fantasy that stays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/the-thinking-person-has-the-strange-characteristic-to-like-to-create/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I've had trouble being in relationships and writing. This has been a real problem for me. I don't know if it's because I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucinda-williams/i-ve-had-trouble-being-in-relationships-and-writing-this-has-been-a/) [Lucinda Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucinda-williams/) > [How can we not create a fantasy in our minds when the reality is so hard?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/how-can-we-not-create-a-fantasy-in-our-minds-when-the-reality-is-so/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [“Would you mind a mind blindfold, a block on your imagination? You couldn’t create a fantasy world to live in, but you could create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/would-you-mind-a-mind-blindfold-a-block-on-your-imagination-you/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I have a dress-up chest at home. I love to create this fantasy kind of thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/i-have-a-dress-up-chest-at-home-i-love-to-create-this-fantasy-kind-of/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [“When I create a fantasy world, I want it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-cardello/when-i-create-a-fantasy-world-i-want-it-all/) [Ruth Cardello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-cardello/) > [I'm not able to completely escape naturalism. It's very difficult to escape from naturalism without being too dry. That's what I try to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-garrel/i-m-not-able-to-completely-escape-naturalism-it-s-very-difficult-to/) Philippe Garrel > [It's a hindrance in trying to get a serious acting role. The minute a producer has a script and my name comes up, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbi-benton/it-s-a-hindrance-in-trying-to-get-a-serious-acting-role-the-minute-a/) [Barbi Benton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbi-benton/) > [“How was she supposed to bear the prospect of never seeing him again? Never seeing his face light up simply because she had walked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-moyes/how-was-she-supposed-to-bear-the-prospect-of-never-seeing-him-again/) [Jojo Moyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-moyes/) ## More by James Earl Jones > [You sang in church, you know, and you didn't act at all. You tried not to act, you tried to tell the truth. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/you-sang-in-church-you-know-and-you-didn-t-act-at-all-you-tried-not/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Even during the rationing period, during World War II, we didn't have the anxiety that we'd starve, because we grew our own potatoes, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/even-during-the-rationing-period-during-world-war-ii-we-didn-t-have/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [I really think I ambled through a lot of my life, or ambled from one thing to the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/i-really-think-i-ambled-through-a-lot-of-my-life-or-ambled-from-one/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [There is a very fine line between love and nausea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/there-is-a-very-fine-line-between-love-and-nausea/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [No one asked me to be an actor, so no one owed me. There was no entitlement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/no-one-asked-me-to-be-an-actor-so-no-one-owed-me-there-was-no/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [You weren't going to the theatre to change the world, but you had a chance to affect the world, the thinking and the feelings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/you-weren-t-going-to-the-theatre-to-change-the-world-but-you-had-a/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [People who lusted after Marilyn Monroe had no idea she stuttered. It is the secret of her sexiness, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/people-who-lusted-after-marilyn-monroe-had-no-idea-she-stuttered-it/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [In our resolve to build a better world... we seek to summon what Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/in-our-resolve-to-build-a-better-world-we-seek-to-summon-what-abraham/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [And nothing embittered me, which is important, because I think ethnic people and women in this society can end up being embittered because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/and-nothing-embittered-me-which-is-important-because-i-think-ethnic/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [I was preparing myself for the theater, and... I got a little job here and a job there, but it wasn't going well, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/i-was-preparing-myself-for-the-theater-and-i-got-a-little-job-here/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Your own need to be shines out of any dream or creation you imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/your-own-need-to-be-shines-out-of-any-dream-or-creation-you-imagine/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [I love doing commercials! Usually, they have enough money that they can take time and photograph it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/i-love-doing-commercials-usually-they-have-enough-money-that-they-can/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Stuttering is painful. In Sunday school, I'd try to read my lessons, and the children behind me were falling on the floor with laughter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/stuttering-is-painful-in-sunday-school-i-d-try-to-read-my-lessons-and/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Speech is a very important aspect of being human. A whisper doesn't cut it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/speech-is-a-very-important-aspect-of-being-human-a-whisper-doesn-t/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) > [Don't you try and go through life worried if someone had liked you or not. You best make sure that they are doing right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/don-t-you-try-and-go-through-life-worried-if-someone-had-liked-you-or/) [James Earl Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) [Explore all 79 James Earl Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/) ## 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": "Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Earl Jones" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-not-even-fantasy-although-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-not-even-fantasy-although-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f87/james-earl-jones-8519_acting_acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-no_2412236.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Acting is not about anything romantic, not even fantasy, although you do create fantasy.” — James Earl Jones", "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 Earl Jones", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-earl-jones/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Acting is not about anything romantic,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-not-even-fantasy-although-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-earl-jones/acting-is-not-about-anything-romantic-not-even-fantasy-although-you/#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 } } ] } ```