--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting isn't something that I think about…" description: "\"Acting isn't something that I think about very consciously, somehow that just doesn't work for me. I just kind of feel my way into it.\" — James Frain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/james-frain-18799_acting_acting-isn-t-something-that-i-think-abou_1890854.jpg" --- # Acting isn't something that I think about very… ![“Acting isn't something that I think about very consciously, somehow that just doesn't work for me. I just kind of feel my way into it.” quote by James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/james-frain-18799_acting_acting-isn-t-something-that-i-think-abou_1890854.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/james-frain-18799_acting_acting-isn-t-something-that-i-think-abou_1890854.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dbd/james-frain-18799_acting_acting-isn-t-something-that-i-think-abou_1890854.jpg) > “Acting isn't something that I think about very consciously, somehow that just doesn't work for me. I just kind of feel my way into it.” [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting is approached intuitively, without conscious analysis, allowing the performer to discover the role organically. **In simple terms:** Acting is felt, not over. Key Takeaway Trust instinct in performance. Themes acting intuition creativity Mood reflective artistic Type creative inspirational When to use this quote - improvisation - rehearsal - performance art Key Concepts method acting spontaneity artistic process Questions to Reflect On - How does intuition aid character depth? - When is analysis necessary? A Different Perspective Some roles may require technical preparation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [The acting thing is so beyond my control. Acting isn't mine. You're like a tiny piece in this big, corporate mechanism that needs chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/the-acting-thing-is-so-beyond-my-control-acting-isn-t-mine-you-re/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [Like a blind man at an orgy, I was going to have to feel my way through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-nielsen/like-a-blind-man-at-an-orgy-i-was-going-to-have-to-feel-my-way-through/) [Leslie Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-nielsen/) > [Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and dancing around in a mask. It's believing that you are that character and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/acting-is-not-acting-it-isn-t-putting-on-a-face-and-dancing-around-in/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [Acting isn't for me. I don't like being told what to do. I'm more interested in set design, more visually driven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sofia-coppola/acting-isn-t-for-me-i-don-t-like-being-told-what-to-do-i-m-more/) [Sofia Coppola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sofia-coppola/) > [Acting isn't a sure thing. We're not set to have jobs for the rest of lives, and fame is really fickle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-gould/acting-isn-t-a-sure-thing-we-re-not-set-to-have-jobs-for-the-rest-of/) [Nolan Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-gould/) > [Since ballet has such a solid classical framework, everything is supposed to be a very specific way, so you learn to look at things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonoya-mizuno/since-ballet-has-such-a-solid-classical-framework-everything-is/) [Sonoya Mizuno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonoya-mizuno/) > [Acting isn't the be-all end-all. There are a lot of other things in my life that will bring me joy if I didn't act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/acting-isn-t-the-be-all-end-all-there-are-a-lot-of-other-things-in-my/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [Someone once shouted: 'We know you're acting and this isn't real' at a gig in Cambridge. I was 25, playing a 50-year-old lounge singer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-demetriou/someone-once-shouted-we-know-you-re-acting-and-this-isn-t-real-at-a/) [Jamie Demetriou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-demetriou/) > [Acting isn't a game of "pretend." It's an exercise in being real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-poitier/acting-isn-t-a-game-of-pretend-it-s-an-exercise-in-being-real/) [Sidney Poitier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-poitier/) > [I like working one-on-one with someone, and I think that to go to a school of acting isn't really my thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maeve/i-like-working-one-on-one-with-someone-and-i-think-that-to-go-to-a/) [Stella Maeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maeve/) > [The best advice my dad ever gave me is that acting is believing. Acting is not acting. It isn't putting on a face and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haley-joel-osment/the-best-advice-my-dad-ever-gave-me-is-that-acting-is-believing/) [Haley Joel Osment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haley-joel-osment/) > [If there is any sense of order to the universe, acting is what I am meant to do. I'm not manufactured. I know acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-qualls/if-there-is-any-sense-of-order-to-the-universe-acting-is-what-i-am/) [DJ Qualls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-qualls/) > [There was a time when I only wanted to show off, but as I've grown older, I've realised that acting isn't an end in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naseeruddin-shah/there-was-a-time-when-i-only-wanted-to-show-off-but-as-i-ve-grown/) [Naseeruddin Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naseeruddin-shah/) > [Acting isn't that hard, really. I mean, I think that people make a big deal about it, but you just kind of try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gosling/acting-isn-t-that-hard-really-i-mean-i-think-that-people-make-a-big/) [Ryan Gosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gosling/) > [Acting isn't necessarily pretending. It's storytelling. It's giving someone your perspective on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-bowersox/acting-isn-t-necessarily-pretending-it-s-storytelling-it-s-giving/) [Crystal Bowersox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-bowersox/) ## More by James Frain > [Working in 3D I didn't experience much of a difference, except that the cameras are very big so they can't be moved around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-in-3d-i-didn-t-experience-much-of-a-difference-except-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Working with CGI is more like doing theater where your sort of imagining things. I didn't experience it as restrictive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-with-cgi-is-more-like-doing-theater-where-your-sort-of/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I am a little in awe of Jeff Bridges. He's an actor I have admired for many years, and so I didn't know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-am-a-little-in-awe-of-jeff-bridges-he-s-an-actor-i-have-admired-for/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I also thought the music was a huge contribution, in terms of creating the scale of that. And, I was impressed with just how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-also-thought-the-music-was-a-huge-contribution-in-terms-of-creating/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Cable series have more time to focus on characters, and a structure that allows for a development in character as you go along. Network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/cable-series-have-more-time-to-focus-on-characters-and-a-structure/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > ['The Buccaneers' was an Edith Wharton novel, and she never finished it, and a screenwriter adapted it for television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-buccaneers-was-an-edith-wharton-novel-and-she-never-finished-it/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > ['The Cape' is a really good comic! They invented the whole character, and now they've built a book of 'The Cape' for the show.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-cape-is-a-really-good-comic-they-invented-the-whole-character-and/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Evil is a broad church. There are so many different ways to be evil. Sometimes it's fun to be the guy who doesn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/evil-is-a-broad-church-there-are-so-many-different-ways-to-be-evil/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Sometimes it's fun to be the guy who doesn't know that he's bad, like the character I played in 'True Blood'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/sometimes-it-s-fun-to-be-the-guy-who-doesn-t-know-that-he-s-bad-like/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [With my guy, every now and then, he puts on a mask and does that, but he isn't that. Most of the time that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/with-my-guy-every-now-and-then-he-puts-on-a-mask-and-does-that-but-he/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [I'm not particularly an expert on the genre. Correct me if I'm wrong, but usually you see most of the super-villain in his villainous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-m-not-particularly-an-expert-on-the-genre-correct-me-if-i-m-wrong/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Every project has its things to be overcome, but I didn't find that there was anything particularly impossible about what we were doing -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/every-project-has-its-things-to-be-overcome-but-i-didn-t-find-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [The costumes, the light rigs and the effects are seamlessly joined. I'm kind of bummed that I don't get the experience that you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/the-costumes-the-light-rigs-and-the-effects-are-seamlessly-joined-i-m/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [For all that Tron wanted to be, it ultimately had to be a fun ride for the audience and I was going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/for-all-that-tron-wanted-to-be-it-ultimately-had-to-be-a-fun-ride-for/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Bruges is a beautiful medieval city almost untouched by time. If you like jazz, you will be well catered for. If you like chocolate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/bruges-is-a-beautiful-medieval-city-almost-untouched-by-time-if-you/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) [Explore all 34 James Frain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) ## 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 isn't something that I think about very consciously, somehow that just doesn't work for me. 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