--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played cops and robbers and pirates and…" description: "\"I played cops and robbers and pirates and all the rest when I was a kid, but I didn't want to grow up and be an actor and play cops and robbers and pir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/james-spader-12525_actor_i-played-cops-and-robbers-and-pirates-an_136058.jpg" --- # I played cops and robbers and pirates and all the rest… ![“I played cops and robbers and pirates and all the rest when I was a kid, but I didn't want to grow up and be an actor and play cops and robbers and pirates. I wanted to grow up and be that, be cops and robbers and pirates.” quote by James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/james-spader-12525_actor_i-played-cops-and-robbers-and-pirates-an_136058.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/james-spader-12525_actor_i-played-cops-and-robbers-and-pirates-an_136058.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1f3/james-spader-12525_actor_i-played-cops-and-robbers-and-pirates-an_136058.jpg) > “I played cops and robbers and pirates and all the rest when I was a kid, but I didn't want to grow up and be an actor and play cops and robbers and pirates. I wanted to grow up and be that, be cops and robbers and pirates.” [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child’s imaginative play can inspire lifelong aspirations, yet the desire to embody those roles may conflict with conventional career paths. **In simple terms:** Kids want to be heroes, but adults choose jobs. Key Takeaway Align passions with realistic goals. Themes imagination career identity play aspiration Mood playful thoughtful hopeful Type personal anecdote motivational When to use this quote - acting - writing - entrepreneurship - teaching - game design Key Concepts role-play creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What part of play still influences you? - How can you channel that energy productively? A Different Perspective Romanticizing childhood roles may overlook practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Cop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cop/) [Cops and robbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cops-and-robbers/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Pirate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pirate/) [Pirates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pirates/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [You have a couple of buddies sleep over, and, you know, you play cops and robbers. That I'm getting paid to do it now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-donnell/you-have-a-couple-of-buddies-sleep-over-and-you-know-you-play-cops/) [Chris O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-donnell/) > [It's always fun to play cops and robbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-olyphant/it-s-always-fun-to-play-cops-and-robbers/) [Timothy Olyphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-olyphant/) > [I either play cops or criminals - I'm either on the right side of the law or the wrong side. I gravitate toward edgier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marg-helgenberger/i-either-play-cops-or-criminals-i-m-either-on-the-right-side-of-the/) [Marg Helgenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marg-helgenberger/) > [I'm not going to be precious about the fact that I'm not getting all these other particular roles because there's nothing wrong with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-pedersen/i-m-not-going-to-be-precious-about-the-fact-that-i-m-not-getting-all/) [Aaron Pedersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-pedersen/) > [Ships are but boards, sailors but men; there be land-rats and water-rats, water-thieves and land-thieves, I mean pirates, and thenthere is the peril of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ships-are-but-boards-sailors-but-men-there-be-land-rats-and-water/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Pirates have always fascinated me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanith-lee/pirates-have-always-fascinated-me/) [Tanith Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanith-lee/) > [We are all pirates at heart. There is not one of us who hasn't had a little larceny in his soul. And which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-caras/we-are-all-pirates-at-heart-there-is-not-one-of-us-who-hasn-t-had-a/) [Roger Caras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-caras/) > [It is when Pirates count their booty that they become mere thieves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bolitho/it-is-when-pirates-count-their-booty-that-they-become-mere-thieves/) [William Bolitho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bolitho/) > [You can't go wrong with pirates. I mean, they're pirates. It's what everyone wants to be when they're a kid. Ninja, assassin, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ineson/you-can-t-go-wrong-with-pirates-i-mean-they-re-pirates-it-s-what/) [Ralph Ineson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ineson/) > [ \[Pirates\] are a victim of their own success. People have identified with pirates in a comic and caricature sense. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-stevenson/pirates-are-a-victim-of-their-own-success-people-have-identified-with/) [Ray Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-stevenson/) > [The country (England) which was called a nation of pirates in the years around 1600 would eventually become the pirates' greatest scourge, not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-earle/the-country-england-which-was-called-a-nation-of-pirates-in-the-years/) Peter Earle > [“A good pirate fights back," said Jasper, "and a good pirate finds treasure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-carlson/a-good-pirate-fights-back-said-jasper-and-a-good-pirate-finds-treasure/) Caroline Carlson > [“First rule of a pirate’s mate, keep yer eye on yer destination, not yer doom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kessler/first-rule-of-a-pirate-s-mate-keep-yer-eye-on-yer-destination-not-yer/) [Lisa Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kessler/) > [It's funny that pirates were always going around searching for treasure, and they never realized that the real treasure was the fond memories they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/it-s-funny-that-pirates-were-always-going-around-searching-for/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“Why would you go on a pirate dinner cruise?” He had to know. Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me? Why wouldn’t you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-rush/why-would-you-go-on-a-pirate-dinner-cruise-he-had-to-know-her-jaw/) Elle Rush ## More by James Spader > [When doing theater, you have to find great satisfaction in the small things. There's going to be a repetition and a redundancy night after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/when-doing-theater-you-have-to-find-great-satisfaction-in-the-small/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [Growing up, I didn't have any comic books, at all. But my friend had a trunk full of them, so comic books were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/growing-up-i-didn-t-have-any-comic-books-at-all-but-my-friend-had-a/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I've never been a big TV watcher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-ve-never-been-a-big-tv-watcher/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I'm not eager at all to present my life out there for public consumption. I like to do one or two films a year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-m-not-eager-at-all-to-present-my-life-out-there-for-public/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [The first perk of theater is the girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/the-first-perk-of-theater-is-the-girls/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [For me, when working on a film or play or television show, everything for me starts with the screenplay and I am devoted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/for-me-when-working-on-a-film-or-play-or-television-show-everything/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I am not very responsible economically. I have a history working on films for years and years, and by the time I was starting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-am-not-very-responsible-economically-i-have-a-history-working-on/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [It's fun to explore behavior that you can't explore in your own life, so you fool around with it in acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/it-s-fun-to-explore-behavior-that-you-can-t-explore-in-your-own-life/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [Working in theater, film, or television are three different jobs for an actor, and I accept them as such.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/working-in-theater-film-or-television-are-three-different-jobs-for-an/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [When I'm not working, I don't get my hair cut. I don't know what the next character looks like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/when-i-m-not-working-i-don-t-get-my-hair-cut-i-don-t-know-what-the/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I've made a lot of very small movies that may not have had a large initial audience. Then it shows up on cable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-ve-made-a-lot-of-very-small-movies-that-may-not-have-had-a-large/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [The first perk of theatre is the girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/the-first-perk-of-theatre-is-the-girls/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I've had a lazy career, sometimes one film a year, sometimes none. I'm walking around in the street and doing this other thing, living,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-ve-had-a-lazy-career-sometimes-one-film-a-year-sometimes-none-i-m/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [If I don't need the money, I don't work. I'm going to spend time with my family and friends, and I'm going to travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/if-i-don-t-need-the-money-i-don-t-work-i-m-going-to-spend-time-with/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) > [I lost interest in firearms because we had a dog that was scared to death of the sound of a rifle shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-spader/i-lost-interest-in-firearms-because-we-had-a-dog-that-was-scared-to/) [James Spader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) [Explore all 54 James Spader quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-spader/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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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! 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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": "I played cops and robbers and pirates and all the rest when I was a kid, but I didn't want to grow up and be an actor and play cops and robbers and pirates. 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