--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is many, many years ago. It was…" description: "\"This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after \"Starman\" I think. I don't know how close I was to getting the part. I met with [director] Penny Mar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg" --- # This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after… ![“This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after "Starman" I think. I don't know how close I was to getting the part. I met with [director] Penny Marshall and that's one that I knew would be a hit. It just felt hit-ish. But it's like you go to a store and you see a jacket and you go "I love that…” quote by Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg) > “This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after "Starman" I think. I don't know how close I was to getting the part. I met with \[director\] Penny Marshall and that's one that I knew would be a hit. It just felt hit-ish. But it's like you go to a store and you see a jacket and you go "I love that jacket" and you try it on and it's too big or too small for you and it's the only one they have. For some reason that part just didn't fit me.” [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on a past audition experience, comparing it to trying on a jacket that doesn’t fit, illustrating a missed opportunity despite initial excitement. **In simple terms:** He felt a role didn’t fit him like a jacket that’s the wrong size. Key Takeaway Recognize when an opportunity isn’t a good fit. Themes career opportunity fit Mood reflective nostalgic Type storytelling personal reflection When to use this quote - audition processes - career choices - creative projects Key Concepts casting self-awareness decision making Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a role isn’t right? - How can you reassess a missed chance? A Different Perspective Subjective perception may overlook potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [My denim jacket had 'I love GNR' and 'I love AC/DC' written all over it, but I always came back to swing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paloma-faith/my-denim-jacket-had-i-love-gnr-and-i-love-ac-dc-written-all-over-it/) [Paloma Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paloma-faith/) > [When I make a record with My Morning Jacket, I love what those guys do, so I don't have a need to play bass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/when-i-make-a-record-with-my-morning-jacket-i-love-what-those-guys-do/) [Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/) > [Me:) lmao just got a new jacket and I love it!!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-lmao-just-got-a-new-jacket-and-i-love-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think when you take off that jacket and they see that ‘I LOVE GRANDMA’ T-shirt, they’re going to rip your heart out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elayne-boosler/i-think-when-you-take-off-that-jacket-and-they-see-that-i-love/) [Elayne Boosler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elayne-boosler/) > [ I have proposed I would not add a penny to the debt and \[Donald Trump\] plans would add $5 trillion to the debt. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-proposed-i-would-not-add-a-penny-to-the-debt-and-donald-trump/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Obama's the one who never worked a day in his life. He never earned a penny that wasn't public money. How many fund-raisers does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ailes/obama-s-the-one-who-never-worked-a-day-in-his-life-he-never-earned-a/) [Roger Ailes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ailes/) > [To live when you do not want to is dreadful, but it would be even more terrible to be immortal when you did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/to-live-when-you-do-not-want-to-is-dreadful-but-it-would-be-even-more/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [We tell the for-profit sector, 'Spend, spend, spend on advertising until the last dollar no longer produces a penny of value,' but we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/we-tell-the-for-profit-sector-spend-spend-spend-on-advertising-until/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) > [I always hated the thought of not having two pennies to rub together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-cox/i-always-hated-the-thought-of-not-having-two-pennies-to-rub-together/) [Sara Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-cox/) > [I was haunted always by my other life-my drab room in the Bronx, my square foot of the subway, my fixation upon the day's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-was-haunted-always-by-my-other-life-my-drab-room-in-the-bronx-my/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Freinds are like pennies. . . two face +worthless!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freinds-are-like-pennies-two-face-worthless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think I probably have the philosophy of a poor man. You know, like maybe I'd steal the pennies off a dead man's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cassavetes/i-think-i-probably-have-the-philosophy-of-a-poor-man-you-know-like/) [John Cassavetes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cassavetes/) > [I needed to save every penny…I needed to be strong, and needed to find some way to secure a future. That’s why I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-ka-shing/i-needed-to-save-every-penny-i-needed-to-be-strong-and-needed-to-find/) [Li Ka-shing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-ka-shing/) > [When self-interest inclines a man to print, he should consider that the purchaser expects a pennyworth for his penny, and has reason to asperse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shenstone/when-self-interest-inclines-a-man-to-print-he-should-consider-that/) [William Shenstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shenstone/) > [Rock music is, is a necessary evil, like beating my children with penny loafers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/rock-music-is-is-a-necessary-evil-like-beating-my-children-with-penny/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) ## More by Jeff Bridges > [Nowadays, in the contract that actors sign, you have to agree that you're going to do a certain amount of publicity-the hard part they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/nowadays-in-the-contract-that-actors-sign-you-have-to-agree-that-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [Work takes me away from my wife, Sue, and my life in Santa Barbara.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/work-takes-me-away-from-my-wife-sue-and-my-life-in-santa-barbara/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [What are the aspects of yourself that line up with the character? You magnify those, and the ones that don't match up you kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/what-are-the-aspects-of-yourself-that-line-up-with-the-character-you/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [We're here for such a short period of time. Live like you're already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/we-re-here-for-such-a-short-period-of-time-live-like-you-re-already/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [You know, it's kind of a shame in a way but the more seasoned directors a lot of times have more difficult getting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/you-know-it-s-kind-of-a-shame-in-a-way-but-the-more-seasoned/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [I just find my creativity manifesting a bunch of different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/i-just-find-my-creativity-manifesting-a-bunch-of-different-ways/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [You know, ballet might be too formal of a title for the type of dance I do, but I love to dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/you-know-ballet-might-be-too-formal-of-a-title-for-the-type-of-dance/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [Like most kids, you don't want to do what your folks want you to do. You've got your own thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/like-most-kids-you-don-t-want-to-do-what-your-folks-want-you-to-do/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [You prep, you prep, you prep. And on the day that you film, you let all of that go. I try to achieve emptiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/you-prep-you-prep-you-prep-and-on-the-day-that-you-film-you-let-all/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [The Oscar nomination is great. It's a great pat on the back. And I like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/the-oscar-nomination-is-great-it-s-a-great-pat-on-the-back-and-i-like/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [When you start to engage with your creative processes, it shakes up all your impulses, and they all kind of inform one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/when-you-start-to-engage-with-your-creative-processes-it-shakes-up/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [There's lots of good movies where you feel that the dialogue could be improvised, but very little was. The "Big Lebowski" was like that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/there-s-lots-of-good-movies-where-you-feel-that-the-dialogue-could-be/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [It's not enough just to treat women well. We have to work to make sure all men treat women well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/it-s-not-enough-just-to-treat-women-well-we-have-to-work-to-make-sure/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [Ballet might be too formal of a title for the type of dance I do, but I love to dance. I love to draw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/ballet-might-be-too-formal-of-a-title-for-the-type-of-dance-i-do-but/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [It was fortunate for all of us to have Joaquin Jackson, who is a very renowned Texas Ranger, on board. He spent quite a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/it-was-fortunate-for-all-of-us-to-have-joaquin-jackson-who-is-a-very/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) [Explore all 273 Jeff Bridges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [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/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after \"Starman\" I think. I don't know how close I was to getting the part. I met with [director] Penny Marshall and that's one that I knew would be a hit. It just felt hit-ish. But it's like you go to a store and you see a jacket and you go \"I love that jacket\" and you try it on and it's too big or too small for you and it's the only one they have. For some reason that part just didn't fit me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeff Bridges" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-shortly-after-starman-i-think-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bigs" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-shortly-after-starman-i-think-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/703/jeff-bridges-1213_bigs_this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-short_417632.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“This is many, many years ago. It was shortly after \"Starman\" I think. I don't know how close I was to…” — Jeff Bridges", "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": "Jeff Bridges", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "This is many, many years ago....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-shortly-after-starman-i-think-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/this-is-many-many-years-ago-it-was-shortly-after-starman-i-think-i/#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 } } ] } ```