--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be an actor you need various things…" description: "\"To be an actor you need various things. You need to have a head for choosing the roles. You have to be, hopefully, easy to work with so people enjoy wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/jeremy-irons-10161_actors_to-be-an-actor-you-need-various-things-y_451511.jpg" --- # To be an actor you need various things. You need to have a… ![“To be an actor you need various things. You need to have a head for choosing the roles. You have to be, hopefully, easy to work with so people enjoy working with you. You have to deal with missing roles, with not being asked to work, with doing good work and then being castigated by the critics…” quote by Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/jeremy-irons-10161_actors_to-be-an-actor-you-need-various-things-y_451511.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/jeremy-irons-10161_actors_to-be-an-actor-you-need-various-things-y_451511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/47a/jeremy-irons-10161_actors_to-be-an-actor-you-need-various-things-y_451511.jpg) > “To be an actor you need various things. You need to have a head for choosing the roles. You have to be, hopefully, easy to work with so people enjoy working with you. You have to deal with missing roles, with not being asked to work, with doing good work and then being castigated by the critics for it. You have to have a skin that can deal with all of that. I, fortunately, seem to have the makeup which allows me to deal with the business. I mean, not as everybody.” [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor must balance role selection, collegiality, resilience to criticism, and coping with career uncertainty. **In simple terms:** Actors need skill, teamwork, and thick skin. Key Takeaway Cultivate adaptability and emotional resilience. Themes career resilience collaboration criticism role selection Mood reflective determined realistic Type advice career When to use this quote - audition prep - handling reviews - networking - managing gaps between work Key Concepts emotional intelligence professionalism public perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain confidence after harsh reviews? - What strategies help you stay motivated during downtimes? A Different Perspective Not all actors have equal support systems; success also depends on opportunity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Doing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) [Makeup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makeup/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [The way I go about choosing roles is basically by just trying to pick the complete opposite of the last thing I did, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/the-way-i-go-about-choosing-roles-is-basically-by-just-trying-to-pick/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [I don't have a philosophy for choosing roles. Sometimes, it's just, 'This might be interesting; that might be fun to do.' There might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-von-sydow/i-don-t-have-a-philosophy-for-choosing-roles-sometimes-it-s-just-this/) [Max von Sydow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-von-sydow/) > [Having done something like The Thorn Birds gives you enormous longevity. You can keep picking and choosing the roles for a bit longer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-ward/having-done-something-like-the-thorn-birds-gives-you-enormous/) [Rachel Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-ward/) > [I've always had the same principle for choosing roles, which is to try and make movies that I would pay to see. As I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-johansson/i-ve-always-had-the-same-principle-for-choosing-roles-which-is-to-try/) [Scarlett Johansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-johansson/) > [The wonderful situation that I find myself in now, is that choosing the roles I want is more of a reality for me. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/the-wonderful-situation-that-i-find-myself-in-now-is-that-choosing/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Post-'Gangaajal,' I changed my way of functioning, choosing my roles carefully and mixing them up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mukesh-tiwari/post-gangaajal-i-changed-my-way-of-functioning-choosing-my-roles/) [Mukesh Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mukesh-tiwari/) > [Pretty much everything that I pick, when it comes to choosing roles, is just based on things and materials that grabs me. It's pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-snow/pretty-much-everything-that-i-pick-when-it-comes-to-choosing-roles-is/) [Brittany Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-snow/) > [I don't think a lot of people are like, "I'm just quirky!" Or if they are, it's a stage they're going through as they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoe-kazan/i-don-t-think-a-lot-of-people-are-like-i-m-just-quirky-or-if-they-are/) [Zoe Kazan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoe-kazan/) > [I don't like to get typecast, and I believe, one should be cautious while choosing roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-don-t-like-to-get-typecast-and-i-believe-one-should-be-cautious/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [I have the same criteria for choosing roles as I have always had: fantastic writing and complicated characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-malcomson/i-have-the-same-criteria-for-choosing-roles-as-i-have-always-had/) [Paula Malcomson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-malcomson/) > [“I spend a tremendous amount of time carefully choosing the roles I wish to play so that I can run from the role I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-spend-a-tremendous-amount-of-time-carefully-choosing-the-roles-i/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [ It's always the script first choosing roles. \[Then\] whoever else is attached. I never like to be the first person attached, because I don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mintz-plasse/it-s-always-the-script-first-choosing-roles-then-whoever-else-is/) [Christopher Mintz-Plasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mintz-plasse/) > [Now, I am perfectly willing to just enjoy my career by choosing roles simply because I consider them to be a challenge and doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cicely-tyson/now-i-am-perfectly-willing-to-just-enjoy-my-career-by-choosing-roles/) [Cicely Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cicely-tyson/) > [As an actor, you need to smile all the time, which is not easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashami-desai/as-an-actor-you-need-to-smile-all-the-time-which-is-not-easy/) [Rashami Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashami-desai/) > [For the longest time I have had so much belief and confidence in myself, which as an actor you need, because the entertainment industry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/for-the-longest-time-i-have-had-so-much-belief-and-confidence-in/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) ## More by Jeremy Irons > [At age 10 or 12 he's going to boarding school in the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight is, of course, down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/at-age-10-or-12-he-s-going-to-boarding-school-in-the-isle-of-wight/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I liked the theater. I liked the people. I liked the time that we worked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-liked-the-theater-i-liked-the-people-i-liked-the-time-that-we-worked/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I succeeded on sort of chutzpah and charm. No technique at all, didn't know what I was doing, but it worked and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-succeeded-on-sort-of-chutzpah-and-charm-no-technique-at-all-didn-t/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [ I find what I call the \[bleep\] side of the industry very difficult. You won't see me at other peoples' premiers. I mean, I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-find-what-i-call-the-bleep-side-of-the-industry-very-difficult-you/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I get bored very easily, so I love doing different things, changing, doing a job for a month and then doing another one for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-get-bored-very-easily-so-i-love-doing-different-things-changing/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I envy children who know that they're going to become doctors, know they're going to go into the forces or whatever. I think choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-envy-children-who-know-that-they-re-going-to-become-doctors-know/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [Sadly, one's parameters are constantly narrowed by one's success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/sadly-one-s-parameters-are-constantly-narrowed-by-one-s-success/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [One always returns to the fact that there are just too many of us, the population continues to rise and it's unsustainable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/one-always-returns-to-the-fact-that-there-are-just-too-many-of-us-the/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I'm very glad I'm not a politician. I think it's one step away from the gates of hell, being a politician. I really do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-m-very-glad-i-m-not-a-politician-i-think-it-s-one-step-away-from/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [What Takes Us to the PAST is the MEMORY… What takes Us to the FUTURE is DREAM…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/what-takes-us-to-the-past-is-the-memory-what-takes-us-to-the-future/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [It's just money; it's made up. Pieces of paper with pictures on it so we don't have to kill each other just to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/it-s-just-money-it-s-made-up-pieces-of-paper-with-pictures-on-it-so/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [My next step must be to go to drama school. Well, I get into drama school, so I did that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/my-next-step-must-be-to-go-to-drama-school-well-i-get-into-drama/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I've always believed that the great strength of the Internet is that it allows us to communicate with each other, it allows debate. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-ve-always-believed-that-the-great-strength-of-the-internet-is-that/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [Never played a video game. Actually, I try to keep them out of my house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/never-played-a-video-game-actually-i-try-to-keep-them-out-of-my-house/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [You think, you don't just speak. The lines come off the thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/you-think-you-don-t-just-speak-the-lines-come-off-the-thoughts/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) [Explore all 67 Jeremy Irons quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) ## 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": "To be an actor you need various things. You need to have a head for choosing the roles. You have to be, hopefully, easy to work with so people enjoy working with you. You have to deal with missing roles, with not being asked to work, with doing good work and then being castigated by the critics for it. You have to have a skin that can deal with all of that. I, fortunately, seem to have the makeup which allows me to deal with the business. 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