--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be honest I never thought the acting…" description: "\"To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get off the ground.\" — Jill Hennessy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg" --- # To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get… ![“To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get off the ground.” quote by Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg) > “To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get off the ground.” [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker admits surprise that a career in acting could succeed, highlighting unexpected outcomes and self‑doubt. **In simple terms:** She didn’t expect acting to work out. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty and pursue passions. Themes career surprise self‑doubt Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advisory motivational When to use this quote - career change - artistic pursuits - confidence building - risk taking Key Concepts personal growth creative ambition Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected path have you taken? - How do you handle doubt in new ventures? A Different Perspective Success often requires external support and luck, not just personal effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Being honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-honest/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) ## Related quotes > [We live in a world in which the only utopian visions arrive in commercial breaks: magical visions of an impossibly hospitable world, peopled by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/we-live-in-a-world-in-which-the-only-utopian-visions-arrive-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Every man who expresses an honest thought is a soldier in the army of intellectual liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/every-man-who-expresses-an-honest-thought-is-a-soldier-in-the-army-of/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [I thought that if acting didn't work out, I'd have done law school or medical school: probably law to be honest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-williams/i-thought-that-if-acting-didn-t-work-out-i-d-have-done-law-school-or/) [Jesse Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-williams/) > [I've become really aware since putting out music that some people can't get past the acting thing. But acting was never what I meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-anderson/i-ve-become-really-aware-since-putting-out-music-that-some-people-can/) [Jacob Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-anderson/) > [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/) > [I decided to go to school for advertising and graphic design. That was what I was gonna do but acting is that thing, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dayo-okeniyi/i-decided-to-go-to-school-for-advertising-and-graphic-design-that-was/) [Dayo Okeniyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dayo-okeniyi/) > [I played sports. The acting thing was just a direct blessing from the Lord, because I lost my discipline to play sports, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-benson-miller/i-played-sports-the-acting-thing-was-just-a-direct-blessing-from-the/) [Omar Benson Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-benson-miller/) > [Acting was the first thing that obsessed me when I was 8-9 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepti-naval/acting-was-the-first-thing-that-obsessed-me-when-i-was-8-9-years-old/) [Deepti Naval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepti-naval/) > [I always wanted to do something with music, but to be honest, I never thought I'd be good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-merton/i-always-wanted-to-do-something-with-music-but-to-be-honest-i-never/) [Alice Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-merton/) > [To be honest with you, I always thought I was going to be in the NBA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmer-fredette/to-be-honest-with-you-i-always-thought-i-was-going-to-be-in-the-nba/) [Jimmer Fredette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmer-fredette/) > [I have tried if I could reach that great resolution . . . to be honest without a thought of Heaven or Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-browne/i-have-tried-if-i-could-reach-that-great-resolution-to-be-honest/) [Thomas Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-browne/) > [I really, to be honest, thought baseball was my ticket out of the hood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-homie-quan/i-really-to-be-honest-thought-baseball-was-my-ticket-out-of-the-hood/) [Rich Homie Quan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-homie-quan/) > [To be honest, I have never thought about the intricacies of a script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-antony/to-be-honest-i-have-never-thought-about-the-intricacies-of-a-script/) [Vijay Antony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-antony/) > [“To be honest, I thought I was going to die today, so tomorrow still seems like an alien concept,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/to-be-honest-i-thought-i-was-going-to-die-today-so-tomorrow-still/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [How happy is he born and taught; that serves not another's will, whose armor is his honest thought and truth, his utmost skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wotton/how-happy-is-he-born-and-taught-that-serves-not-another-s-will-whose/) [Henry Wotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wotton/) ## More by Jill Hennessy > [I like someone who embraces life; who wants to be on a long journey but has no particular plan or destination in mind. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/i-like-someone-who-embraces-life-who-wants-to-be-on-a-long-journey/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [Running gives you a great opportunity to work stuff out in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/running-gives-you-a-great-opportunity-to-work-stuff-out-in-your-head/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [I'd gone through the ups and downs and curveballs that life throws at you. I found writing to be very therapeutic and it helped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/i-d-gone-through-the-ups-and-downs-and-curveballs-that-life-throws-at/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [Running - and yoga, too - is my sanity and my saviour. It's just finding the time to do it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/running-and-yoga-too-is-my-sanity-and-my-saviour-it-s-just-finding/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [To be a good model, I'd need a lot more confidence... and more confidence to be more bare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/to-be-a-good-model-i-d-need-a-lot-more-confidence-and-more-confidence/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [When you're an actor working in the theater, you would never say anything to the writer, never alter the dialogue, never dream to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/when-you-re-an-actor-working-in-the-theater-you-would-never-say/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) > [I've found it easier to write, to coalesce my thoughts, since having children. It brings you back to what you experienced yourself as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/i-ve-found-it-easier-to-write-to-coalesce-my-thoughts-since-having/) [Jill Hennessy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) [Explore all 8 Jill Hennessy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/) ## 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": "To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get off the ground.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jill Hennessy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting-thing-would-get-off-the-ground/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting-thing-would-get-off-the-ground/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25b/jill-hennessy-48847_acting_to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting_2144713.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be honest I never thought the acting thing would get off the ground.” — Jill Hennessy", "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": "Jill Hennessy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-hennessy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be honest I never thought...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting-thing-would-get-off-the-ground/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-hennessy/to-be-honest-i-never-thought-the-acting-thing-would-get-off-the-ground/#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 } } ] } ```