--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I read something, first I have an…" description: "\"When I read something, first I have an instinctual, emotional response to it. But of course, acting isn't only just feeling an instinct for what's goin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/joan-allen-15752_acting_when-i-read-something-first-i-have-an-in_2783103.jpg" --- # When I read something, first I have an instinctual… ![“When I read something, first I have an instinctual, emotional response to it. But of course, acting isn't only just feeling an instinct for what's going on in the moment with the character. You have to be able to carve it out and consider, follow, and create the whole journey that the character…” quote by Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/joan-allen-15752_acting_when-i-read-something-first-i-have-an-in_2783103.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/joan-allen-15752_acting_when-i-read-something-first-i-have-an-in_2783103.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/afc/joan-allen-15752_acting_when-i-read-something-first-i-have-an-in_2783103.jpg) > “When I read something, first I have an instinctual, emotional response to it. But of course, acting isn't only just feeling an instinct for what's going on in the moment with the character. You have to be able to carve it out and consider, follow, and create the whole journey that the character you play is going through.” [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting requires both instinctual feeling and deliberate intellectual construction of a character’s journey. **In simple terms:** Acting blends feeling with thoughtful analysis. Key Takeaway Balance intuition with study in performance. Themes craft emotion analysis Mood reflective professional Type educational practical When to use this quote - theatre rehearsal - film casting - creative workshops Key Concepts acting technique character development Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep instinct alive in rehearsals? - When should you prioritize analysis? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Journey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journey/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## 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/) > [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/) > [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/) > [When I was a kid, I wanted to be serious, like Daniel Day-Lewis. No one really dreams of being a comic actor, do they?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-o-dowd/when-i-was-a-kid-i-wanted-to-be-serious-like-daniel-day-lewis-no-one/) [Chris O'Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-o-dowd/) ## More by Joan Allen > [I think plays deserve other interpretations. They should live on, and other people should should take their hand at them. I'm very supportive of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-think-plays-deserve-other-interpretations-they-should-live-on-and/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I think the people who cast films tend to think of me in regard to strong women with integrity and a lot of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-think-the-people-who-cast-films-tend-to-think-of-me-in-regard-to/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I wasn't one of those kids who was like, 'Get me to New York. Get me to a big city.' I was always much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-wasn-t-one-of-those-kids-who-was-like-get-me-to-new-york-get-me-to/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [It's important to really listen to the other person and have them feel like they're heard, to make sure the relationship feels equal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/it-s-important-to-really-listen-to-the-other-person-and-have-them/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [When I was 20 years old and first with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, we had an 88-seat theater in a basement and no money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/when-i-was-20-years-old-and-first-with-the-steppenwolf-theatre/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [Once I got to high school and auditioned for a play and got in, I thought this was really what I was looking for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/once-i-got-to-high-school-and-auditioned-for-a-play-and-got-in-i/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I don't have a political bone in my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-don-t-have-a-political-bone-in-my-body/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I didn't really think about being a movie star. I was more about theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-didn-t-really-think-about-being-a-movie-star-i-was-more-about/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I was a very good girl for a long time, that's what really drew me to acting. The stage was the perfect place to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-was-a-very-good-girl-for-a-long-time-that-s-what-really-drew-me-to/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [There are not many things that can happen much worse to a family than having a member taken and not knowing what happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/there-are-not-many-things-that-can-happen-much-worse-to-a-family-than/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I think there's been a tendency to place me in what has been characterised as the 'moral centre' of the film. In films like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-think-there-s-been-a-tendency-to-place-me-in-what-has-been/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [Almost any film that you do is an opportunity to open you up and make you more aware of an area that you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/almost-any-film-that-you-do-is-an-opportunity-to-open-you-up-and-make/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [I'm pretty picky about plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/i-m-pretty-picky-about-plays/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [How do we escape who we are? I think, going to college, I felt freer. I loved the clean slate. I wasn't known as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/how-do-we-escape-who-we-are-i-think-going-to-college-i-felt-freer-i/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) > [Acting gave me the opportunity to do outrageous things. It allowed me to be sad, happy, angry and lustful even if it was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-allen/acting-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-do-outrageous-things-it-allowed-me/) [Joan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) [Explore all 42 Joan Allen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-allen/) ## 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": "When I read something, first I have an instinctual, emotional response to it. But of course, acting isn't only just feeling an instinct for what's going on in the moment with the character. 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