--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had better parts before I became a…" description: "\"I had better parts before I became a so-called star in 'Walking Tall.'\" — Joe Don Baker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg" --- # I had better parts before I became a so-called star in… ![“I had better parts before I became a so-called star in 'Walking Tall.'” quote by Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg) > “I had better parts before I became a so-called star in 'Walking Tall.'” [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) ## 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 reflects on a past identity that felt more authentic before fame altered perception. **In simple terms:** He misses his former self before becoming a star. Key Takeaway Recognize how fame can change self‑perception. Themes identity celebrity nostalgia Mood reflective melancholic Type personal cultural When to use this quote - career transition - media exposure - personal growth - public scrutiny Key Concepts self‑concept public image authenticity Questions to Reflect On - How has fame reshaped your self‑image? - What parts of your past self do you value most? A Different Perspective Fame may also bring opportunities that outweigh loss of former self. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I turned my hair dark and have received much better parts ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-bennett/i-turned-my-hair-dark-and-have-received-much-better-parts-ever-since/) [Joan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-bennett/) > [I loved 'Walking Tall.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-loved-walking-tall/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [“I always called her Star . I always called her Estee. And Grace was just the reminder we didn't want to forget that it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-earl/i-always-called-her-star-i-always-called-her-estee-and-grace-was-just/) Wayne Earl > [I have to entertain myself. 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Once you get your gate, you'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-matthews-band/to-change-the-world-start-with-one-step-however-small-the-first-step-2/) [Dave Matthews Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-matthews-band/) > [Proceeding reality This is not a fantasy Holding on the worth to keep walking tall on my feet How could I be lazy A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryneen-gary/proceeding-reality-this-is-not-a-fantasy-holding-on-the-worth-to-keep/) Bryneen Gary > [I'm walking tall, I don't let their hatred test me. 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I think directors like me, so they hire me, but they have to fight for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-don-t-make-trouble-on-sets-i-think-directors-like-me-so-they-hire/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [My first two roles in New York were menacing characters and I sort of got stuck with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/my-first-two-roles-in-new-york-were-menacing-characters-and-i-sort-of/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [The greatest thing for your career is a well publicized flop. You can work for five years on that. If you've got four or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-greatest-thing-for-your-career-is-a-well-publicized-flop-you-can/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [Hell no, I'm not interested in becoming the new John Wayne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/hell-no-i-m-not-interested-in-becoming-the-new-john-wayne/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [Hollywood only recognizes big successes and big failures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/hollywood-only-recognizes-big-successes-and-big-failures/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [When I made 'Power,' I found It to be the toughest show I've ever done. It was just work and sleep. I tried to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/when-i-made-power-i-found-it-to-be-the-toughest-show-i-ve-ever-done/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I used to play the bad guy who went around beating heads. Now I play the good guy who goes around beating heads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-used-to-play-the-bad-guy-who-went-around-beating-heads-now-i-play/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [Once, I was on unemployment for five months. 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I was offered a lot of low-budget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-don-t-know-why-i-don-t-get-better-roles-even-after-walking-tall-i/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an-actor-was-to-work-on-stage/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [In Hollywood, they've chased away all the good writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/in-hollywood-they-ve-chased-away-all-the-good-writers/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [Back in school, some of my friends asked me to participate in the school's dramatic society. I did, and it opened up a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/back-in-school-some-of-my-friends-asked-me-to-participate-in-the/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) [Explore all 45 Joe Don Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) ## More Before quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. They're going to have to come to grips with a concept that they hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/there-aren-t-traditions-of-freedom-in-a-place-like-iraq-they-re-going/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) Joe Pitts > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/before-i-got-addicted-to-comedy-i-was-seriously-thinking-about/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [But even before I was in the military, I was extremely jumpy when asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/but-even-before-i-was-in-the-military-i-was-extremely-jumpy-when/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I've pulled ticks off of me before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-ve-pulled-ticks-off-of-me-before/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) Browse all 4,123 Before quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had better parts before I became a so-called star in 'Walking Tall.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Don Baker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so-called-star-in-walking-tall/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Before" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so-called-star-in-walking-tall/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/034/joe-don-baker-14738_before_i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so_1743457.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had better parts before I became a so-called star in 'Walking Tall.'” — Joe Don Baker", "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": "Joe Don Baker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had better parts before I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so-called-star-in-walking-tall/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-had-better-parts-before-i-became-a-so-called-star-in-walking-tall/#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 } } ] } ```