--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The thing that inspired me to become an…" description: "\"The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and meet a lot of interesting people.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg" --- # The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work… ![“The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and meet a lot of interesting people.” quote by Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg) > “The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and meet a lot of interesting people.” [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. Acting is driven by the energy of live performance, late nights, and vibrant community connections. **In simple terms:** Stage work fuels passion through community and hard work. Key Takeaway Seek collaborative, immersive experiences. Themes career creativity community dedication Mood enthusiastic motivational Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - audition preparation - night‑time rehearsals - team building Key Concepts theatre arts networking personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What environment sparks your creative best? - How can you incorporate community into your work? A Different Perspective Live theatre may not suit all personalities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-work/) [Inspired Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspired-actor-2955554/) [Interesting people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-people/) [Late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late/) [Lot Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot-interesting-326853/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Sleep late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep-late/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [At dinner parties I sit below the salt now. There are a lot of interesting people there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-t-regan/at-dinner-parties-i-sit-below-the-salt-now-there-are-a-lot-of/) [Donald T. Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-t-regan/) > [It's been very interesting. We've seen a lot of interesting testimony. We've seen a lot of interesting people, a lot of allegations, a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lay/it-s-been-very-interesting-we-ve-seen-a-lot-of-interesting-testimony/) [Kenneth Lay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-lay/) > [I am a person that is very curious about what is going on in the world and there are a lot of subjects to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-am-a-person-that-is-very-curious-about-what-is-going-on-in-the/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I feel that I've worked with a lot of interesting people, and I have no regrets. I'm just curious about what I might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annabella-sciorra/i-feel-that-i-ve-worked-with-a-lot-of-interesting-people-and-i-have/) [Annabella Sciorra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annabella-sciorra/) > [I was inspired to become an actor from theater I'd seen, so I assumed I'd do a lot of theater. But when I left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-pirrie/i-was-inspired-to-become-an-actor-from-theater-i-d-seen-so-i-assumed/) [Chloe Pirrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-pirrie/) > [We were all inspired by him as an actor and his iconography and thought, if we get somebody like Laurence Fishburne, we can tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/we-were-all-inspired-by-him-as-an-actor-and-his-iconography-and/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [I don't care what hours you work. I don't care if you sleep late or if you pick a child up from school in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/i-don-t-care-what-hours-you-work-i-don-t-care-if-you-sleep-late-or-if/) [Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/) > [I'm looking for a job where I can sleep late and have my afternoons free with a lot of money. But those jobs seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-m-looking-for-a-job-where-i-can-sleep-late-and-have-my-afternoons/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [I love to sleep late, and I rarely have the chance to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabel-goulart/i-love-to-sleep-late-and-i-rarely-have-the-chance-to/) [Izabel Goulart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabel-goulart/) > [If you're going to do something tonight that you'll be sorry for tomorrow morning, sleep late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henny-youngman/if-you-re-going-to-do-something-tonight-that-you-ll-be-sorry-for/) [Henny Youngman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henny-youngman/) > [“thought. The world had gotten a lot scarier, but it had gotten a lot more interesting, too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-f-olson/thought-the-world-had-gotten-a-lot-scarier-but-it-had-gotten-a-lot/) [Melissa F. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-f-olson/) > [And of course I like Berlin a lot. It's such an interesting city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-libeskind/and-of-course-i-like-berlin-a-lot-it-s-such-an-interesting-city/) [Daniel Libeskind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-libeskind/) > [I think the thing that made this stand out the most was just the fact that there's a lot more character to these characters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-think-the-thing-that-made-this-stand-out-the-most-was-just-the-fact/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [Every actor, I don't care what they say, their roles are a lot more interesting than we are, and at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-bloodgood/every-actor-i-don-t-care-what-they-say-their-roles-are-a-lot-more/) [Moon Bloodgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-bloodgood/) > [My father was an air officer in the Second World War. My brother was a marine in Vietnam. When I was given this opportunity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-plame/my-father-was-an-air-officer-in-the-second-world-war-my-brother-was-a/) [Valerie Plame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-plame/) ## More by Joe Don Baker > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I don't make trouble on sets. 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. I was afraid to go out and audition, so I holed up and read everything I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/once-i-was-on-unemployment-for-five-months-i-was-afraid-to-go-out-and/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [In 'Cape Fear' I had some good funny lines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/in-cape-fear-i-had-some-good-funny-lines/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I came out of the Army determined that I would be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/i-came-out-of-the-army-determined-that-i-would-be-an-actor/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I don't know why I don't get better roles. Even after 'Walking Tall,' I didn't get anything. 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/) > [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/) > [As long as you don't break any laws you can believe whatever you want to. You can believe in Martians if you want to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/as-long-as-you-don-t-break-any-laws-you-can-believe-whatever-you-want/) [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 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": "The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep late, and meet a lot of interesting people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joe Don Baker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an-actor-was-to-work-on-stage/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an-actor-was-to-work-on-stage/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aaf/joe-don-baker-14738_interesting-people_the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an_1356081.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The thing that inspired me to become an actor was to work on stage three hours a night in a play, sleep…” — 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": "The thing that inspired me to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an-actor-was-to-work-on-stage/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/the-thing-that-inspired-me-to-become-an-actor-was-to-work-on-stage/#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 } } ] } ```