--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame…" description: "\"Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.\" — John Gielgud" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/john-gielgud-33178_acting_acting-is-half-shame-half-glory-shame-at_482718.jpg" --- # Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting… ![“Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.” quote by John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/john-gielgud-33178_acting_acting-is-half-shame-half-glory-shame-at_482718.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/john-gielgud-33178_acting_acting-is-half-shame-half-glory-shame-at_482718.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/john-gielgud-33178_acting_acting-is-half-shame-half-glory-shame-at_482718.jpg) > “Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself, glory when you can forget yourself.” [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting involves vulnerability (shame) and transcendence (glory) when one loses self‑consciousness. **In simple terms:** Acting is both exposing and liberating. Key Takeaway Balance vulnerability with immersion. Themes theatre performance psychology Mood reflective introspective Type theatrical philosophical When to use this quote - rehearsals - live shows - auditions - workshops Key Concepts identity presence emotional honesty Questions to Reflect On - What does “forgetting yourself” mean to you? - How can actors manage shame? A Different Perspective Audience expectations can limit authentic immersion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-half-4147677/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Forget you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget-you/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Half Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-shame-4147675/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Shame Exhibiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-exhibiting-4147674/) [Shame Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-half-4147676/) ## Related quotes > [Forgetting your Self is the greatest injury; all the calamities flow from it. Take care of the most important, the lesser will take care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/forgetting-your-self-is-the-greatest-injury-all-the-calamities-flow/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [You don’t forget. You just move past it. Let go. Be who you were supposed to be instead of who they make you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/you-don-t-forget-you-just-move-past-it-let-go-be-who-you-were/) [Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/) > [Quit the world, and the world forgets you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/quit-the-world-and-the-world-forgets-you/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [I wish I could forget you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-laura/i-wish-i-could-forget-you/) [Jasmine Laura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-laura/) > [The only relationship we can have in this life is the relationship we have with ourselves. 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You believe in God and life after death. I also believe. When we come to the other world and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/you-re-a-religious-man-you-believe-in-god-and-life-after-death-i-also/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [ Leo Crowley, Harry \[Truman\]'s Foreign Economic Administrator, tells Congressmen the theory...: 'If you create good governments in foreign countries, automatically you will have better… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leo-crowley-harry-truman-s-foreign-economic-administrator-tells/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you forget yourself, you become the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hakuin-ekaku/if-you-forget-yourself-you-become-the-universe/) [Hakuin Ekaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hakuin-ekaku/) > [How do you become better tomorrow? By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/how-do-you-become-better-tomorrow-by-improving-yourself-the-world-is/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [You took me as an option maybe its time I see you as a memory!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-took-me-as-an-option-maybe-its-time-i-see-you-as-a-memory/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by John Gielgud > [You can be good in a good movie, you can be good in a bad movie, you can be bad in a bad movie,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/you-can-be-good-in-a-good-movie-you-can-be-good-in-a-bad-movie-you/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [I'm sure there isn't an after-life. If there were, Ivor Novello would have got a message to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/i-m-sure-there-isn-t-an-after-life-if-there-were-ivor-novello-would/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [One mustn't allow acting to be like stoc kbroker - you must not take it just as a means of earning a living, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/one-mustn-t-allow-acting-to-be-like-stoc-kbroker-you-must-not-take-it/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/usually-one-must-go-to-a-bowling-alley-to-meet-a-woman-of-your-stature/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [I think the young actor who really wants to act will find a way ... to keep at it and seize every opportunity that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/i-think-the-young-actor-who-really-wants-to-act-will-find-a-way-to/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Ingrid Bergman speaks five languages and can’t act in any of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/ingrid-bergman-speaks-five-languages-and-can-t-act-in-any-of-them/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Your English style will no doubt put all the other gentlemen to bed. I speak figuratively, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/your-english-style-will-no-doubt-put-all-the-other-gentlemen-to-bed-i/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [I am all in favour of spontaneity, providing it is carefully planned and ruthlessly controlled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/i-am-all-in-favour-of-spontaneity-providing-it-is-carefully-planned/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [One's self-image is very important because if that's in good shape, then you can do anything, or practically anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/one-s-self-image-is-very-important-because-if-that-s-in-good-shape/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [When I first went to America in 1928, there were spittoons everywhere. I remember avoiding spit as it flew past me in Times Square.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/when-i-first-went-to-america-in-1928-there-were-spittoons-everywhere/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Being another character is more interesting than being yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/being-another-character-is-more-interesting-than-being-yourself/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [It is very hard to cast a number of plays adequately from the same company of actors without several parts being miscast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/it-is-very-hard-to-cast-a-number-of-plays-adequately-from-the-same/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Most of my friends seem to be either dead, extremely deaf or living on the wrong side of Kent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/most-of-my-friends-seem-to-be-either-dead-extremely-deaf-or-living-on/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [I never accept lengthy film roles nowadays, because I am always so afraid I will die in the middle of shooting and cause such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/i-never-accept-lengthy-film-roles-nowadays-because-i-am-always-so/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) [Explore all 15 John Gielgud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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