--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, you want new challenges…" description: "\"As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very formulaic. So when something gets a reaction, as 'The Slap' has, that's great. The sense I ge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg" --- # As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very… ![“As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very formulaic. So when something gets a reaction, as 'The Slap' has, that's great. The sense I get is that it's not about me or my performance. More than anything it's the subject matter that people are focused on.'” quote by Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg) > “As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very formulaic. So when something gets a reaction, as 'The Slap' has, that's great. The sense I get is that it's not about me or my performance. More than anything it's the subject matter that people are focused on.'” [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The actor values fresh, challenging roles and sees audience reaction driven by compelling subjects rather than personal performance. **In simple terms:** Actors crave new challenges; audience focus is on story topics. Key Takeaway Seek roles with strong, relevant themes. Themes creativity challenge audience perception Mood thoughtful analytical Type observational industry‑focused When to use this quote - casting decisions - script selection - publicity strategies Key Concepts character development storytelling media criticism Questions to Reflect On - What subject matter engages you most? - How do you balance personal growth with audience expectations? A Different Perspective Audience reaction may be fleeting and not guarantee lasting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Focused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focused/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I don't get why people love to hate John Cena. But as long as he gets a reaction that's positive or negative, he's doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cm-punk/i-don-t-get-why-people-love-to-hate-john-cena-but-as-long-as-he-gets/) [CM Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cm-punk/) > [I just couldn't imagine hitting a child. But in 'The Slap' it's an extreme situation. You have to ask yourself - would you step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/i-just-couldn-t-imagine-hitting-a-child-but-in-the-slap-it-s-an/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [Being a parent is not for the faint of heart. I may joke about knowing fear, but the fact is, the first time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/being-a-parent-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart-i-may-joke-about-knowing/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [I know it sounds weird, but the food that I eat, it doesn't make a big difference, and it never has. So, I've saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-patzer/i-know-it-sounds-weird-but-the-food-that-i-eat-it-doesn-t-make-a-big/) [Aaron Patzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-patzer/) > [If you don't love acting more than anything else, don't do it. It's not a normal life. It will take you away from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-braddy/if-you-don-t-love-acting-more-than-anything-else-don-t-do-it-it-s-not/) [Johanna Braddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-braddy/) > [One of the biggest gifts you can give a child is confidence, because confidence will take you miles - more than talent, more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-spall/one-of-the-biggest-gifts-you-can-give-a-child-is-confidence-because/) [Rafe Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-spall/) > [The best thing about football for me is the reacting. It's a lot of instincts. But training, for me, it's more for the meditating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-polamalu/the-best-thing-about-football-for-me-is-the-reacting-it-s-a-lot-of/) [Troy Polamalu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-polamalu/) > [I'm not fond of crunches or lunges, but I do them anyway because I do see results. For me it's about being fit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martina-mcbride/i-m-not-fond-of-crunches-or-lunges-but-i-do-them-anyway-because-i-do/) [Martina McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martina-mcbride/) > [I love more than anything looking at a movie scene by scene and seeing the intention behind it. It allows you to really appreciate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-love-more-than-anything-looking-at-a-movie-scene-by-scene-and/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [I think you need something to take care of in order to figure out who you are as a person, and in that way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/i-think-you-need-something-to-take-care-of-in-order-to-figure-out-who/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [I am, more than anything else, happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-crown-princess-of-denmark/i-am-more-than-anything-else-happy/) [Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-crown-princess-of-denmark/) > [Oh, I love to read more than anything. I always love the 'New Stories From the South' anthologies - I think it's the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-alibar/oh-i-love-to-read-more-than-anything-i-always-love-the-new-stories/) [Lucy Alibar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-alibar/) > [In radio, you are the game, so to speak - you have to describe every aspect. In TV, I've always felt less is more,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marv-albert/in-radio-you-are-the-game-so-to-speak-you-have-to-describe-every/) [Marv Albert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marv-albert/) > ['Terra Nova,' more than anything I've ever done in my life, is for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-graves/terra-nova-more-than-anything-i-ve-ever-done-in-my-life-is-for/) [Alex Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-graves/) > [I couldn't pick up a sword and go fight anyone, let me put it that way. It's choreography and it's acting. The best sword…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaj-coster-waldau/i-couldn-t-pick-up-a-sword-and-go-fight-anyone-let-me-put-it-that-way/) [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaj-coster-waldau/) ## More by Jonathan LaPaglia > [I have an old car that I've rebuilt myself - a 1973 Dodge Challenger - and I also have a 1967 Pontiac GTO.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/i-have-an-old-car-that-i-ve-rebuilt-myself-a-1973-dodge-challenger/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [Acting for me was hard enough without having to think of the accent. And also, when I was auditioning for stuff I would walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/acting-for-me-was-hard-enough-without-having-to-think-of-the-accent/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [I thought I was clever by greeting casting agents in my Australian accent and then switching to an American one during the performance. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/i-thought-i-was-clever-by-greeting-casting-agents-in-my-australian/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [I just couldn't imagine hitting a child. But in 'The Slap' it's an extreme situation. You have to ask yourself - would you step…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/i-just-couldn-t-imagine-hitting-a-child-but-in-the-slap-it-s-an/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [Shortly after I started working as a doctor, I decided to listen to the voice inside me before it was too late. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/shortly-after-i-started-working-as-a-doctor-i-decided-to-listen-to/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [When I was at school, you had to choose; there was a lot of pressure to assimilate. You were an Aussie, or you were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/when-i-was-at-school-you-had-to-choose-there-was-a-lot-of-pressure-to/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [In primary school I was terrible. I don't think I was particularly well behaved in high school, but I started to apply myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/in-primary-school-i-was-terrible-i-don-t-think-i-was-particularly/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [I think it's unreasonable to expect kids at 17 to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. And actually,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/i-think-it-s-unreasonable-to-expect-kids-at-17-to-know-what-they-want/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [The movie industry has collapsed into two types of film - the $100 million blockbuster or the small independent film of $1 million or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/the-movie-industry-has-collapsed-into-two-types-of-film-the-100/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) > [Unfortunately, I have two facets to my makeup, and that is both scientific and artistic. By doing medicine, I was only answering one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/unfortunately-i-have-two-facets-to-my-makeup-and-that-is-both/) [Jonathan LaPaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) [Explore all 11 Jonathan LaPaglia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/) ## More About 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/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very formulaic. So when something gets a reaction, as 'The Slap' has, that's great. The sense I get is that it's not about me or my performance. More than anything it's the subject matter that people are focused on.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jonathan LaPaglia" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s-tv-can-be-very-formulaic-so/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s-tv-can-be-very-formulaic-so/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ec/jonathan-lapaglia-39085_about_as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s_2148666.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an actor, you want new challenges. U.S. TV can be very formulaic. So when something gets a reaction, as…” — Jonathan LaPaglia", "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": "Jonathan LaPaglia", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lapaglia/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As an actor, you want new...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s-tv-can-be-very-formulaic-so/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lapaglia/as-an-actor-you-want-new-challenges-u-s-tv-can-be-very-formulaic-so/#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 } } ] } ```