--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Going after a part in Hollywood is like…" description: "\"Going after a part in Hollywood is like being a gladiator in ancient Rome. When it comes down to getting a role, you don't have any friends, you're inc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/jonathan-rhys-meyers-12218_actor_going-after-a-part-in-hollywood-is-like_1426738.png" --- # Going after a part in Hollywood is like being a gladiator… ![“Going after a part in Hollywood is like being a gladiator in ancient Rome. When it comes down to getting a role, you don't have any friends, you're incredibly competitive and any actor who tells you different is lying.” quote by Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/jonathan-rhys-meyers-12218_actor_going-after-a-part-in-hollywood-is-like_1426738.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/jonathan-rhys-meyers-12218_actor_going-after-a-part-in-hollywood-is-like_1426738.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/jonathan-rhys-meyers-12218_actor_going-after-a-part-in-hollywood-is-like_1426738.png) > “Going after a part in Hollywood is like being a gladiator in ancient Rome. When it comes down to getting a role, you don't have any friends, you're incredibly competitive and any actor who tells you different is lying.” [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) ## 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 portrayed as a brutal, cut‑throat competition where trust is scarce and deception common. **In simple terms:** Acting is likened to ancient gladiatorial combat, emphasizing fierce competition. Key Takeaway Prepare, network, and maintain integrity despite competition. Themes career competition entertainment trust survival Mood dramatic reflective Type motivational realistic When to use this quote - audition preparation - career planning - mental resilience - industry networking Key Concepts Professionalism networking psychology of competition Questions to Reflect On - What role does collaboration play in acting? - How can actors balance competitiveness with camaraderie? A Different Perspective The analogy may exaggerate hostility and ignore collaborative aspects of the industry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Ancient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient/) [Ancient rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancient-rome/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Competitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive/) [Friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friends/) [Gladiator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gladiator/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [“Blood & Sand by Stewart Stafford Enduring to be burned, bound, beaten, And to die by the sword if necessary; Verus and Priscus entered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/blood-sand-by-stewart-stafford-enduring-to-be-burned-bound-beaten-and/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [I don't hang out with movie stars, and you won't see me going to many Hollywood parties. I'm actually quite boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-don-t-hang-out-with-movie-stars-and-you-won-t-see-me-going-to-many/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I like approbation. Any actor who tells you they don't is lying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dance/i-like-approbation-any-actor-who-tells-you-they-don-t-is-lying/) [Charles Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dance/) > [Any actor who tells you that they have become the people they play, unless they’re clearly diagnosed as a schizophrenic, is bullshitting you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/any-actor-who-tells-you-that-they-have-become-the-people-they-play/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [Any actor who tells you that he makes choices, absolutely, is wrong. 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Keep going, because Hollywood is set up to make you fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-campisi/get-back-up-shake-the-dust-off-and-keep-going-keep-going-because/) [Gabriel Campisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-campisi/) > [“...going to the kingdom of cocaine, it was going to Hollywood...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-gibbons/going-to-the-kingdom-of-cocaine-it-was-going-to-hollywood/) [Stella Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-gibbons/) > [I'm 27 years old. I'm going to go into Hollywood really arrogant. I'll be breaking a lot of rules. It's going to be hot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyclef-jean/i-m-27-years-old-i-m-going-to-go-into-hollywood-really-arrogant-i-ll/) [Wyclef Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyclef-jean/) > [For whatever reason, that dream I had of going to Hollywood never went away. But when I got to LA at just 19 years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-r-white/for-whatever-reason-that-dream-i-had-of-going-to-hollywood-never-went/) [David A. R. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-r-white/) > [My fears about where theater is going - it's the Hollywood model, where people are chasing the almighty dollar and making commercial decisions based…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/my-fears-about-where-theater-is-going-it-s-the-hollywood-model-where/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [I always say: you're not going to find Hollywood. Hollywood will find you! But I'm ready for it: for Hollywood, for Bollywood, for everything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-valverde/i-always-say-you-re-not-going-to-find-hollywood-hollywood-will-find/) [Maria Valverde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-valverde/) ## More by Jonathan Rhys Meyers > [I want to do really good things with my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-want-to-do-really-good-things-with-my-life/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I didn't use a phone until I was 14.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-didn-t-use-a-phone-until-i-was-14/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I got paid 20 grand for my first film. 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I think they’ll figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-always-think-there-will-be-that-time-that-people-will-find-out-that/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I'm part of the Ipod generation. I got 10,000 tracks from all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-m-part-of-the-ipod-generation-i-got-10-000-tracks-from-all-over-the/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [If another actor gets a good role, I'm furious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/if-another-actor-gets-a-good-role-i-m-furious/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) > [I'm a workaholic. I also go to the gym a lot - it's my new thing. 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I think that if you can find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rhys-meyers/i-m-a-one-woman-guy-i-think-that-if-you-can-find-someone-you-want-to/) [Jonathan Rhys Meyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) [Explore all 55 Jonathan Rhys Meyers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rhys-meyers/) ## 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. 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