--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Make acting seem real and as if it…" description: "\"Make acting seem real and as if it weren't acting. Just make it real.\" — Joseph Mazzello" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/joseph-mazzello-41027_acting_make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-weren_2372259.jpg" --- # Make acting seem real and as if it weren't acting. Just… ![“Make acting seem real and as if it weren't acting. Just make it real.” quote by Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/joseph-mazzello-41027_acting_make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-weren_2372259.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/joseph-mazzello-41027_acting_make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-weren_2372259.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f3/joseph-mazzello-41027_acting_make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-weren_2372259.jpg) > “Make acting seem real and as if it weren't acting. Just make it real.” [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote urges actors to embody their roles so authentically that the performance feels indistinguishable from reality. **In simple terms:** Act as if you truly are the character. Key Takeaway Blend performance with genuine feeling. Themes authenticity craft presence Mood intense focused Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film sets - improv workshops - character immersion Key Concepts method acting psychology of performance Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain personal boundaries while fully embodying a role? - What techniques help sustain authenticity without burnout? A Different Perspective Achieving true realism can be emotionally draining for the actor. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-just-251399/) [Acting Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-real-332764/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Make Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-acting-996217/) [Make Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-real-253529/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Seem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seem/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) ## Related quotes > [Make acting seem real and as if it werent acting. Just make it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-werent-acting-just-make-it-real/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [ I think I'd rather do \[acting\] in the real place. It requires different things, working with green screen, but its an imaginative exercise anyway,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-think-i-d-rather-do-acting-in-the-real-place-it-requires-different/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [What I believe will make my acting career successful going forward is hard work. I like to challenge myself. Then it's the people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/what-i-believe-will-make-my-acting-career-successful-going-forward-is/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [Photography is a pursuit that allows you to be very hands-on with what you show people of either yourself or the art you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-sprouse/photography-is-a-pursuit-that-allows-you-to-be-very-hands-on-with/) [Cole Sprouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-sprouse/) > [I'd done about 10 movies before I decided I wanted to make acting the main thrust of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/i-d-done-about-10-movies-before-i-decided-i-wanted-to-make-acting-the/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [I'd like this to become my principal activity: to make films about animals. Of course it's always interesting to model, but it depends who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabella-rossellini/i-d-like-this-to-become-my-principal-activity-to-make-films-about/) [Isabella Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabella-rossellini/) > [I hope to make acting my career for the rest of my life, if I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-hope-to-make-acting-my-career-for-the-rest-of-my-life-if-i-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hope to make acting my career for the rest of my life, if I can. If acting doesn't work out, I'd love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-grace-moretz/i-hope-to-make-acting-my-career-for-the-rest-of-my-life-if-i-can-if-2/) [Chloe Grace Moretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-grace-moretz/) > [I just love to act and be on the set. I want to make acting my life and get really good roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seyfried/i-just-love-to-act-and-be-on-the-set-i-want-to-make-acting-my-life/) [Amanda Seyfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seyfried/) > [Well, I think one of the main things that you have to think about when acting in the movies is to try not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stewart/well-i-think-one-of-the-main-things-that-you-have-to-think-about-when/) [James Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stewart/) > [My advice is to make acting your second career choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-tamblyn/my-advice-is-to-make-acting-your-second-career-choice/) [Amber Tamblyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-tamblyn/) > [The Marine Corps is some of the best acting training you could have. Having that responsibility for people's lives, suddenly time becomes a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/the-marine-corps-is-some-of-the-best-acting-training-you-could-have/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [I hope to make acting my career for the rest of my life, if I can. If acting doesn't work out I'd love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-grace-moretz/i-hope-to-make-acting-my-career-for-the-rest-of-my-life-if-i-can-if/) [Chloe Grace Moretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-grace-moretz/) > [I don't have any theories about acting, and I don't think about how to do it, except that an actor shouldn't take himself too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-don-t-have-any-theories-about-acting-and-i-don-t-think-about-how-to/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [I love acting. It is so much more real than life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-love-acting-it-is-so-much-more-real-than-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Joseph Mazzello > [When 'The Pacific' came around, I had to audition the old-fashioned way. It was the casting director and then the producer and then another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/when-the-pacific-came-around-i-had-to-audition-the-old-fashioned-way/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [I went to USC and tried to learn about the other side of the camera a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/i-went-to-usc-and-tried-to-learn-about-the-other-side-of-the-camera-a/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [Being an actor helps me direct a little bit, when I do that, which I haven't been able to do that much, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/being-an-actor-helps-me-direct-a-little-bit-when-i-do-that-which-i/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [People are always like, 'Oh, 'Jurassic Park' is on...' or 'Oh, 'The River Wild' is on...' I actually haven't seen any of my movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/people-are-always-like-oh-jurassic-park-is-on-or-oh-the-river-wild-is/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [My parents always instilled in me this feeling of wanting to be a normal person. I never moved out to L.A. as a kid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/my-parents-always-instilled-in-me-this-feeling-of-wanting-to-be-a/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [Make acting seem real and as if it werent acting. Just make it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/make-acting-seem-real-and-as-if-it-werent-acting-just-make-it-real/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [Id like to make character-based dramas. I end up writing thrillers a lot - these psychological character-based things with weird people doing horrible things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/id-like-to-make-character-based-dramas-i-end-up-writing-thrillers-a/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [Acting is always going to be number one, but what I learned in film school, I want to make that happen too, so Im…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/acting-is-always-going-to-be-number-one-but-what-i-learned-in-film/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) > [I realized that acting was the thing I was still maybe the best at. Of the things I felt like I was good at,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mazzello/i-realized-that-acting-was-the-thing-i-was-still-maybe-the-best-at-of/) [Joseph Mazzello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) [Explore all 10 Joseph Mazzello quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mazzello/) ## 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. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Make acting seem real and as if it weren't acting. 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