--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I basically never believed that I was a…" description: "\"I basically never believed that I was a commercial actor. Just because of the outcome of many auditions over time. No one hired me.\" — Katherine Waterston" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/katherine-waterston-8062_actor_i-basically-never-believed-that-i-was-a_2191235.jpg" --- # I basically never believed that I was a commercial actor… ![“I basically never believed that I was a commercial actor. Just because of the outcome of many auditions over time. No one hired me.” quote by Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/katherine-waterston-8062_actor_i-basically-never-believed-that-i-was-a_2191235.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/katherine-waterston-8062_actor_i-basically-never-believed-that-i-was-a_2191235.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/272/katherine-waterston-8062_actor_i-basically-never-believed-that-i-was-a_2191235.jpg) > “I basically never believed that I was a commercial actor. Just because of the outcome of many auditions over time. No one hired me.” [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She doubts her status as a commercial actor due to repeated rejections and lack of hiring. **In simple terms:** She feels she isn’t a commercial actor because she’s never hired. Key Takeaway Recognize self‑doubt and seek evidence of success. Themes self‑doubt career identity perseverance Mood reflective determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - audition process - career planning - self‑assessment - networking Key Concepts confidence building industry perception Questions to Reflect On - What evidence could prove your commercial viability? - How can you reframe rejection as growth? A Different Perspective Even without hires, talent can be recognized later. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Auditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auditions/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [For so long, we have believed that commercial cinema is nonsensical, but 'Bajrangi' was not nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/for-so-long-we-have-believed-that-commercial-cinema-is-nonsensical/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I couldn't be a conventional commercial actor without being a star-kid. 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It's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-s-kind-of-no-rhyme-or-reason-to-what-is-appealing-to-any-given/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [Being an actor, in and of itself, is just hard. You have to just do it for its own sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-wu/being-an-actor-in-and-of-itself-is-just-hard-you-have-to-just-do-it/) [Constance Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-wu/) > [I never said I want to be an actor. I just went quietly, quietly, I'm going to do this myself, so I chose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-pedersen/i-never-said-i-want-to-be-an-actor-i-just-went-quietly-quietly-i-m/) [Aaron Pedersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-pedersen/) > [“I’m not who you think I am. I’m an actor. Just like all of you. I’m improvising, shooting from the hip. 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You can be in this business a long time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/as-an-actor-you-just-want-to-continue-to-work-on-things-that-you-like/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [It's a wonderful thing to watch an actor just act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-flanagan/it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-watch-an-actor-just-act/) [Mike Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-flanagan/) > [One thing about being a stand-up is it's a one-man show. You gotta do everything. You're the producer, writer, director, and the actor. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/one-thing-about-being-a-stand-up-is-it-s-a-one-man-show-you-gotta-do/) [Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/) ## More by Katherine Waterston > [I generally don't like to talk too much about the character unless I feel stuck or in some trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-generally-don-t-like-to-talk-too-much-about-the-character-unless-i/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [What's comforting about coming from a family of actors is I don't have to explain the struggle. I can just sigh to my sister,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/what-s-comforting-about-coming-from-a-family-of-actors-is-i-don-t/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [I think everything happens organically. You mine for clues. It's all immersive, and stuff you can use comes out of that immersion. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-think-everything-happens-organically-you-mine-for-clues-it-s-all/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [I don't think Paul Thomas Anderson has a standard approach to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-don-t-think-paul-thomas-anderson-has-a-standard-approach-to-anything/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [There are people who have really high expectations for what we're doing. I have to not think about that so that I can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-are-people-who-have-really-high-expectations-for-what-we-re/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [I have been a scrappy actor for 10-plus years, and when you're playing supporting roles, your relationship with the costume designer is very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-have-been-a-scrappy-actor-for-10-plus-years-and-when-you-re-playing/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [There's something particular about the way Los Angeles feels in the summertime. 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But the young girl is never the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-ve-always-wanted-to-play-the-villain-but-the-young-girl-is-never/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [We live in such hypersexualised yet totally prudish times. People have this expectation about everyone else's relationship to their own bodies.'Surely you must have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/we-live-in-such-hypersexualised-yet-totally-prudish-times-people-have/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [The minute you get cast, you worry they've made the most terrible mistake. There's a really awkward stage between being hired and doing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/the-minute-you-get-cast-you-worry-they-ve-made-the-most-terrible/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [I dont think Paul Thomas Anderson has a standard approach to anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/i-dont-think-paul-thomas-anderson-has-a-standard-approach-to-anything/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [Ive always wanted to play the villain. But the young girl is never the villain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/ive-always-wanted-to-play-the-villain-but-the-young-girl-is-never-the/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) > [There's kind of no rhyme or reason to what is appealing to any given actor. It just is, or it isn't. It's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-waterston/there-s-kind-of-no-rhyme-or-reason-to-what-is-appealing-to-any-given/) [Katherine Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) [Explore all 84 Katherine Waterston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-waterston/) ## 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. 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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! 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