--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At first, we lived in very, very small…" description: "\"At first, we lived in very, very small places... with my mom cleaning houses and scrounging up just enough to keep us in town with a working car. She i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/keith-coogan-47654_agent_at-first-we-lived-in-very-very-small-pla_680299.jpg" --- # At first, we lived in very, very small places... with my… ![“At first, we lived in very, very small places... with my mom cleaning houses and scrounging up just enough to keep us in town with a working car. She introduced me to my first agent, and I started with stand-in work, then eventually commercials and television guest-shots.” quote by Keith Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/keith-coogan-47654_agent_at-first-we-lived-in-very-very-small-pla_680299.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/keith-coogan-47654_agent_at-first-we-lived-in-very-very-small-pla_680299.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/773/keith-coogan-47654_agent_at-first-we-lived-in-very-very-small-pla_680299.jpg) > “At first, we lived in very, very small places... with my mom cleaning houses and scrounging up just enough to keep us in town with a working car. She introduced me to my first agent, and I started with stand-in work, then eventually commercials and television guest-shots.” [Keith Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-coogan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early hardship shaped his drive, leading to a career in acting through persistence and seizing opportunities. **In simple terms:** Hardship sparked ambition; he built a career step by step. Key Takeaway Leverage early challenges into motivation. Themes hardship career perseverance opportunity growth Mood determined determined Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - Finding first gigs - building a portfolio - overcoming financial limits - seeking mentorship Key Concepts Resilience self‑determination networking Questions to Reflect On - How did early struggles influence your work ethic? - What steps can you take today to advance your career? A Different Perspective Success still demands ongoing skill development and industry connections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commercials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commercials/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Small places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-places/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I've always lived in small places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-ve-always-lived-in-small-places/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [When I made my Broadway debut, I was still cleaning houses, something I'd done since I went out on my own at 15.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aida-turturro/when-i-made-my-broadway-debut-i-was-still-cleaning-houses-something-i/) [Aida Turturro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aida-turturro/) > [My first job was when I was about 12, cleaning houses in the afternoons for different elderly women in town. I hated it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-strout/my-first-job-was-when-i-was-about-12-cleaning-houses-in-the/) [Elizabeth Strout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-strout/) > [“Don’t be afraid of your dark places,” Mom told her. “If you can shine a light on them, you’ll find treasure there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/don-t-be-afraid-of-your-dark-places-mom-told-her-if-you-can-shine-a/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I moved out to LA, got an agent, started auditioning. I didn't know anything about how it worked. 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In fact, I got three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/before-stand-up-i-didn-t-even-have-an-agent-once-i-started-doing/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [My father fell really chronically ill when I was 13 and that's when I phoned up an agent and started to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helena-bonham-carter/my-father-fell-really-chronically-ill-when-i-was-13-and-that-s-when-i/) [Helena Bonham Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helena-bonham-carter/) > [It was interesting to be in a position where I got to know people through cleaning their houses, but I became disenchanted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/it-was-interesting-to-be-in-a-position-where-i-got-to-know-people/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [I worked part-time cleaning houses, and went to school full-time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/i-worked-part-time-cleaning-houses-and-went-to-school-full-time/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [My father always told me, 'Before you become a queen, you have to learn how to take care of your own things.' So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camila-alves/my-father-always-told-me-before-you-become-a-queen-you-have-to-learn/) [Camila Alves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camila-alves/) > [Until I was two, my mother supplemented her welfare payments by cleaning houses and waitressing. My father didn't help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-brennan-jobs/until-i-was-two-my-mother-supplemented-her-welfare-payments-by/) [Lisa Brennan-Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-brennan-jobs/) > [From a very young age, I wanted to be an actor, but I lived in a very small town in Florida where there weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-miller/from-a-very-young-age-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-but-i-lived-in-a-very/) [Lauren Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-miller/) > [I lived in a small town. It was 2,000 people in Canada. A little river that went through it and we swam in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/i-lived-in-a-small-town-it-was-2-000-people-in-canada-a-little-river/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [Dad was hopeless with money, even though he ran a business. We lived in a small terrace house and I vividly remember going into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-lipman/dad-was-hopeless-with-money-even-though-he-ran-a-business-we-lived-in/) [Maureen Lipman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-lipman/) ## More by Keith Coogan > [I would advise anyone seriously interested in acting to study, train, and work as much as possible... You will know soon enough if it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-coogan/i-would-advise-anyone-seriously-interested-in-acting-to-study-train/) [Keith Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-coogan/) > [I have been a Jack Albertson fan forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-coogan/i-have-been-a-jack-albertson-fan-forever/) [Keith Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-coogan/) > [I was watching 'Mr. Roger's Neighborhood', 'Sesame Street', 'Electric Company', 'Romper Room', and 'Villa Alegre!' when I said to my self, 'Hey, self! Wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-coogan/i-was-watching-mr-roger-s-neighborhood-sesame-street-electric-company/) [Keith Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-coogan/) > [I started out as Keith Mitchell. I had done probably about ten years of television work under that name. 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