--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards" description: "\"In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards\" — Kevin Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png" --- # In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards ![“In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards” quote by Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png) > “In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards” [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In Hollywood, failures can paradoxically lead to greater opportunities and visibility. **In simple terms:** Failure can boost your career in Hollywood. Key Takeaway Embrace setbacks as stepping stones. Themes career success resilience Mood cynical optimistic Type observational humorous When to use this quote - acting auditions - indie film projects - media interviews - creative collaborations Key Concepts Hollywood culture networking publicity Questions to Reflect On - How can you turn a setback into an advantage? - What risks are worth taking for visibility? A Different Perspective Not all failures are beneficial; success also requires skill and effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) [Fail Upwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail-upwards-1601500/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Hollywood Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood-kind-1058523/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Fail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-fail-3603049/) [Upwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upwards/) ## Related quotes > [In Hollywood you just fail upwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-hollywood-you-just-fail-upwards/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [My grandmother and I would go see movies, and we'd come back to the apartment - we had a one-room apartment in Hollywood -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/my-grandmother-and-i-would-go-see-movies-and-we-d-come-back-to-the/) [Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/) > [My mother had been an actress and we came from that world in New York, the theater world and the downtown sort of theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/my-mother-had-been-an-actress-and-we-came-from-that-world-in-new-york/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [In Nashville, if people don't like someone, they say, 'I don't really like him,' then add, 'bless his heart.' In Hollywood, they kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-paisley/in-nashville-if-people-don-t-like-someone-they-say-i-don-t-really/) [Brad Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-paisley/) > [Hollywood is the kind of town that likes to make everything larger than life: movie premieres, aging actress' lips, and murders. Actors come from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/hollywood-is-the-kind-of-town-that-likes-to-make-everything-larger/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [As a writer, I think about films I work on in a traditional Hollywood kind of a way. I'm curious to see how it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-neville/as-a-writer-i-think-about-films-i-work-on-in-a-traditional-hollywood/) [Morgan Neville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-neville/) > [Hollywood is the kind of place that takes what you do well in one thing and manufactures it so the joy can be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-gad/hollywood-is-the-kind-of-place-that-takes-what-you-do-well-in-one/) [Josh Gad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-gad/) > [I know a couple of my friends - quite a few - there is a conservative movement in Hollywood, and we kind of stay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-davi/i-know-a-couple-of-my-friends-quite-a-few-there-is-a-conservative/) [Robert Davi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-davi/) > [What I didn't realize is, getting out to L.A., you realize how normal it is, especially if you go eat or have dinner in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-mcvay/what-i-didn-t-realize-is-getting-out-to-l-a-you-realize-how-normal-it/) [Sean McVay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-mcvay/) > [In Hollywood, you kind of trick yourself into feeling like you have impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nell-scovell/in-hollywood-you-kind-of-trick-yourself-into-feeling-like-you-have/) [Nell Scovell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nell-scovell/) > [Hollywood is kind of a bad world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-maestro/hollywood-is-kind-of-a-bad-world/) [Mia Maestro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-maestro/) > [Onwards and upwards, and never give your failures a second thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lois/onwards-and-upwards-and-never-give-your-failures-a-second-thought/) [George Lois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lois/) > [What's a space elevator? Simply described, it's a thin ribbon, about 3 feet wide and 60 thousand miles long, stretching upwards from the surface…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/what-s-a-space-elevator-simply-described-it-s-a-thin-ribbon-about-3/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [When you have been lucky enough to move up the ladder, all you see, really, is the slide back down. You don't see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hodgson/when-you-have-been-lucky-enough-to-move-up-the-ladder-all-you-see/) [Roy Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hodgson/) > [But even now, when people see me in the street, they point upwards to the sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gibb/but-even-now-when-people-see-me-in-the-street-they-point-upwards-to/) [Barry Gibb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gibb/) ## More by Kevin Smith > [“GOD DOESN’T HATE FAGS OR ANYBODY ELSE FOR THAT MATTER. GOD SAVES! THEN, GOD PASSES IT TO GRETZKY - WHO ROOFS THAT SHIT, TOP-SHELF!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/god-doesn-t-hate-fags-or-anybody-else-for-that-matter-god-saves-then/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [I grew up in a pretty gay world - my brother's gay and he's been married to a man for 20 years, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/i-grew-up-in-a-pretty-gay-world-my-brother-s-gay-and-he-s-been/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [There was never any down side to casting friends over professionals. It was always fun seeing folks who never performed before stretching their wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/there-was-never-any-down-side-to-casting-friends-over-professionals/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [I know what it feels like to carry a lot of weight in a society that's very image-conscious. It's a thin person's world, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/i-know-what-it-feels-like-to-carry-a-lot-of-weight-in-a-society-that/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Stop…stop, that’s the next generation of fans… How dare you pass judgment on those 12-year-old girls who like vampires! They need to be encouraged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/stop-stop-that-s-the-next-generation-of-fans-how-dare-you-pass/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Sometimes the path you're on is not as important as the direction you're heading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/sometimes-the-path-you-re-on-is-not-as-important-as-the-direction-you/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Any book is a self-help guide if you can take something from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/any-book-is-a-self-help-guide-if-you-can-take-something-from-it/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [In anything I've ever written, all the characters sound like me, which I don't think is a bad thing. It makes sense. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-anything-i-ve-ever-written-all-the-characters-sound-like-me-which/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [If you grow up fat, you have to try harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/if-you-grow-up-fat-you-have-to-try-harder/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Other filmmakers make their movies and put them out and that's that. For me, for some odd reason, it goes deeper than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/other-filmmakers-make-their-movies-and-put-them-out-and-that-s-that/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [So I know how I watch movies which is on my laptop, man. And that's how I suspect a lot of people do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/so-i-know-how-i-watch-movies-which-is-on-my-laptop-man-and-that-s-how/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [It's too expensive, that's the thing nobody wants to talk about. It is too expensive to make movies. That's not true, it is too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/it-s-too-expensive-that-s-the-thing-nobody-wants-to-talk-about-it-is/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [Based on the timely and helpful responses to my support issues, I feel that I made the right decision to become a customer earlier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/based-on-the-timely-and-helpful-responses-to-my-support-issues-i-feel/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [“Brodie Bruce: You're gonna listen to me? To something I said!? Jesus, man, haven't I made it abundantly clear during the tenure of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/brodie-bruce-you-re-gonna-listen-to-me-to-something-i-said-jesus-man/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) > [I know you're supposed to tell kids not to do drugs, but, kids, do it! Do weed! Don't do the other stuff, but weed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/i-know-you-re-supposed-to-tell-kids-not-to-do-drugs-but-kids-do-it-do/) [Kevin Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) [Explore all 120 Kevin Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/) ## More Fail quotes > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Would you like a side of epic with that fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabi/would-you-like-a-side-of-epic-with-that-fail/) [Gabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabi/) > [Apologies are not pass/fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/apologies-are-not-pass-fail/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [My willingness to fail gives me the ability to succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinod-khosla/my-willingness-to-fail-gives-me-the-ability-to-succeed/) [Vinod Khosla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinod-khosla/) > [If you have a good idea you must explain it or you will fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/if-you-have-a-good-idea-you-must-explain-it-or-you-will-fail/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [We can't afford any president to fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/we-can-t-afford-any-president-to-fail/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [What I want is to be willing to fail rather than stagnate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/what-i-want-is-to-be-willing-to-fail-rather-than-stagnate/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [“If you die, I will find you. I will never leave you. I will never let you go. I will not let you fall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/if-you-die-i-will-find-you-i-will-never-leave-you-i-will-never-let/) [Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/) > [“The worst outcome of not trying is never getting to fail.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillip-gary-smith/the-worst-outcome-of-not-trying-is-never-getting-to-fail/) [Phillip Gary Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillip-gary-smith/) > [“Many people fail in their career, business and relationship, and others get stuck because of their inability to make quality decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkem-mpamah/many-people-fail-in-their-career-business-and-relationship-and-others/) [Nkem Mpamah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkem-mpamah/) > [“Quitters don’t gain what they have started working on; waiters don’t start what they could have gained. What is common there is failure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/quitters-don-t-gain-what-they-have-started-working-on-waiters-don-t/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [This is my most important role. If I fail at this, I fail at everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/this-is-my-most-important-role-if-i-fail-at-this-i-fail-at-everything/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [Sunscreen is something that I think a lot of people fail to incorporate into their beauty routines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-zegler/sunscreen-is-something-that-i-think-a-lot-of-people-fail-to/) [Rachel Zegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-zegler/) > [Never give up on something just because you think you might fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/never-give-up-on-something-just-because-you-think-you-might-fail/) [Jimmy Lee Reed Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-lee-reed-jr/) > [The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-cruise-o-brien/the-main-thing-that-endears-the-united-nations-to-member-governments/) [Conor Cruise O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-cruise-o-brien/) [Browse all 2,202 Fail quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fail/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fail" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/kevin-smith-3887_fail_in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards-20_2012612.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In Hollywood you kind of fail upwards” — Kevin Smith", "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": "Kevin Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In Hollywood you kind of fail...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-smith/in-hollywood-you-kind-of-fail-upwards/#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 } } ] } ```