--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Can you explore real issues as a fake…" description: "\"Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes - it's called acting. Or fiction. But acting is not a method of engaging with the actual world, ju..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg" --- # Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes… ![“Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes - it's called acting. Or fiction. But acting is not a method of engaging with the actual world, just as pretending to know what a character might eat does not a novel make - much less make that make-believe real.” quote by Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg) > “Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes - it's called acting. Or fiction. But acting is not a method of engaging with the actual world, just as pretending to know what a character might eat does not a novel make - much less make that make-believe real.” [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pretending to be a character does not equate to genuine understanding of real issues; acting is not a substitute for real engagement. **In simple terms:** Acting ≠ real insight. Key Takeaway Avoid substituting performance for authentic inquiry. Themes authenticity knowledge methodology Mood critical inquisitive Type theoretical reflective When to use this quote - journalism - policy analysis - creative writing Key Concepts philosophy of art epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can fictional perspectives enrich real-world problem solving? - When does role‑play become a useful research tool? A Different Perspective Risk of mistaking simulation for reality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-fiction-510939/) [Called Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-acting-243004/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Fake Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fake-character-510940/) [Fiction Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-acting-510938/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I love to act, I've always wanted to be an actor. I think that acting and fiction go nicely together - being able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/i-love-to-act-i-ve-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-i-think-that-acting/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [In fear we are acting on fiction and in love we are acting on truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gerber/in-fear-we-are-acting-on-fiction-and-in-love-we-are-acting-on-truth/) [Richard Gerber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gerber/) > [A lot of celebrities can be very, very fake. They all have this character, but I'm purely just myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-crosby/a-lot-of-celebrities-can-be-very-very-fake-they-all-have-this/) [Charlotte Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-crosby/) > [But there's the paradox of fiction - why do you cry when a fake character dies? It's the basis of art. You engage with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gruber/but-there-s-the-paradox-of-fiction-why-do-you-cry-when-a-fake/) [Michael Gruber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gruber/) > [What I'm pretty much giving you when you see me onstage is me; it's not a fake character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-murphy/what-i-m-pretty-much-giving-you-when-you-see-me-onstage-is-me-it-s/) [Charlie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-murphy/) > [A little girl thought I was mean like my character on 'Zoey,' and I convinced her that 'Logan' is just a fake character and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-underwood/a-little-girl-thought-i-was-mean-like-my-character-on-zoey-and-i/) [Matthew Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-underwood/) > [“Character is who you are in dark this especially when nobody sees you. Your true character shows more when you are rich or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osunsakin-adewale/character-is-who-you-are-in-dark-this-especially-when-nobody-sees-you/) [Osunsakin Adewale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osunsakin-adewale/) > [If you see what is small as it sees itself, and accept what is weak for what strength it has, and use what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-you-see-what-is-small-as-it-sees-itself-and-accept-what-is-weak/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [An actor is an impersonator; he plays many different roles. If you played the same role all the time, God - that'd be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-loggia/an-actor-is-an-impersonator-he-plays-many-different-roles-if-you-2/) [Robert Loggia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-loggia/) > [My family was always supportive when I decided that I wanted to pursue this thing called acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selenis-leyva/my-family-was-always-supportive-when-i-decided-that-i-wanted-to/) [Selenis Leyva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selenis-leyva/) > [Don't think for a moment that I'm really like any of the characters I've played. I'm not. That's why it's called 'acting'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/don-t-think-for-a-moment-that-i-m-really-like-any-of-the-characters-i/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [God has called me to do this thing called acting and the performing arts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-mclaughlin/god-has-called-me-to-do-this-thing-called-acting-and-the-performing/) [Caleb McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-mclaughlin/) > [When I was about 16 or 17, I had a teacher who took a group of us to the National Theater in Washington, D.C.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/when-i-was-about-16-or-17-i-had-a-teacher-who-took-a-group-of-us-to/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > ["Maybe I just don't want another rejection," he shrugs. "I've had enough of that in my so-called acting career." Oh, so this is what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-potter/maybe-i-just-don-t-want-another-rejection-he-shrugs-i-ve-had-enough/) [Alexandra Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-potter/) > [People assume that displaying your own personal ego on screen is called acting, which is actually not what acting is about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-kay-menon/people-assume-that-displaying-your-own-personal-ego-on-screen-is/) [Kay Kay Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-kay-menon/) ## More by Kevin Young > [There's always been really interesting, diverse black voices talking and arguing and counterpointing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/there-s-always-been-really-interesting-diverse-black-voices-talking/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [“At night I count not the stars but the dark.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/at-night-i-count-not-the-stars-but-the-dark/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [I think Barnum is at the center of American culture. He's helping to invent what we now think of as pop culture. He invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/i-think-barnum-is-at-the-center-of-american-culture-he-s-helping-to/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [I do think there's a certain savviness to be able to recognize the way people want a good story, and I think that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/i-do-think-there-s-a-certain-savviness-to-be-able-to-recognize-the/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [Here are the facts: my folks grew up so poor that, in the words of Redd Foxx, there were twenty o's between the p…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/here-are-the-facts-my-folks-grew-up-so-poor-that-in-the-words-of-redd/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [Even Toni Morrison claiming Bill Clinton as 'black' could not prepare us for the election of America's first undeniably black president, Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/even-toni-morrison-claiming-bill-clinton-as-black-could-not-prepare/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [A DJ draws a connection between two seemingly disparate things and says, 'Look, they are alike. You can dance to them.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/a-dj-draws-a-connection-between-two-seemingly-disparate-things-and/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [Forget reparations - we need to rescue aspects of black culture abandoned even by black folks, whether it is the blues or home cookin'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/forget-reparations-we-need-to-rescue-aspects-of-black-culture/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [I remember in the '80s, people would literally have arguments over the best guitarist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/i-remember-in-the-80s-people-would-literally-have-arguments-over-the/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [In African-American culture, there's often a family historian, someone who does the genealogy or keeps the family Bible. I became aware that might be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/in-african-american-culture-there-s-often-a-family-historian-someone/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [“Deep Song Belief is what buries us—that & the belief in belief— No longer do I trust liltlessness —leeward is the world's way—Go on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/deep-song-belief-is-what-buries-us-that-the-belief-in-belief-no/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [Is there a bad song on 'Sign O' The Times?' There isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/is-there-a-bad-song-on-sign-o-the-times-there-isn-t/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [That sense of mystery, but also of revelation, is what I turn to poems for. They're able to embody experience. We need more and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/that-sense-of-mystery-but-also-of-revelation-is-what-i-turn-to-poems/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [In a long poem or a sequence of poems, you're trying to formalize your obsessions and give them a shape and a name. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/in-a-long-poem-or-a-sequence-of-poems-you-re-trying-to-formalize-your/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [We quickly erase hoaxes once exposed, excising the monstrous palimpsest, because as with any witch hunt or obvious fake, afterward we can't quite explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/we-quickly-erase-hoaxes-once-exposed-excising-the-monstrous/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) [Explore all 84 Kevin Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) ## 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": "Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes - it's called acting. Or fiction. But acting is not a method of engaging with the actual world, just as pretending to know what a character might eat does not a novel make - much less make that make-believe real.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kevin Young" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-character-yes-it-s-called/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-character-yes-it-s-called/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ef/kevin-young-8117_acting_can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-ch_2443834.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Can you explore real issues as a fake character? Yes - it's called acting. Or fiction. But acting is not a…” — Kevin Young", "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 Young", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Can you explore real issues as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-character-yes-it-s-called/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/can-you-explore-real-issues-as-a-fake-character-yes-it-s-called/#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 } } ] } ```