--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: During my career as a standup and actor…" description: "\"During my career as a standup and actor, I realized it was very frustrating for me to get hired because Hollywood was hiring a different kind of brothe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/larry-wilmore-3223_actors_during-my-career-as-a-standup-and-actor_3222572.png" --- # During my career as a standup and actor, I realized it was… ![“During my career as a standup and actor, I realized it was very frustrating for me to get hired because Hollywood was hiring a different kind of brother, you know, and I was doing political humor... In order for me to really have a long career, I'm going to have to learn how to write and produce…” quote by Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/larry-wilmore-3223_actors_during-my-career-as-a-standup-and-actor_3222572.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/larry-wilmore-3223_actors_during-my-career-as-a-standup-and-actor_3222572.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8eb/larry-wilmore-3223_actors_during-my-career-as-a-standup-and-actor_3222572.png) > “During my career as a standup and actor, I realized it was very frustrating for me to get hired because Hollywood was hiring a different kind of brother, you know, and I was doing political humor... In order for me to really have a long career, I'm going to have to learn how to write and produce for myself... I had no idea I was really going to like it and I'm very fortunate to be successful. But the idea was to always eventually create something for myself. That was the idea from the beginning when I went into writing and producing.” [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Career longevity in entertainment requires self‑production and creative control beyond industry trends. **In simple terms:** Make your own work to stay relevant. Key Takeaway Create and produce your own projects. Themes career creativity independence Mood motivational reflective Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - stand‑up comedy - television writing - film - personal branding Key Concepts self‑production industry dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to start producing? - How do you balance collaboration with independence? A Different Perspective Self‑production can be financially risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Career Standup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career-standup-4694114/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different kinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-kinds/) [Eventually Create](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eventually-create-3117381/) [Fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunate/) [Frustrating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustrating/) [Hired Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hired-hollywood-561901/) [Hiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiring/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [I realized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-realized/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-career/) [Long careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-careers/) [No idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-idea/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-humor/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Producing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-producing-2314532/) ## Related quotes > [The thing I wanted more than anything was to make a career of standup - and I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-santino/the-thing-i-wanted-more-than-anything-was-to-make-a-career-of-standup/) [Andrew Santino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-santino/) > [I'll just say that there are certain people who continue to be hired in Hollywood, and that leaves me truly shocked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-ll-just-say-that-there-are-certain-people-who-continue-to-be-hired/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Old age is a lease nature only signs as a particular favor, and it may be, to one, only in the space of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/old-age-is-a-lease-nature-only-signs-as-a-particular-favor-and-it-may/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [I think I've been fortunate enough to have a fairly long career and hopefully I'm at the middle of it now. And I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-berg/i-think-i-ve-been-fortunate-enough-to-have-a-fairly-long-career-and/) [Peter Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-berg/) > [I've learned to think in terms of having a long career. Actors can have very long careers that last until the day we die,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-ve-learned-to-think-in-terms-of-having-a-long-career-actors-can/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [My father ran London Films. He made films like 'The Red Shoes,' 'The Third Man.' And he had had a long career in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/my-father-ran-london-films-he-made-films-like-the-red-shoes-the-third/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [My ambition is to keep the audience guessing... that is my path to a long career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-oyelowo/my-ambition-is-to-keep-the-audience-guessing-that-is-my-path-to-a/) [David Oyelowo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-oyelowo/) > [Reminiscing, with obvious emotion, on his long career It has turned out a whole lot better than I ever, ever, ever dreamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lavell-edwards/reminiscing-with-obvious-emotion-on-his-long-career-it-has-turned-out/) [LaVell Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lavell-edwards/) > [The most important thing to having a long career, as an actor, is diversity and being able to play different types of characters in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hutcherson/the-most-important-thing-to-having-a-long-career-as-an-actor-is/) [Josh Hutcherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hutcherson/) > [There's not a long career span because you can't really make money doing drag for very long the way the system was set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/there-s-not-a-long-career-span-because-you-can-t-really-make-money/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [Ive been blessed to have a long career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-the-entertainer/ive-been-blessed-to-have-a-long-career/) [Cedric the Entertainer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-the-entertainer/) > [At the very worst, if I have a short-lived career, at least I could say I sparked a change—that I inspired some leniency in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-azalea/at-the-very-worst-if-i-have-a-short-lived-career-at-least-i-could-say/) [Iggy Azalea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-azalea/) > [I believe that I'm going to have a long career, as long as I want, and I think by me going out into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-tucker/i-believe-that-i-m-going-to-have-a-long-career-as-long-as-i-want-and/) [Chris Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-tucker/) > [I'd love to make a second film, I'd love to make a third, and I'd love to have a long career doing this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-krokidas/i-d-love-to-make-a-second-film-i-d-love-to-make-a-third-and-i-d-love/) [John Krokidas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-krokidas/) > [What you see is what you make. What you see in a people is what you eventually create in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/what-you-see-is-what-you-make-what-you-see-in-a-people-is-what-you/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) ## More by Larry Wilmore > [As a culture, we've all agreed with the opinion that the world should be seen in a certain way, so at 'The Nightly Show,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/as-a-culture-we-ve-all-agreed-with-the-opinion-that-the-world-should/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [Catholic and Jew - it's very closely related, a lot of holidays, a lot of guilt, a lot of the same things going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/catholic-and-jew-it-s-very-closely-related-a-lot-of-holidays-a-lot-of/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [Even though you're in charge you're not completely in ownership. You know, the audience takes a huge ownership of your show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/even-though-you-re-in-charge-you-re-not-completely-in-ownership-you/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [When you work in television you're in the writer's room all the time. You can't take 10 days or a week to go watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/when-you-work-in-television-you-re-in-the-writer-s-room-all-the-time/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I was taught from a very early age that I had to work twice as hard to get half as much. That was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-was-taught-from-a-very-early-age-that-i-had-to-work-twice-as-hard/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [Sometimes I'm successful, and sometimes I'm not, but I don't mind going down trying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/sometimes-i-m-successful-and-sometimes-i-m-not-but-i-don-t-mind-going/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [You never want to defend a joke. People get to choose whether or not to laugh and whether or not they think something is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/you-never-want-to-defend-a-joke-people-get-to-choose-whether-or-not/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I really don't have a need to be on TV all that much, to be honest with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-really-don-t-have-a-need-to-be-on-tv-all-that-much-to-be-honest/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [There's a lot of magic in science, so to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/there-s-a-lot-of-magic-in-science-so-to-speak/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [When you're taking chances, you know it's not going to please everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/when-you-re-taking-chances-you-know-it-s-not-going-to-please-everybody/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I didn't get into comedy to talk about violent death all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-didn-t-get-into-comedy-to-talk-about-violent-death-all-the-time/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I was an athlete, so I hung out with the jocks. I was smart, so I hung out with the nerdy kids. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-was-an-athlete-so-i-hung-out-with-the-jocks-i-was-smart-so-i-hung/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [My parents are from the Midwest. They're from Evanston, Illinois. They moved out to Los Angeles right before I was born.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/my-parents-are-from-the-midwest-they-re-from-evanston-illinois-they/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I really love having conversations and deconstructing things. I don't mind not having a laugh every second. Sometimes things deserve a little more discussion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-really-love-having-conversations-and-deconstructing-things-i-don-t/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [Sometimes I'd say what's bad for the country is good for my business, unfortunately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/sometimes-i-d-say-what-s-bad-for-the-country-is-good-for-my-business/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) [Explore all 136 Larry Wilmore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "During my career as a standup and actor, I realized it was very frustrating for me to get hired because Hollywood was hiring a different kind of brother, you know, and I was doing political humor... In order for me to really have a long career, I'm going to have to learn how to write and produce for myself... I had no idea I was really going to like it and I'm very fortunate to be successful. But the idea was to always eventually create something for myself. 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