--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I first started acting, I started in…" description: "\"When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg" --- # When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a… ![“When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended up doing a lot of comedy.” quote by Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg) > “When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended up doing a lot of comedy.” [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early aspirations for dramatic opera roles shifted to comedy in musical theater, highlighting how career paths can diverge from original passions. **In simple terms:** Acting goals changed from tragedy to comedy. Key Takeaway Embrace unexpected directions. Themes career art adaptation Mood reflective hopeful Type personal career When to use this quote - audition process - role selection - career pivot Key Concepts identity creative evolution Questions to Reflect On - Do you still seek tragic roles? - How can comedy enrich your craft? A Different Perspective Comedy may limit exposure to dramatic depth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-started-596104/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Musical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical/) [Musical theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musical-theater/) [Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opera/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Started Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-acting/) [Started Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-opera-4241416/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Tragic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tragic/) ## Related quotes > [I still the love classic period, but also the baroque period, and even 17th-Century music such as the music of Monteverdi. He's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-bartoli/i-still-the-love-classic-period-but-also-the-baroque-period-and-even/) [Cecilia Bartoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-bartoli/) > [When I was sixteen I started acting, and I also started to embrace my tradition and culture. I had a young medicine man interpret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-beach/when-i-was-sixteen-i-started-acting-and-i-also-started-to-embrace-my/) [Adam Beach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-beach/) > [I've always loved comedy and growing up it was the comedies that I really responded to. So I don't know how it turned out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-ve-always-loved-comedy-and-growing-up-it-was-the-comedies-that-i/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I started acting when I was 10, doing musical theater. I was a brunette at that time. I was always cast in all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loni-anderson/i-started-acting-when-i-was-10-doing-musical-theater-i-was-a-brunette/) [Loni Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loni-anderson/) > [I was in musical theater when I first started, so there was always both acting and singing. But as far as getting a record…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-milian/i-was-in-musical-theater-when-i-first-started-so-there-was-always/) [Christina Milian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-milian/) > [Musical theater tends to be word-driven, whereas opera gives you so much more scope for driving the story with the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/musical-theater-tends-to-be-word-driven-whereas-opera-gives-you-so/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [I never thought about acting before I started modeling, but since then I've been in short films and music videos, and I got interested.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rila-fukushima/i-never-thought-about-acting-before-i-started-modeling-but-since-then/) [Rila Fukushima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rila-fukushima/) > [I felt that I was forgetting about all of the stresses when I was acting, and that's when I started thinking more seriously about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seo-in-guk/i-felt-that-i-was-forgetting-about-all-of-the-stresses-when-i-was/) [Seo In-guk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seo-in-guk/) > [I don't know that I had context for being trans until I moved to Rochester, New York, to pursue my dream of acting, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelica-ross/i-don-t-know-that-i-had-context-for-being-trans-until-i-moved-to/) [Angelica Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelica-ross/) > [I hardly knew anything when I first arrived. I had to learn how to act as I went along. After about a year I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-george/i-hardly-knew-anything-when-i-first-arrived-i-had-to-learn-how-to-act/) [Melissa George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-george/) > [I was always drawn to performing, but I never thought I could. I have no idea what I wanted to do outside of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/i-was-always-drawn-to-performing-but-i-never-thought-i-could-i-have/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [My path to acting started with watching a lot of movies, because I grew up in a very rural place, that was snowed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-gladstone/my-path-to-acting-started-with-watching-a-lot-of-movies-because-i/) [Lily Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-gladstone/) > [My acting started with musicals in elementary school, so singing is something I've always done, never done professionally - so you're not going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-snyder/my-acting-started-with-musicals-in-elementary-school-so-singing-is/) [Clayton Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-snyder/) > [I grew up near the University of Michigan, so we'd sneak into college parties. That's where my acting started - lying about the professors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mircea-monroe/i-grew-up-near-the-university-of-michigan-so-we-d-sneak-into-college/) [Mircea Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mircea-monroe/) > [I was ashamed to admit I was hipped to the idea of acting. That's why I started in with the props.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wayne/i-was-ashamed-to-admit-i-was-hipped-to-the-idea-of-acting-that-s-why/) [John Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wayne/) ## More by Leslie Easterbrook > [I did a film once that I was killed in. It was a painful, horrifying day. It was a wonderful day from the standpoint…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/i-did-a-film-once-that-i-was-killed-in-it-was-a-painful-horrifying/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) > [I wish I had a funny story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/i-wish-i-had-a-funny-story/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) > [Mother Firefly is the kind of character I've always wanted to play. She's larger than life, terribly tragic, and capable of a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/mother-firefly-is-the-kind-of-character-i-ve-always-wanted-to-play/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) > [I have fans all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/i-have-fans-all-around-the-world/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) > [I'm a big taco fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/i-m-a-big-taco-fan/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) > [I can be inappropriate at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/i-can-be-inappropriate-at-times/) [Leslie Easterbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) [Explore all 7 Leslie Easterbrook quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/) ## 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": "When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I got sidetracked in musical theater and ended up doing a lot of comedy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Leslie Easterbrook" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in-opera-and-had-a-great-desire/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in-opera-and-had-a-great-desire/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b59/leslie-easterbrook-51340_acting_when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in_2378519.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I first started acting, I started in opera and had a great desire to play grand, tragic characters. I…” — Leslie Easterbrook", "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": "Leslie Easterbrook", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-easterbrook/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I first started acting, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in-opera-and-had-a-great-desire/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-easterbrook/when-i-first-started-acting-i-started-in-opera-and-had-a-great-desire/#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 } } ] } ```