--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wasn't interested in being an actor per…" description: "\"I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.\" — Liam Cunningham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg" --- # I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked… ![“I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.” quote by Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg) > “I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.” [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting is less about titles and more about the love of performance and observing human behavior. **In simple terms:** Acting is about love for performance. Key Takeaway Focus on the craft, not the label. Themes acting observation craft identity Mood thoughtful inspirational Type career philosophical When to use this quote - stage work - film auditions - character study Key Concepts theatre psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay authentic? - What role does observation play? A Different Perspective The industry may still prioritize fame over skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I wasn't interested in fame or fortune. I was interested in being an actor and being creative. I was very adamant about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-cornish/i-wasn-t-interested-in-fame-or-fortune-i-was-interested-in-being-an/) [Abbie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-cornish/) > [It was nice to see someone who appreciated her for her character, no matter how disgusted Christian was by the idea of ANYONE dating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/it-was-nice-to-see-someone-who-appreciated-her-for-her-character-no/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [If people liked seeing me in loverboy roles, I don't intend to break that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uday-kiran/if-people-liked-seeing-me-in-loverboy-roles-i-don-t-intend-to-break/) [Uday Kiran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uday-kiran/) > [“He liked seeing the world through her eyes. The night, to him, was rather ordinary, overlaid with London's crowded odors and a damp that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-thomas/he-liked-seeing-the-world-through-her-eyes-the-night-to-him-was/) [Sherry Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-thomas/) > [I was never interested in becoming an actor. I was directing videos. I was never into acting. I was into shooting music videos. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-was-never-interested-in-becoming-an-actor-i-was-directing-videos-i/) [Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/) > [I have one friend that I've had since I was born, and she's from Coatzacoalcos. She's not really impressed or interested in the actor's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/i-have-one-friend-that-i-ve-had-since-i-was-born-and-she-s-from/) [Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/) > [There are a lot of grey areas in 'The Cry' and the grey is what I'm interested in as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/asher-keddie/there-are-a-lot-of-grey-areas-in-the-cry-and-the-grey-is-what-i-m/) [Asher Keddie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/asher-keddie/) > [The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much bearing on my work. I'm interested in the actor as artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-way-an-actor-is-trained-doesn-t-ultimately-have-much-bearing-on/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [It was hard saying goodbye to the character and harder saying goodbye to the actor. When rumours started going around that Rob Lowe might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-was-hard-saying-goodbye-to-the-character-and-harder-saying-goodbye/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I want to have fun. I'm not interested in being a serious actor, because I think it's boring, and I think we've got plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-want-to-have-fun-i-m-not-interested-in-being-a-serious-actor/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [As I say, there's something that scares the hell out of me but it really makes me work hard in losing myself. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/as-i-say-there-s-something-that-scares-the-hell-out-of-me-but-it/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I'm much more interested in what an actor has to say about something substantial and important than who they're dating or what clothes they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-m-much-more-interested-in-what-an-actor-has-to-say-about-something/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I liked acting early on, and I really liked roles that were meaningful to me, and 'Baywatch' was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-eleniak/i-liked-acting-early-on-and-i-really-liked-roles-that-were-meaningful/) [Erika Eleniak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-eleniak/) > [When I was younger, I always liked acting. You know, like, acting locally, or community theater at school. But it's not an especially insured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavi-gevinson/when-i-was-younger-i-always-liked-acting-you-know-like-acting-locally/) [Tavi Gevinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavi-gevinson/) > [As much as I liked acting for its playfulness and the reward of hearing big laughs wash over you on a stage, I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-ramis/as-much-as-i-liked-acting-for-its-playfulness-and-the-reward-of/) [Harold Ramis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-ramis/) ## More by Liam Cunningham > [I work like a dog when I have to, but when I'm not working, I get terribly lazy and could sit around all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-work-like-a-dog-when-i-have-to-but-when-i-m-not-working-i-get/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I was an electrician, and now I'm in 'Electric Dreams.' It's almost bizarre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-was-an-electrician-and-now-i-m-in-electric-dreams-it-s-almost/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [The way I view drama is life with the boring bits taken out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/the-way-i-view-drama-is-life-with-the-boring-bits-taken-out/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > ['Game of Thrones,' people say that it's a fantasy series, but it's a hell of a lot more than that. It attracts the so-called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/game-of-thrones-people-say-that-it-s-a-fantasy-series-but-it-s-a-hell/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [The best kind of art or writing holds up a mirror to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/the-best-kind-of-art-or-writing-holds-up-a-mirror-to-society/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [On a job, there's so much commitment you have to give, in regards to time, research... I like the tunnel vision of it that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/on-a-job-there-s-so-much-commitment-you-have-to-give-in-regards-to/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I've found that the older I get, the more spontaneous I become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-ve-found-that-the-older-i-get-the-more-spontaneous-i-become/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [The attraction of power is heady, addictive. And as we know from real life, it can be a disease. A horrific disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/the-attraction-of-power-is-heady-addictive-and-as-we-know-from-real/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [There's an old actor's saying about how you don't work with children or animals. I disagree with both of them. Some of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/there-s-an-old-actor-s-saying-about-how-you-don-t-work-with-children/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I don't feel superior because I think there's no God. Actually, I would love to be able to go, 'Well, the world hasn't been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-don-t-feel-superior-because-i-think-there-s-no-god-actually-i-would/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I hate the unfairness of injustice. Anybody who thinks they are better than others or 'chosen' or feel they have an entitlement... be it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-hate-the-unfairness-of-injustice-anybody-who-thinks-they-are-better/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [The only thing an actor can do is, whatever lands on the carpet in the hall, you read it, and if you can't put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/the-only-thing-an-actor-can-do-is-whatever-lands-on-the-carpet-in-the/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I've always admired people like Donal McCann. He wasn't a household name, but if he put his name to something, you were guaranteed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-ve-always-admired-people-like-donal-mccann-he-wasn-t-a-household/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I did a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company. People say, 'Why aren't you doing theater anymore?' And I say, 'Look, my kids have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-did-a-season-at-the-royal-shakespeare-company-people-say-why-aren-t/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [You always have to have a bit of fun if somebody is dead in a scene. That's a red rag to a bull for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/you-always-have-to-have-a-bit-of-fun-if-somebody-is-dead-in-a-scene/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) [Explore all 54 Liam Cunningham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) ## 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 > [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": "I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Liam Cunningham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/935/liam-cunningham-12649_acting_i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-pe_1871060.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.” — Liam Cunningham", "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": "Liam Cunningham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wasn't interested in being an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/#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 } } ] } ```