---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Everybody says I can't act. They said the…"
description: "\"Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about Elizabeth Taylor. And they were wrong. She was great in A Place in the Sun. I'll never get t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg"
---

#  Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about…

![“Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about Elizabeth Taylor. And they were wrong. She was great in A Place in the Sun. I'll never get the right part, anything I really want. My looks are against me. They're too specific.” quote by Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg)

> “Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about Elizabeth Taylor. And they were wrong. She was great in A Place in the Sun. I'll never get the right part, anything I really want. My looks are against me. They're too specific.”

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Despite criticism, perseverance and self‑belief can overcome perceived limitations.

**In simple terms:** Believe in yourself despite doubts.

Key Takeaway

Pursue roles that fit your unique strengths.

Themes

self‑esteem perseverance career selfdetermination industry bias

Mood

motivational defiant

Type

inspirational reflective

When to use this quote

- auditions
- career planning
- self‑branding

Key Concepts

identity resilience

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you combat external doubts?
- What unique traits can you leverage?

A Different Perspective

Industry stereotypes may limit opportunities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Act Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/act-said-1503955/) [Elizabeth taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elizabeth-taylor/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Taylor Wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taylor-wrong-5713778/) [They said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/they-said/) [Thing Elizabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-elizabeth-512281/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wrong Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrong-great-5713779/)

## Related quotes

> [I remember reading this thing that Elizabeth Taylor wrote. She had her first kiss in character. On a movie set. It really struck me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/i-remember-reading-this-thing-that-elizabeth-taylor-wrote-she-had-her/)

[Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/)

> [“From the time he was young, he dressed the way you told him to dress; he acted the way you told him to act;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-coloroso/from-the-time-he-was-young-he-dressed-the-way-you-told-him-to-dress/)

[Barbara Coloroso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-coloroso/)

> [I was watching TV at age 9 or 10, and my mom said that I came from the front room and I told her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-luke/i-was-watching-tv-at-age-9-or-10-and-my-mom-said-that-i-came-from-the/)

[Derek Luke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-luke/)

> [Working with Katherine Hepburn, she said to me, "Don't act." She said, "Read the lines. Just be. Just speak the lines." I said, "Okay."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/working-with-katherine-hepburn-she-said-to-me-don-t-act-she-said-read/)

[Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/)

> [I asked my mother, 'Why shouldn't I act?' She said, 'Nobody in the family has acted, so why should you?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hina-khan/i-asked-my-mother-why-shouldn-t-i-act-she-said-nobody-in-the-family/)

[Hina Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hina-khan/)

> [When I was 13, I told Henry Winkler I wanted to act. He said, Do it and don't let anyone stand in your way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlee-matlin/when-i-was-13-i-told-henry-winkler-i-wanted-to-act-he-said-do-it-and/)

[Marlee Matlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlee-matlin/)

> [“Who can talk you through this stuff before you decided to act on it?” “Well,” said the president, “you won’t like the answer, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-wolff/who-can-talk-you-through-this-stuff-before-you-decided-to-act-on-it/)

[Michael Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-wolff/)

> [Elizabeth Taylor was never told what to wear or paid to carry a certain handbag,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/elizabeth-taylor-was-never-told-what-to-wear-or-paid-to-carry-a/)

[Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/)

> [My idol when I was a kid was Elizabeth Taylor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/my-idol-when-i-was-a-kid-was-elizabeth-taylor/)

[Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/)

> [Fame and stardom sat very easily on Elizabeth Taylor's shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/fame-and-stardom-sat-very-easily-on-elizabeth-taylor-s-shoulders/)

[Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/)

> [When Ava Gardner get in a taxi, the driver knows at once she’s Ava Gardner. It’s the same for Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-kelly/when-ava-gardner-get-in-a-taxi-the-driver-knows-at-once-she-s-ava/)

[Grace Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-kelly/)

> [I'm absolutely an Elizabeth Taylor fan!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-m-absolutely-an-elizabeth-taylor-fan/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

> [It wouldn't be bad to look like a cross between Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-bleeth/it-wouldn-t-be-bad-to-look-like-a-cross-between-rita-hayworth-and/)

[Yasmine Bleeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmine-bleeth/)

> [Elizabeth Taylor is gorgeous, beautiful, and she still is today, I'm crazy about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/elizabeth-taylor-is-gorgeous-beautiful-and-she-still-is-today-i-m/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [To me, true style icons have been few and far between. Elizabeth Taylor comes to mind. I never got to meet her while she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-rocha/to-me-true-style-icons-have-been-few-and-far-between-elizabeth-taylor/)

[Coco Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-rocha/)

## More by Marilyn Monroe

> [Everyone's just laughing at me. I hate it. Big breasts, big ass, big deal, Can't I be anything else ? Gee, how long can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everyone-s-just-laughing-at-me-i-hate-it-big-breasts-big-ass-big-deal/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [Nothing happens without a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/nothing-happens-without-a-reason/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [Sometimes I've been to a party where no one spoke to me for a whole evening. The men, frightened by their wives or sweeites...the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/sometimes-i-ve-been-to-a-party-where-no-one-spoke-to-me-for-a-whole/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/you-believe-lies-so-you-eventually-learn-to-trust-no-one-but-yourself/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [The worst thing that happens to people when they dress up and go to a party is that they leave their real selves at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/the-worst-thing-that-happens-to-people-when-they-dress-up-and-go-to-a/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [Confidentially, the type of male I find most enjoyable for a friend is one who has enough fire and assurance to speak up for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/confidentially-the-type-of-male-i-find-most-enjoyable-for-a-friend-is/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [I usually eat four or five raw carrots with my meat, and that is all. I must be part rabbit; I never get bored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-usually-eat-four-or-five-raw-carrots-with-my-meat-and-that-is-all-i/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [We should all start to live before we get too old. Fear is stupied so are regrets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/we-should-all-start-to-live-before-we-get-too-old-fear-is-stupied-so/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [You're the beautiful one. It's society that's ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/you-re-the-beautiful-one-it-s-society-that-s-ugly/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/i-ve-never-fooled-anyone-i-ve-let-people-fool-themselves-they-didn-t/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [If I'd observed all the rules, I'd never have got anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/if-i-d-observed-all-the-rules-i-d-never-have-got-anywhere/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [A woman can't be alone. She needs a man. A man and a woman support and strengthen each other. She just can't do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/a-woman-can-t-be-alone-she-needs-a-man-a-man-and-a-woman-support-and/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [It's better being completely ridiculous than unbelievably boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/it-s-better-being-completely-ridiculous-than-unbelievably-boring/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [A career is wonderful thing, but you can't snuggle up to it on a cold night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/a-career-is-wonderful-thing-but-you-can-t-snuggle-up-to-it-on-a-cold/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

> [Suicide, is a persons privilege. I don't believe it's a sin or a crime it's your right if you do. Though it doesn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/suicide-is-a-persons-privilege-i-don-t-believe-it-s-a-sin-or-a-crime/)

[Marilyn Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

[Explore all 572 Marilyn Monroe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/)

## More Elizabeth taylor quotes

> [To me, true style icons have been few and far between. Elizabeth Taylor comes to mind. I never got to meet her while she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-rocha/to-me-true-style-icons-have-been-few-and-far-between-elizabeth-taylor/)

[Coco Rocha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-rocha/)

> [Elizabeth Taylor is gorgeous, beautiful, and she still is today, I'm crazy about her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/elizabeth-taylor-is-gorgeous-beautiful-and-she-still-is-today-i-m/)

[Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/)

> [It wouldn't be bad to look like a cross between Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmine-bleeth/it-wouldn-t-be-bad-to-look-like-a-cross-between-rita-hayworth-and/)

[Yasmine Bleeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmine-bleeth/)

> [I'm absolutely an Elizabeth Taylor fan!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-m-absolutely-an-elizabeth-taylor-fan/)

[Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/)

> [When Ava Gardner get in a taxi, the driver knows at once she’s Ava Gardner. It’s the same for Lana Turner or Elizabeth Taylor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-kelly/when-ava-gardner-get-in-a-taxi-the-driver-knows-at-once-she-s-ava/)

[Grace Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-kelly/)

> [Fame and stardom sat very easily on Elizabeth Taylor's shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-annis/fame-and-stardom-sat-very-easily-on-elizabeth-taylor-s-shoulders/)

[Francesca Annis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-annis/)

> [My idol when I was a kid was Elizabeth Taylor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/my-idol-when-i-was-a-kid-was-elizabeth-taylor/)

[Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/)

> [Elizabeth Taylor was never told what to wear or paid to carry a certain handbag,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-guinness/elizabeth-taylor-was-never-told-what-to-wear-or-paid-to-carry-a/)

[Daphne Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-guinness/)

> [We can't all have faces like Elizabeth Taylor or Angelina Jolie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-sharp/we-can-t-all-have-faces-like-elizabeth-taylor-or-angelina-jolie/)

[Lesley Sharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-sharp/)

> [Elizabeth Taylor is not beautiful, she is pretty—I was beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-gardner/elizabeth-taylor-is-not-beautiful-she-is-pretty-i-was-beautiful/)

[Ava Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-gardner/)

> [You can't write about an iconic Hollywood star of the sixties without bumping up against Elizabeth Taylor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-jenkins-reid/you-can-t-write-about-an-iconic-hollywood-star-of-the-sixties-without/)

[Taylor Jenkins Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-jenkins-reid/)

> [Having served in eleven Parliaments, it would be difficult to describe this as a maiden speech. It would be like Elizabeth Taylor appearing at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-benn/having-served-in-eleven-parliaments-it-would-be-difficult-to-describe/)

[Tony Benn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-benn/)

> [I like people who are powerful, confident, and fearless. Balmain is about an attitude. I think if Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were alive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-rousteing/i-like-people-who-are-powerful-confident-and-fearless-balmain-is/)

[Olivier Rousteing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-rousteing/)

> [The classic hat image was during the Forties and Fifties, and Elizabeth Taylor was the epitome of that; she was the ultimate celebrity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/the-classic-hat-image-was-during-the-forties-and-fifties-and/)

[Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/)

> [I've had the honor and the pleasure and gift of having known Elizabeth Taylor for a number of years. You know, you sit down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/i-ve-had-the-honor-and-the-pleasure-and-gift-of-having-known/)

[Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/)

[Browse all 100 Elizabeth taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elizabeth-taylor/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about Elizabeth Taylor. And they were wrong. She was great in A Place in the Sun. I'll never get the right part, anything I really want. My looks are against me. They're too specific.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marilyn Monroe"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the-same-thing-about-elizabeth/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Elizabeth taylor"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the-same-thing-about-elizabeth/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d09/marilyn-monroe-416_elizabeth-taylor_everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the_1536735.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Everybody says I can't act. They said the same thing about Elizabeth Taylor. And they were wrong. She was…” — Marilyn Monroe",
                "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": "Marilyn Monroe",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-monroe/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Everybody says I can't act. They...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the-same-thing-about-elizabeth/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-monroe/everybody-says-i-can-t-act-they-said-the-same-thing-about-elizabeth/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
