--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some actors are frightened and…" description: "\"Some actors are frightened and concentrating so hard on their own performance, you don't feel that anything you do makes any difference. They're just k..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/mark-rylance-10062_actor_some-actors-are-frightened-and-concentra_3076858.jpg" --- # Some actors are frightened and concentrating so hard on… ![“Some actors are frightened and concentrating so hard on their own performance, you don't feel that anything you do makes any difference. They're just kicking a ball against a wall, so to speak.” quote by Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/mark-rylance-10062_actor_some-actors-are-frightened-and-concentra_3076858.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/mark-rylance-10062_actor_some-actors-are-frightened-and-concentra_3076858.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/mark-rylance-10062_actor_some-actors-are-frightened-and-concentra_3076858.jpg) > “Some actors are frightened and concentrating so hard on their own performance, you don't feel that anything you do makes any difference. They're just kicking a ball against a wall, so to speak.” [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors overly focused on self‑performance may lose connection with audience, making their work feel isolated. **In simple terms:** Too much self‑focus blocks impact. Key Takeaway Balance self‑awareness with audience connection. Themes performance self‑awareness audience Mood reflective cautious Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - stage rehearsals - film sets - solo practice - live shows Key Concepts acting technique psychology of performance Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay present while performing? - When does self‑critique become harmful? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can cause paralysis. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performance/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Actors are frightened little children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-rosenberg/actors-are-frightened-little-children/) [Alan Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-rosenberg/) > [I don't feel that I or Canada has to prove anything through big, loud, overt acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/i-don-t-feel-that-i-or-canada-has-to-prove-anything-through-big-loud/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [You don't ever have to feel pushed into anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanel-west-coast/you-don-t-ever-have-to-feel-pushed-into-anything/) [Chanel West Coast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanel-west-coast/) > [Well, when I'm out running, people don't recognize me, which is great. I don't feel pressure; I'm not out to beat anybody or hit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/well-when-i-m-out-running-people-don-t-recognize-me-which-is-great-i/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [You could put as much pressure on me as you want. But when you're this good, you don't feel pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dillon-danis/you-could-put-as-much-pressure-on-me-as-you-want-but-when-you-re-this/) [Dillon Danis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dillon-danis/) > [“When we are feeling low, we don’t even feel like taking bath. Although that is when we need bath the most. 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They'll heal your soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/if-you-don-t-feel-free-and-be-yourself-you-can-t-connect-find-people/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [Don't feel alone, because there is always someone out there who loves you more than you can imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/don-t-feel-alone-because-there-is-always-someone-out-there-who-loves/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [When you're really bummed out, the last thing you want to hear is up-tempo and positive. And it lets you know that you're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/when-you-re-really-bummed-out-the-last-thing-you-want-to-hear-is-up/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) > [There is nothing called pressure. I understand that there is expectation, but if there is any pressure, I don't feel it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rishabh-pant/there-is-nothing-called-pressure-i-understand-that-there-is/) [Rishabh Pant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rishabh-pant/) ## More by Mark Rylance > [But to me I find Francis Bacon the most likely candidate to be the author.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/but-to-me-i-find-francis-bacon-the-most-likely-candidate-to-be-the/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [I've always looked at famous actors and hope that once they get a part that they have success in, they would reprise it every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/i-ve-always-looked-at-famous-actors-and-hope-that-once-they-get-a/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [I certainly never pictured myself even attending the Academy Awards, much less winning at 56. I very, very happily settled into a theater career.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/i-certainly-never-pictured-myself-even-attending-the-academy-awards/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [In a way, I think science is the modern religion, and at times, I despise it as much as I despise other religions because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/in-a-way-i-think-science-is-the-modern-religion-and-at-times-i/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [So there's a lot of people tied into believing that the traditional response to the authorship question. In terms of actors, some people get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/so-there-s-a-lot-of-people-tied-into-believing-that-the-traditional/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [My understanding is that we are generally a very philanthropic and compassionate people - that when there are disasters in the world, individual citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/my-understanding-is-that-we-are-generally-a-very-philanthropic-and/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [Every great filmmaker at some moment makes a war film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/every-great-filmmaker-at-some-moment-makes-a-war-film/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [There were terrific shows on TV like 'Star Trek' and 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea' and 'Wild Wild West.' All us kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/there-were-terrific-shows-on-tv-like-star-trek-and-voyage-to-the/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [I love film. I love going to see films; I always have. 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When I arrived in England in 1978 at 18, I was shocked to find myself 'the American' at RADA. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/my-accent-does-slip-when-i-arrived-in-england-in-1978-at-18-i-was/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) > [But I don't sit down at dinner and have clever ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rylance/but-i-don-t-sit-down-at-dinner-and-have-clever-ideas/) [Mark Rylance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) [Explore all 68 Mark Rylance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rylance/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Some actors are frightened and concentrating so hard on their own performance, you don't feel that anything you do makes any difference. 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