--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What we really have to do is stop the…" description: "\"What we really have to do is stop the adjective before the job title - whether it's 'black actor,' a 'gay actor' or anything actor.\" — Matt Bomer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/matt-bomer-2221_actor_what-we-really-have-to-do-is-stop-the-ad_2000252.jpg" --- # What we really have to do is stop the adjective before the… ![“What we really have to do is stop the adjective before the job title - whether it's 'black actor,' a 'gay actor' or anything actor.” quote by Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/matt-bomer-2221_actor_what-we-really-have-to-do-is-stop-the-ad_2000252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/matt-bomer-2221_actor_what-we-really-have-to-do-is-stop-the-ad_2000252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/583/matt-bomer-2221_actor_what-we-really-have-to-do-is-stop-the-ad_2000252.jpg) > “What we really have to do is stop the adjective before the job title - whether it's 'black actor,' a 'gay actor' or anything actor.” [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates removing unnecessary descriptors before professional titles to focus on skill, not identity. **In simple terms:** Avoid labeling jobs by personal traits. Key Takeaway Judge people by work, not adjectives. Themes inclusion language identity media equality Mood thoughtful critical Type social commentary When to use this quote - casting decisions - HR hiring - media coverage - public speaking Key Concepts social bias identity politics representation professionalism Questions to Reflect On - How do descriptors affect perception of competence? - What alternatives promote fair representation? A Different Perspective Labels can obscure talent and reinforce stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Adjective Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjective-job-3514583/) [Anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anything/) [Black Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-actor/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Job Title](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job-title-886658/) [Really Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-stop-1345529/) [Stop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop/) [Stop Adjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stop-adjective-3514582/) ## Related quotes > [These days we seem more bound to our bosses than ever before. We even identify our own selves with the jobs we do: 'What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hodgkinson/these-days-we-seem-more-bound-to-our-bosses-than-ever-before-we-even/) [Tom Hodgkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hodgkinson/) > [“You are more than your job title.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-singer-gordon/you-are-more-than-your-job-title/) [Rachel Singer Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-singer-gordon/) > [Entrepreneur is not a job title. It is a state of mind of people who want to alter the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/entrepreneur-is-not-a-job-title-it-is-a-state-of-mind-of-people-who/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [“That’s because both the job title and the job itself have never existed before. We used the term ‘ground-breaking’ to describe this position because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-swann/that-s-because-both-the-job-title-and-the-job-itself-have-never/) [Alexandra Swann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-swann/) > [“I should change my job title to Retail Psychologist and get some impressive letter after my name.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leanne-hall/i-should-change-my-job-title-to-retail-psychologist-and-get-some/) [Leanne Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leanne-hall/) > [“The problem is, some officers put more stock in their title instead of their duty. Yes, your job title is "police." But your duty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-gray/the-problem-is-some-officers-put-more-stock-in-their-title-instead-of/) [Janelle Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-gray/) > [“ What was your first job title? Waiter. It was at a showy opera festival in a barn in Oxfordshire. I did it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/what-was-your-first-job-title-waiter-it-was-at-a-showy-opera-festival/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [“You may want to sit with the following question: How much am I identifying with a job title rather than what I intuitively know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maia-duerr/you-may-want-to-sit-with-the-following-question-how-much-am-i/) [Maia Duerr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maia-duerr/) > [“It doesn’t matter if you work at a fast food joint or if you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Your job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-angel-affect/it-doesn-t-matter-if-you-work-at-a-fast-food-joint-or-if-you-are-the/) [The Angel Affect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-angel-affect/) > [“Imagine if ALL employers treated ALL of their employees with the same respect no matter what their job title was. Imagine going to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-lahart/imagine-if-all-employers-treated-all-of-their-employees-with-the-same/) [Stephanie Lahart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-lahart/) > [A preoccupation with job title is an immediate giveaway that someone's priorities are not in line with the company's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taavet-hinrikus/a-preoccupation-with-job-title-is-an-immediate-giveaway-that-someone/) [Taavet Hinrikus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taavet-hinrikus/) > [IF YOUR JOB IS CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, YOUR REAL JOB TITLE IS PROBLEM SOLVER.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/if-your-job-is-customer-satisfaction-your-real-job-title-is-problem/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I get called all kinds of things - an investigative comedian, a comedian activist - I've lost track of what my job title is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-thomas/i-get-called-all-kinds-of-things-an-investigative-comedian-a-comedian/) [Mark Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-thomas/) > [Let me tell you about being executive producer. It is not a job, it's a title. Don't go around asking executive producers what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/let-me-tell-you-about-being-executive-producer-it-is-not-a-job-it-s-a/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [You know what? I never really factor Hollywood into anything. I'm a black actor, so I can't really control what Hollywood thinks. I gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/you-know-what-i-never-really-factor-hollywood-into-anything-i-m-a/) [Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/) ## More by Matt Bomer > [The last thing I want to do is having someone get behind a Montgomery Clift biopic, and then just do the first script that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/the-last-thing-i-want-to-do-is-having-someone-get-behind-a-montgomery/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [There's a security, a validity of knowing that it's legal. It's hard to put into words. It's just a feeling, I guess - something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/there-s-a-security-a-validity-of-knowing-that-it-s-legal-it-s-hard-to/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [My favorite actors are people who I don't know anything about, and I can project any character onto them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/my-favorite-actors-are-people-who-i-don-t-know-anything-about-and-i/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [Certainly, when you're dealing with more deep, emotional work and sensory work, for me, it helps me to just stay in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/certainly-when-you-re-dealing-with-more-deep-emotional-work-and/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [When you are the avatar for the writer/director, a lot of times, I just trusted him. 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I think that's so attractive. Truly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/i-would-say-confidence-and-security-and-comfortability-in-one-s-own/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [It's better to be in love than watch it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/it-s-better-to-be-in-love-than-watch-it/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [My parents knew if they kept me active, I'd stay out of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/my-parents-knew-if-they-kept-me-active-i-d-stay-out-of-trouble/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [ I at least felt the obligation to speak clearly \[in 'The Last Tycoon'\]. This is pre-Brando and pre-James Dean. Nobody mumbled back then. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/i-at-least-felt-the-obligation-to-speak-clearly-in-the-last-tycoon/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [I'd like to get a chance to wear two different hats in the business. I also think it would be really great to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/i-d-like-to-get-a-chance-to-wear-two-different-hats-in-the-business-i/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [When I was in high school, there was no safe haven, there was no outlet for you to speak your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/when-i-was-in-high-school-there-was-no-safe-haven-there-was-no-outlet/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) > [Human beings are good, they have shadow, every single one of us has redeeming qualities and every single one of us has qualities that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/human-beings-are-good-they-have-shadow-every-single-one-of-us-has/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) [Explore all 178 Matt Bomer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. 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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! 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