--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what distinguishes the pros from…" description: "\"That's what distinguishes the pros from people involved in amateur theatre. You just go out and do it again and again.\" — Michael Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/michael-ball-6205_actor_that-s-what-distinguishes-the-pros-from_486631.jpg" --- # That's what distinguishes the pros from people involved in… ![“That's what distinguishes the pros from people involved in amateur theatre. You just go out and do it again and again.” quote by Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/michael-ball-6205_actor_that-s-what-distinguishes-the-pros-from_486631.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/michael-ball-6205_actor_that-s-what-distinguishes-the-pros-from_486631.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/michael-ball-6205_actor_that-s-what-distinguishes-the-pros-from_486631.jpg) > “That's what distinguishes the pros from people involved in amateur theatre. You just go out and do it again and again.” [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Professional actors differ from amateurs by repeatedly performing and refining their craft through persistence. **In simple terms:** Pros keep practicing repeatedly, unlike amateurs. Key Takeaway Practice consistently to improve. Themes professionalism dedication practice Mood inspirational realistic Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - skill refinement - career development Key Concepts craftsmanship performance arts Questions to Reflect On - How does repetition shape skill? - What other factors separate pros from amateurs? A Different Perspective Repetition alone may not guarantee talent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [In the theatre, as anyone knows who's even done amateur theatre all their lives, you immediately find a family there. Because you're under stress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-rubinek/in-the-theatre-as-anyone-knows-who-s-even-done-amateur-theatre-all/) [Saul Rubinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-rubinek/) > [As far as the pros, people pay to come and see us, and I appreciate it because I'm able to take care of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/metta-world-peace/as-far-as-the-pros-people-pay-to-come-and-see-us-and-i-appreciate-it/) [Metta World Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/metta-world-peace/) > [I started doing amateur theatre and played Rosa Parks at the age of 12 or 13. At 16, I decided it was what I wanted to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/letitia-wright/i-started-doing-amateur-theatre-and-played-rosa-parks-at-the-age-of/) [Letitia Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/letitia-wright/) > [I was initiated into acting with college plays, enacted by our amateur theatre group, Natya Aradhna, in Sholapur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-kulkarni/i-was-initiated-into-acting-with-college-plays-enacted-by-our-amateur/) [Atul Kulkarni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-kulkarni/) > [Most amateurs are so worried about mis-hitting the shot or hitting it off line, they don't make an aggressive move. You'd be surprised how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-bradley/most-amateurs-are-so-worried-about-mis-hitting-the-shot-or-hitting-it/) [Keegan Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-bradley/) > [You count a man's U.S. Amateur titles after he starts winning professional majors. That's something any intelligent golf writer with a sense of history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/you-count-a-man-s-u-s-amateur-titles-after-he-starts-winning/) [Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/) > [Professionalism is environmental. Amateurism is anti-environmental. Professionalism merges the individual into patterns of total environment. Amateurism seeks the development of the total awareness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/professionalism-is-environmental-amateurism-is-anti-environmental/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [I read a lot of 'Nancy Drew' books as a kid and considered myself a bit of an amateur detective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-cain/i-read-a-lot-of-nancy-drew-books-as-a-kid-and-considered-myself-a-bit/) [Chelsea Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-cain/) > [I think most amateurs dread playing a 180-plus-yard par 3 even more than a hard par 4. Part of it is psychological: You think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-els/i-think-most-amateurs-dread-playing-a-180-plus-yard-par-3-even-more/) [Ernie Els](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-els/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) Alan Sheinwald > [Every artist was first an amateur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-artist-was-first-an-amateur/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I did a musical when I was 17, an amateur show, and I loved it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-did-a-musical-when-i-was-17-an-amateur-show-and-i-loved-it/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) > [My father was a GP; my mother was a teacher and amateur actress. My father was a bit of a storyteller, but the acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciaran-hinds/my-father-was-a-gp-my-mother-was-a-teacher-and-amateur-actress-my/) [Ciaran Hinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciaran-hinds/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [“The amateur doesn't appreciate the need for experimentation. He wants his experts to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-f-skinner-2/the-amateur-doesn-t-appreciate-the-need-for-experimentation-he-wants/) [B.F. Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-f-skinner-2/) ## More by Michael Ball > [I'd love to explore South America, but the security issues worry me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-d-love-to-explore-south-america-but-the-security-issues-worry-me/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [How many millions of times have I sung 'Love Changes Everything?' But when I see how it matters to people, it gives me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/how-many-millions-of-times-have-i-sung-love-changes-everything-but/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [As a person, Stephen Sondheim is a very funny, very dry and very shy man. I've never witnessed any diva-ish moments, he just always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/as-a-person-stephen-sondheim-is-a-very-funny-very-dry-and-very-shy/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I can't properly explain it, but I don't mind admitting I suffered a breakdown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-can-t-properly-explain-it-but-i-don-t-mind-admitting-i-suffered-a/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I've got soft features, curly hair with blonde bits and dimples. People think of me as a singer, an entertainer, someone who's always there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-ve-got-soft-features-curly-hair-with-blonde-bits-and-dimples-people/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [You can generate a phenomenal relationship with an audience. It's very gratifying, a real privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/you-can-generate-a-phenomenal-relationship-with-an-audience-it-s-very/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [As a performer, once you've understood the genre of musical theatre, you can tire very quickly of the two-dimensional stuff. With Sondheim, it's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/as-a-performer-once-you-ve-understood-the-genre-of-musical-theatre/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I've recorded a few Bacharach songs over the years and performed some in concert and always felt they suited me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-ve-recorded-a-few-bacharach-songs-over-the-years-and-performed-some/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [We've all sort of been there: It's coming on Christmas, all that preparation is going on, and you just want to escape. 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I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/when-i-was-playing-marius-in-the-inaugural-production-of-les-mis-i/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [I spent my 40th birthday on the stage of the Palladium in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/i-spent-my-40th-birthday-on-the-stage-of-the-palladium-in-chitty/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [Try to leave people feeling better for having met you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ball/try-to-leave-people-feeling-better-for-having-met-you/) [Michael Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ball/) > [Ah, 'Kismet,' or Carry On Camel, as we called it. I thought the show was shocking. 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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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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": "That's what distinguishes the pros from people involved in amateur theatre. 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