--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean, I enjoy my work as an actor. But…" description: "\"I mean, I enjoy my work as an actor. But to make a difference in people's lives through advocacy and through supporting research - that's the kind of p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/michael-j-fox-1653_actor_i-mean-i-enjoy-my-work-as-an-actor-but-t_3133728.jpg" --- # I mean, I enjoy my work as an actor. But to make a… ![“I mean, I enjoy my work as an actor. But to make a difference in people's lives through advocacy and through supporting research - that's the kind of privilege that few people will get, and it's certainly bigger than being on TV every Thursday for half an hour.” quote by Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/michael-j-fox-1653_actor_i-mean-i-enjoy-my-work-as-an-actor-but-t_3133728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/michael-j-fox-1653_actor_i-mean-i-enjoy-my-work-as-an-actor-but-t_3133728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58b/michael-j-fox-1653_actor_i-mean-i-enjoy-my-work-as-an-actor-but-t_3133728.jpg) > “I mean, I enjoy my work as an actor. But to make a difference in people's lives through advocacy and through supporting research - that's the kind of privilege that few people will get, and it's certainly bigger than being on TV every Thursday for half an hour.” [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values acting but finds greater purpose in advocacy and research support, viewing it as a rare, significant privilege beyond fame. **In simple terms:** He enjoys acting but sees advocacy work as a bigger, rare privilege. Key Takeaway Prioritize work that impacts others over personal fame. Themes purpose advocacy privilege career impact Mood inspirational reflective Type motivational ethical When to use this quote - non‑profit work - public speaking - policy advocacy Key Concepts social responsibility career fulfillment public influence Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance personal career and public service? - What steps make advocacy feel privileged? A Different Perspective May overlook personal sacrifices needed for advocacy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-make/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Advocacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advocacy/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Half](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half/) [Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hours/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-privilege-4162979/) [Make a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-a-difference/) [Make Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-difference/) [Making a difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-a-difference/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Privilege](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege/) [Privilege People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privilege-people-1191768/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thursday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thursday/) [Tvs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tvs/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-actor/) ## Related quotes > [Being my father's son is a kind of privilege.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hisham-matar/being-my-father-s-son-is-a-kind-of-privilege/) [Hisham Matar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hisham-matar/) > [Being a parent is not only a full time job, but a privilege that most people don't even realize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-a-parent-is-not-only-a-full-time-job-but-a-privilege-that-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [ \[Being unique\] gives so much privilege to people who can make it, rather than having some moral and aesthetic discussions. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/being-unique-gives-so-much-privilege-to-people-who-can-make-it-rather/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [You cannot talk about race without talking about privilege. And when people start talking about privilege, they get paralyzed by shame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/you-cannot-talk-about-race-without-talking-about-privilege-and-when/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Connectivity just can't be a privilege for people in the richest countries. We believe that connecting everyone in the world is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/connectivity-just-can-t-be-a-privilege-for-people-in-the-richest/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [While I was able to pass as white as soon as I came to America, this was not really possible while I was growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/while-i-was-able-to-pass-as-white-as-soon-as-i-came-to-america-this/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [“A grande passion is the privilege of people who have nothing to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/a-grande-passion-is-the-privilege-of-people-who-have-nothing-to-do/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [I didn't grow up with money, so I understand that getting paid to do something that you love is such a privilege that most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/i-didn-t-grow-up-with-money-so-i-understand-that-getting-paid-to-do/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) > [“Too many people have become self-appointed privilege police, patrolling the halls of discourse, ready to remind people of their privilege whether those people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/too-many-people-have-become-self-appointed-privilege-police/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [Being 'out and proud' can feel like a real luxury of Western culture, where people are often white and see existing white gay people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tan-france/being-out-and-proud-can-feel-like-a-real-luxury-of-western-culture/) [Tan France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tan-france/) > [I feel very grateful that for some reason I was raised to believe that I had permission to explore the creative world. I'm very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-hegarty/i-feel-very-grateful-that-for-some-reason-i-was-raised-to-believe/) [Antony Hegarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-hegarty/) > [Love is not a right. It's a privilege and some people don't deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-weaver/love-is-not-a-right-it-s-a-privilege-and-some-people-don-t-deserve-it/) [Darius Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-weaver/) > [I can be a horrible actor, but I make a move that makes a money I'm secured a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-meraz/i-can-be-a-horrible-actor-but-i-make-a-move-that-makes-a-money-i-m/) [Alex Meraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-meraz/) > [It's up to the actor to make sure they don't get typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/it-s-up-to-the-actor-to-make-sure-they-don-t-get-typecast/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [I was determined to be an actor and make a name in the industry, and hence, I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nawazuddin-siddiqui/i-was-determined-to-be-an-actor-and-make-a-name-in-the-industry-and/) [Nawazuddin Siddiqui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nawazuddin-siddiqui/) ## More by Michael J. Fox > [If you allow for the possibilities of something better, you move toward it instinctively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-allow-for-the-possibilities-of-something-better-you-move/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [After all that I'd been through, after all that I'd learned and all that I'd been given, I was going to do what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/after-all-that-i-d-been-through-after-all-that-i-d-learned-and-all/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [If you asked my kids to describe me, they'd go through a whole list of words before even thinking about Parkinson's. And honestly, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/if-you-asked-my-kids-to-describe-me-they-d-go-through-a-whole-list-of/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [Zoos are becoming facsimiles - or perhaps caricatures - of how animals once were in their natural habitat. If the right policies toward nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/zoos-are-becoming-facsimiles-or-perhaps-caricatures-of-how-animals/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“I saw, during the midterm campaign of 2006, how difficult it was for opponents of stem cell research to run against hope. And so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-saw-during-the-midterm-campaign-of-2006-how-difficult-it-was-for/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I urge you to be challenged and inspired by what you do not know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-urge-you-to-be-challenged-and-inspired-by-what-you-do-not-know/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [One's dignity may be assaulted, vandalized and cruelly mocked, but cannot be taken away unless it is surrendered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/one-s-dignity-may-be-assaulted-vandalized-and-cruelly-mocked-but/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“It seems to me that the quality of a moment in time is not always a reflection of the moment in and of itself—what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/it-seems-to-me-that-the-quality-of-a-moment-in-time-is-not-always-a/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [When I was younger, I was always described as happy-go-lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/when-i-was-younger-i-was-always-described-as-happy-go-lucky/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [With Parkinson's, it's like you're in the middle of the street and you're stuck there in cement shoes and you know a bus is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/with-parkinson-s-it-s-like-you-re-in-the-middle-of-the-street-and-you/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [“They have hopes and dreams that may echo or overlap your own. And there's no reason why you can't make room for them. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/they-have-hopes-and-dreams-that-may-echo-or-overlap-your-own-and/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I have no choice about whether or not I have Parkinson's. I have nothing but choices about how I react to it. In those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-have-no-choice-about-whether-or-not-i-have-parkinson-s-i-have/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [So what I say about Tracy is this: Tracy's big challenge is not having a Parkinson's patient for a husband. It's having me for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/so-what-i-say-about-tracy-is-this-tracy-s-big-challenge-is-not-having/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I'm kind of private and I keep things inside a lot, but it's been so wonderful to realize that people care about you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-m-kind-of-private-and-i-keep-things-inside-a-lot-but-it-s-been-so/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) > [I had all the usual ambition growing up. I wanted to be a writer, a musician, a hockey player. I wanted to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-fox/i-had-all-the-usual-ambition-growing-up-i-wanted-to-be-a-writer-a/) [Michael J. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) [Explore all 219 Michael J. Fox quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-fox/) ## 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. 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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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