--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My thing is to gain the respect as an…" description: "\"My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.\" — Michael K. Williams" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png" --- # My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a… ![“My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.” quote by Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png) > “My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.” [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He believes respect in his craft will naturally lead to other rewards. **In simple terms:** Respect precedes other benefits. Key Takeaway Focus on professional excellence first. Themes respect career relationships Mood determined optimistic Type career motivational When to use this quote - auditions - industry events - team projects - career growth Key Concepts professional reputation networking Questions to Reflect On - How do you build respect in your field? - What other factors influence success? A Different Perspective Respect alone may not guarantee success. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [If the chemistry is right between star and photographer and the geometry of the pictures pleases the star, often the two people end up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-arnold/if-the-chemistry-is-right-between-star-and-photographer-and-the/) [Eve Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-arnold/) > [In order to gain the respect of your players in the locker room, you can't just perform on Saturday. You have to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junior-seau/in-order-to-gain-the-respect-of-your-players-in-the-locker-room-you/) [Junior Seau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junior-seau/) > [Fine words are traded. Noble deeds gain respect. But people who are not good, why abandon them?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/fine-words-are-traded-noble-deeds-gain-respect-but-people-who-are-not/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [It took a long time for me to accept I was an actor, a professional actor, and that, actually, I make a living out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlyle/it-took-a-long-time-for-me-to-accept-i-was-an-actor-a-professional/) [Robert Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlyle/) > [I always wanted to be an actor. My first professional job was at 19, working in New York theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-scolari/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-my-first-professional-job-was-at-19/) [Peter Scolari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-scolari/) > [I am not a star. I am an actor. I have been fighting for years to make people forget that I am just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-delon/i-am-not-a-star-i-am-an-actor-i-have-been-fighting-for-years-to-make/) [Alain Delon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-delon/) > [The only place I want to be recognised is the red carpet or an actor, where I am in my professional capacity. Otherwise I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richa-chadha/the-only-place-i-want-to-be-recognised-is-the-red-carpet-or-an-actor/) [Richa Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richa-chadha/) > [Jim Carrey is a consummate actor and professional. He comes on set, knows his lines and knows his moves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/jim-carrey-is-a-consummate-actor-and-professional-he-comes-on-set/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Experiencing so many firsts, maturing as an actor, a professional, and a human. In the process, gaining friends, family, and the best coworkers a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-monaghan/experiencing-so-many-firsts-maturing-as-an-actor-a-professional-and-a/) [Cameron Monaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-monaghan/) > [I want to do entertaining films, where a woman gets the respect of being an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bipasha-basu/i-want-to-do-entertaining-films-where-a-woman-gets-the-respect-of/) [Bipasha Basu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bipasha-basu/) > [In my 20s, it was easy. In your 40s, it's a lot more challenging. You have to look at it like you're an actor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wu/in-my-20s-it-was-easy-in-your-40s-it-s-a-lot-more-challenging-you/) [Daniel Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wu/) > [It's fun to get the script every Monday morning and go, "Cool!" I'm a professional actor, but I'm also a professional story lover. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-barr/it-s-fun-to-get-the-script-every-monday-morning-and-go-cool-i-m-a/) [Matt Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-barr/) > [I don't want to be a luvvie actor. It took a long time for me to accept I was an actor, a professional actor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-carlyle/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-luvvie-actor-it-took-a-long-time-for-me-to/) [Robert Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-carlyle/) > [For me, an actor is really, first and foremost, a person and an individual, more than they are an actor or a professional.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/for-me-an-actor-is-really-first-and-foremost-a-person-and-an/) [Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/) > [It's been interesting even thinking of myself as an 'actor' in a professional sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-mock/it-s-been-interesting-even-thinking-of-myself-as-an-actor-in-a/) [Evan Mock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-mock/) ## More by Michael K. Williams > [I am the epitome of the underdog. By societies standards I should have been dead a long time ago, and I was nobody's gangster,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-am-the-epitome-of-the-underdog-by-societies-standards-i-should-have/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [My job is to bring to life the character, not to put the words on the paper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-job-is-to-bring-to-life-the-character-not-to-put-the-words-on-the/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [Our criminal justice system has swallowed up too many people I love. I am proud to join the ACLU in the fight to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/our-criminal-justice-system-has-swallowed-up-too-many-people-i-love-i/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [I know plenty of adults who act like teenagers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-know-plenty-of-adults-who-act-like-teenagers/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [All my characters have playlists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/all-my-characters-have-playlists/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [Music is always a part of my characters' make-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/music-is-always-a-part-of-my-characters-make-up/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [Writers will see your work and want to try you in different things but I think you have to stay true to your vehicle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/writers-will-see-your-work-and-want-to-try-you-in-different-things/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [Ending a television character that you've been, especially someone like Omar Little, it hurts. For me, it's a huge thing. You feel like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/ending-a-television-character-that-you-ve-been-especially-someone/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [Music's been part of my entire life. It's in my DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/music-s-been-part-of-my-entire-life-it-s-in-my-dna/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [I'm totally comfortable today with the success that Omar and 'The Wire' have brought me - living with that character, being recognized and remembered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-m-totally-comfortable-today-with-the-success-that-omar-and-the-wire/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [My goal is to end mass incarceration and change the laws to stop locking up low-level, nonviolent drug charges. Stop charging drug addicts as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-goal-is-to-end-mass-incarceration-and-change-the-laws-to-stop/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [The streets would have chewed me up and spit me out and I knew that, but I found my own ways and different knacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/the-streets-would-have-chewed-me-up-and-spit-me-out-and-i-knew-that/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [As we say in the hood, I'm a stoop kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/as-we-say-in-the-hood-i-m-a-stoop-kid/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [I love dealing with drama. I'm drawn to the painful side of storytelling, more so. I feel like that's where you get the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/i-love-dealing-with-drama-i-m-drawn-to-the-painful-side-of/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [There are worse things in life to be attached to then seven seasons of Hap and Leonard: Mucho Mojo. It's in Atlanta, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/there-are-worse-things-in-life-to-be-attached-to-then-seven-seasons/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) [Explore all 64 Michael K. Williams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) ## 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": "My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will happen from there.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael K. Williams" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-actor-as-a-professional-and-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-actor-as-a-professional-and-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5c4/michael-k-williams-10566_actor_my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-ac_357163.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My thing is to gain the respect as an actor, as a professional, and the friendship and everything else will…” — Michael K. Williams", "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": "Michael K. Williams", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My thing is to gain the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-actor-as-a-professional-and-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/my-thing-is-to-gain-the-respect-as-an-actor-as-a-professional-and-the/#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 } } ] } ```