--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm grateful that I have a theater career…" description: "\"I'm grateful that I have a theater career because television isn't kind to you when you're over forty.\" — Michael Learned" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/michael-learned-30182_because_i-m-grateful-that-i-have-a-theater-caree_1081653.jpg" --- # I'm grateful that I have a theater career because… ![“I'm grateful that I have a theater career because television isn't kind to you when you're over forty.” quote by Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/michael-learned-30182_because_i-m-grateful-that-i-have-a-theater-caree_1081653.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/michael-learned-30182_because_i-m-grateful-that-i-have-a-theater-caree_1081653.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bb/michael-learned-30182_because_i-m-grateful-that-i-have-a-theater-caree_1081653.jpg) > “I'm grateful that I have a theater career because television isn't kind to you when you're over forty.” [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She values her theater work because TV often marginalizes older women. **In simple terms:** Theater offers respect older TV does not. Key Takeaway Cherish roles that honor you. Themes ageism career selfworth Mood reflective determined Type career inspirational When to use this quote - auditions - career planning - advocacy - networking Key Concepts gender bias industry standards Questions to Reflect On - How can you leverage theater skills in TV? - What biases exist in casting? A Different Perspective TV may still provide opportunities with the right niche. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Grateful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grateful/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [When I was coming up in the '80s television, if you were on television that meant either you were a young actor just coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/when-i-was-coming-up-in-the-80s-television-if-you-were-on-television/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [After getting the job at MTV, the challenge was, 'How do I start my career as a television host without people holding my dad's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-levy/after-getting-the-job-at-mtv-the-challenge-was-how-do-i-start-my/) [Dan Levy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-levy/) > [I was very fortunate in all of my career in television to have a lot of things that received a lot of awards recognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wells/i-was-very-fortunate-in-all-of-my-career-in-television-to-have-a-lot/) [John Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wells/) > [I started my career with television, and whatever work I did was keeping the content as my topmost priority. Same goes with the movies:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yami-gautam/i-started-my-career-with-television-and-whatever-work-i-did-was/) [Yami Gautam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yami-gautam/) > [I went to university, became an architect and - almost by accident - fell into a career in television, starting on Channel 5's 'Build…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clarke/i-went-to-university-became-an-architect-and-almost-by-accident-fell/) [George Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clarke/) > [I studied broadcast journalism at Pepperdine University. After a short career in television with MTV and later on at FX Network, I found my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartz/i-studied-broadcast-journalism-at-pepperdine-university-after-a-short/) [Julia Hartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartz/) > [I started out on the stage, then I had a great career in television for quite a few years. The good news about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-stokes-mitchell/i-started-out-on-the-stage-then-i-had-a-great-career-in-television/) [Brian Stokes Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-stokes-mitchell/) > [Film, theater and television always kind of scared me. I don't ever seriously think of myself as an actor at all, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/film-theater-and-television-always-kind-of-scared-me-i-don-t-ever/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [Television isn't brain surgery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rippon/television-isn-t-brain-surgery/) [Angela Rippon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rippon/) > [“This isn't television! This isn't a movie! Giles and Buffy aren't gonna appear and show us how to deal with our wonderful new powers!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-benway/this-isn-t-television-this-isn-t-a-movie-giles-and-buffy-aren-t-gonna/) [Robin Benway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-benway/) > [There is a tradition of television which isn't dross and stands up. Betjeman's programmes, which were made for 2/6d with one man and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-meades/there-is-a-tradition-of-television-which-isn-t-dross-and-stands-up/) [Jonathan Meades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-meades/) > [It's not normal, what I do. Just being on television isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/it-s-not-normal-what-i-do-just-being-on-television-isn-t/) [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) > [“Television isn't black and white anymore, and neither are people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-todd/television-isn-t-black-and-white-anymore-and-neither-are-people/) William Todd > [Television isn't inherently good or bad. You go to a bookstore, there are how many thousands of books, but how many of those do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nye/television-isn-t-inherently-good-or-bad-you-go-to-a-bookstore-there/) [Bill Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nye/) > [Television as we have it isn't an art form - it's a piece of furniture that is good for a few things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-kael/television-as-we-have-it-isn-t-an-art-form-it-s-a-piece-of-furniture/) [Pauline Kael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-kael/) ## More by Michael Learned > [If you care about what you do, you don't want to let people down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/if-you-care-about-what-you-do-you-don-t-want-to-let-people-down/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [All of us from The Waltons still love each other. I think were closer than some real families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/all-of-us-from-the-waltons-still-love-each-other-i-think-were-closer/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [I don't mean to insult television, but a lot of the time, it's pretty straightforward. If you say, 'I love you,' you mean 'I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/i-don-t-mean-to-insult-television-but-a-lot-of-the-time-it-s-pretty/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [I dont mean to insult television, but a lot of the time, its pretty straightforward. 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I never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/i-got-married-at-17-had-three-kids-by-the-time-i-was-24-and-have/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [I was certainly typecast for a while on television because I was always being cast as the 'compassionate mother' or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/i-was-certainly-typecast-for-a-while-on-television-because-i-was/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [I used to love people for what they could be. I thought love was how hard you tried and how much you sacrificed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-learned/i-used-to-love-people-for-what-they-could-be-i-thought-love-was-how/) [Michael Learned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-learned/) > [All of us from 'The Waltons' still love each other. 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I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-perrotta/i-was-also-known-as-frodo-because-i-was-an-early-adopter-of-the-lord/) [Tom Perrotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-perrotta/) > [I believe in taxation and health care that is outside the usual libertarian mandate, because I don't want people to have to suffer. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-peart/i-believe-in-taxation-and-health-care-that-is-outside-the-usual/) [Neil Peart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-peart/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. 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