--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I guess if there's one thing that might…" description: "\"I guess if there's one thing that might surprise people about me, it's that I'm very obedient. I'm kind of like a dog. I look at acting as kind of a se..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f20/michael-shannon-9158_acting_i-guess-if-there-s-one-thing-that-might_2260832.jpg" --- # I guess if there's one thing that might surprise people… ![“I guess if there's one thing that might surprise people about me, it's that I'm very obedient. I'm kind of like a dog. I look at acting as kind of a service industry. You're there to serve the writer and the director. I don't really look at it as an act of self-expression, like I'm going to say…” quote by Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f20/michael-shannon-9158_acting_i-guess-if-there-s-one-thing-that-might_2260832.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f20/michael-shannon-9158_acting_i-guess-if-there-s-one-thing-that-might_2260832.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f20/michael-shannon-9158_acting_i-guess-if-there-s-one-thing-that-might_2260832.jpg) > “I guess if there's one thing that might surprise people about me, it's that I'm very obedient. I'm kind of like a dog. I look at acting as kind of a service industry. You're there to serve the writer and the director. I don't really look at it as an act of self-expression, like I'm going to say what's on my mind.” [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes his acting approach as service-oriented, prioritizing the writer and director over personal expression. **In simple terms:** He sees acting as serving others, not self‑expression. Key Takeaway Embrace a collaborative mindset. Themes collaboration service humility acting professionalism Mood reflective thoughtful Type professional philosophical When to use this quote - film set - theatre rehearsals - director meetings - creative workshops Key Concepts servitude method acting industry dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does serving others affect your own creative voice? - Can obedience coexist with artistic integrity? A Different Perspective May limit personal artistic growth and authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-kind-484996/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Obedient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedient/) [Obedient Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obedient-kind-5201952/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Obedient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-obedient-3649644/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-expression/) [Service industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service-industry/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [If all were perfect Christians, individuals would do their duty; the people would be obedient to the laws, the magistrates incorrupt, and there would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/if-all-were-perfect-christians-individuals-would-do-their-duty-the/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [Acting is all about a kind of self-expression. When you take on different roles and become different characters, you have to draw upon your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-momsen/acting-is-all-about-a-kind-of-self-expression-when-you-take-on/) [Taylor Momsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-momsen/) > [I think the god of acting is kind to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-think-the-god-of-acting-is-kind-to-me/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I booked my first series when I was 13. Acting kind of took control because I was just going from part to part at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-morgan/i-booked-my-first-series-when-i-was-13-acting-kind-of-took-control/) [Vanessa Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-morgan/) > [Acting is kind of a forced compassion, where you learn that given certain circumstances, you can feel and do things that you never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/acting-is-kind-of-a-forced-compassion-where-you-learn-that-given/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [Acting is kind of gay. It makes you soft. You got all these people combing your hair and putting a coat over your shoulders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinton-jackson/acting-is-kind-of-gay-it-makes-you-soft-you-got-all-these-people/) [Quinton Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinton-jackson/) > [Acting is kind of difficult to intellectualize - it's a far more visceral experience. It's really hard to be able to think about and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/acting-is-kind-of-difficult-to-intellectualize-it-s-a-far-more/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [That's one of my little expressions. I never really studied acting so I kind of kiddingly talk about "building your circle" and "mooding up,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/that-s-one-of-my-little-expressions-i-never-really-studied-acting-so/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [I think it started since I was born, I always had a need to express myself, you know, as a human being, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-meraz/i-think-it-started-since-i-was-born-i-always-had-a-need-to-express/) [Alex Meraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-meraz/) > [Acting is kind of an escape. You get to live life as someone else, and when you're living this life as someone else, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/acting-is-kind-of-an-escape-you-get-to-live-life-as-someone-else-and/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [You think about acting kind of as an iceberg where you've got that 5% that you see... but in order to have that 5%...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tucker/you-think-about-acting-kind-of-as-an-iceberg-where-you-ve-got-that-5/) [Jonathan Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tucker/) > [The fact that I got into acting at all was kind of fluke-ish. I loved movies, but I can't remember ever really wanting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winona-ryder/the-fact-that-i-got-into-acting-at-all-was-kind-of-fluke-ish-i-loved/) [Winona Ryder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winona-ryder/) > [Do I have any potential as an actor? I don't know. I'm still wondering. But acting has kind of taken over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-mckay/do-i-have-any-potential-as-an-actor-i-don-t-know-i-m-still-wondering/) [Christian McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-mckay/) > ['Whatever it takes' is my opinion of method acting and, indeed, any other kind of acting. Look at Brando and De Niro. But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-holm/whatever-it-takes-is-my-opinion-of-method-acting-and-indeed-any-other/) [Ian Holm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-holm/) > [I've always used music for my acting, and I do have a kind of a very personal play list that I create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tucker/i-ve-always-used-music-for-my-acting-and-i-do-have-a-kind-of-a-very/) [Jonathan Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tucker/) ## More by Michael Shannon > [I like to play characters that get to do it all - to have a bit of comedy here and a bit of pathos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-like-to-play-characters-that-get-to-do-it-all-to-have-a-bit-of/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [A lot of times people will send me stuff. They will find something and they will send it to me and then I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/a-lot-of-times-people-will-send-me-stuff-they-will-find-something-and/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [The most fascinating part of movies is the organism of the movie - it's such a bizarre thing to do, to make a movie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/the-most-fascinating-part-of-movies-is-the-organism-of-the-movie-it-s/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [One of the reasons I got into acting to begin with is that I was trying to figure out how life worked. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/one-of-the-reasons-i-got-into-acting-to-begin-with-is-that-i-was/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [Theater is the best. That's where you get the work done. You just really get in there and figure something out about a story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/theater-is-the-best-that-s-where-you-get-the-work-done-you-just/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [I've never worried about anything in my life a fraction of the way I worry about my daughter. It's much more than hoping people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-ve-never-worried-about-anything-in-my-life-a-fraction-of-the-way-i/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [A lot of times the characters I play tend to be kind of loners or they don't have best friends or best buddies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/a-lot-of-times-the-characters-i-play-tend-to-be-kind-of-loners-or/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [The stage is a routine. It keeps you grounded, like a metronome. I find that soothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/the-stage-is-a-routine-it-keeps-you-grounded-like-a-metronome-i-find/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [If you are going to be on TV for however many years, you want to make sure that you have writers that are giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/if-you-are-going-to-be-on-tv-for-however-many-years-you-want-to-make/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [I've always been happy just to be working. It doesn't really matter for me how many people are familiar with my name or my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-ve-always-been-happy-just-to-be-working-it-doesn-t-really-matter/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [When you see a struggle that you may be having personally put on a big screen and in a roomful of people, then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/when-you-see-a-struggle-that-you-may-be-having-personally-put-on-a/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [I certainly don't want to have too many pre-conceived notions before I show up because then you might be cutting yourself off from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-certainly-don-t-want-to-have-too-many-pre-conceived-notions-before/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [I never went into acting to be able to scare everybody. If I'd wanted to frighten people, I could have joined the C.I.A.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/i-never-went-into-acting-to-be-able-to-scare-everybody-if-i-d-wanted/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [Everybodys constantly being destroyed and rebuilding themselves, some more drastically than others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/everybodys-constantly-being-destroyed-and-rebuilding-themselves-some/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) > [If you are only getting two takes and you are on a crazy set where there is a lot of noise and distractions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/if-you-are-only-getting-two-takes-and-you-are-on-a-crazy-set-where/) [Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) [Explore all 75 Michael Shannon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I guess if there's one thing that might surprise people about me, it's that I'm very obedient. I'm kind of like a dog. I look at acting as kind of a service industry. You're there to serve the writer and the director. 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