--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The acting world is tough. It's…" description: "\"The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even more so for women - but actually, for black female actresses, the issue isn't really that it's c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg" --- # The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even… ![“The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even more so for women - but actually, for black female actresses, the issue isn't really that it's competitive: it's that there just aren't enough roles for them in film and TV.” quote by Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg) > “The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even more so for women - but actually, for black female actresses, the issue isn't really that it's competitive: it's that there just aren't enough roles for them in film and TV.” [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The entertainment industry lacks sufficient roles for black women, making competition especially harsh for them. **In simple terms:** Black women face a scarcity of roles, not just competition. Key Takeaway Advocate for more inclusive casting. Themes representation inequality industry gender race Mood concerned hopeful Type social industry When to use this quote - casting decisions - film festivals - talent agencies - media criticism Key Concepts Systemic bias intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How can allies support increased representation? - What policies could enforce role diversity? A Different Perspective Progress may be slow without structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I get it - there are very few black female actresses who have been given chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-byer/i-get-it-there-are-very-few-black-female-actresses-who-have-been/) [Nicole Byer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-byer/) > [I was driven when I was younger. Driven at West Point where it was much more competitive in that women were competing with men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-broadwell/i-was-driven-when-i-was-younger-driven-at-west-point-where-it-was/) [Paula Broadwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-broadwell/) > [I think women are really vicious in the work place, they're really jealous, really competitive. Women are emotional, they cry in toilets. The sisterhood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hopkins/i-think-women-are-really-vicious-in-the-work-place-they-re-really/) [Katie Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hopkins/) > [I'm extremely competitive with myself. But I'm not actively competitive with other women in the business. Which may have been a mistake. I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-basinger/i-m-extremely-competitive-with-myself-but-i-m-not-actively/) [Kim Basinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-basinger/) > [I'm sort of like a T. rex in the world of female actresses. Every time a job is finished, I look at my car…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-headey/i-m-sort-of-like-a-t-rex-in-the-world-of-female-actresses-every-time/) [Lena Headey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-headey/) > [Like most female actresses, I am always aspiring to succeed and become a popular star, and my positive energy never dies out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-yifei/like-most-female-actresses-i-am-always-aspiring-to-succeed-and-become/) [Liu Yifei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-yifei/) > [I was so afraid of being lumped into this category of female actresses trying to sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sudol/i-was-so-afraid-of-being-lumped-into-this-category-of-female/) [Alison Sudol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sudol/) > [Most female actresses will have a very difficult time being made unattractive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolaj-coster-waldau/most-female-actresses-will-have-a-very-difficult-time-being-made/) [Nikolaj Coster-Waldau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolaj-coster-waldau/) > [I think what I do in my acting world and what I do in my standup world is bring up a brand that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/i-think-what-i-do-in-my-acting-world-and-what-i-do-in-my-standup/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [Growing up in the acting world, you have a lot of opportunities to change who you are and what you believe in based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hutcherson/growing-up-in-the-acting-world-you-have-a-lot-of-opportunities-to/) [Josh Hutcherson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hutcherson/) > [Acting is my world. Acting is my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nani/acting-is-my-world-acting-is-my-life/) [Nani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nani/) > [That's the beauty of the acting world. You can play so many different characters who know and do so many things that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniela-ruah/that-s-the-beauty-of-the-acting-world-you-can-play-so-many-different/) [Daniela Ruah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniela-ruah/) > [I grew up on sets so I've always felt like that I wanted to be a part of the acting world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-devito/i-grew-up-on-sets-so-i-ve-always-felt-like-that-i-wanted-to-be-a-part/) [Lucy DeVito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-devito/) > [I entered the acting world at a time when there was a higher demand for Middle Eastern actors in the post-9/11 world, and yeah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nazanin-boniadi/i-entered-the-acting-world-at-a-time-when-there-was-a-higher-demand/) [Nazanin Boniadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nazanin-boniadi/) > [I wanted to go to NYU because I thought that was my best path to glory. I figured it was safer to move into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-schneider/i-wanted-to-go-to-nyu-because-i-thought-that-was-my-best-path-to/) [Danielle Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-schneider/) ## More by Michaela Coel > [I think you just have to do you, whatever that is, and not feel like you have to be a certain way for other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-think-you-just-have-to-do-you-whatever-that-is-and-not-feel-like/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [There always seems to be an element of faith in my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/there-always-seems-to-be-an-element-of-faith-in-my-writing/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [My sets are not peaceful. It's a beautiful catastrophe. I am running around like a headless chicken. I don't sleep because I am writing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/my-sets-are-not-peaceful-it-s-a-beautiful-catastrophe-i-am-running/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [Inequality starts in the womb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/inequality-starts-in-the-womb/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [I didn't know I was going to write for TV until I was suddenly writing for TV, so that kind of stuff can bewilder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-didn-t-know-i-was-going-to-write-for-tv-until-i-was-suddenly/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [Looking back, the way I see it, there was something slightly deluded about my belief - what that meant to me - but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/looking-back-the-way-i-see-it-there-was-something-slightly-deluded/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [Don't sit there and complain. Rub your hands together and figure out what to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/don-t-sit-there-and-complain-rub-your-hands-together-and-figure-out/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [I don't write with this thing in the back of my head about carrying the weight of young black women on my shoulders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-don-t-write-with-this-thing-in-the-back-of-my-head-about-carrying/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [I over-write!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-over-write/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > ['Chewing Gum Dreams' should make you look twice at the girl shouting on the bus and not just cuss her off from your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/chewing-gum-dreams-should-make-you-look-twice-at-the-girl-shouting-on/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [I don't really go with the crowd. I'm the kind of person that if I heard some girls were bullying my friend in another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/i-don-t-really-go-with-the-crowd-i-m-the-kind-of-person-that-if-i/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [To see people laughing or crying or listening, then being inspired to do their own thing? I can't think of anything better than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/to-see-people-laughing-or-crying-or-listening-then-being-inspired-to/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [Now I'm steeped in this world, I keep thinking going to the theatre every week is normal, but there's a whole world of people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/now-i-m-steeped-in-this-world-i-keep-thinking-going-to-the-theatre/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [What dominates my life isn't the fact that I started off doing theatre. It's probably to do with Christianity, my race, the class I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/what-dominates-my-life-isn-t-the-fact-that-i-started-off-doing/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) > [There's a massive community in church. You have a real home. You can move to different parts of the world and you'll always find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/there-s-a-massive-community-in-church-you-have-a-real-home-you-can/) [Michaela Coel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) [Explore all 88 Michaela Coel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/) ## 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 > [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": "The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even more so for women - but actually, for black female actresses, the issue isn't really that it's competitive: it's that there just aren't enough roles for them in film and TV.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michaela Coel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competitive-and-even-more-so-for-women/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competitive-and-even-more-so-for-women/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/michaela-coel-7701_acting_the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competiti_2996007.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The acting world is tough. It's competitive - and even more so for women - but actually, for black female…” — Michaela Coel", "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": "Michaela Coel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michaela-coel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The acting world is tough. It's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competitive-and-even-more-so-for-women/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michaela-coel/the-acting-world-is-tough-it-s-competitive-and-even-more-so-for-women/#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 } } ] } ```