--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think my parents knew before I did that…" description: "\"I think my parents knew before I did that I was going to be an actress, because I was doing impressions of Margaret Thatcher at the age of four.\" — Mic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/michelle-dockery-9666_actress_i-think-my-parents-knew-before-i-did-tha_1131055.jpg" --- # I think my parents knew before I did that I was going to… ![“I think my parents knew before I did that I was going to be an actress, because I was doing impressions of Margaret Thatcher at the age of four.” quote by Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/michelle-dockery-9666_actress_i-think-my-parents-knew-before-i-did-tha_1131055.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/michelle-dockery-9666_actress_i-think-my-parents-knew-before-i-did-tha_1131055.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94b/michelle-dockery-9666_actress_i-think-my-parents-knew-before-i-did-tha_1131055.jpg) > “I think my parents knew before I did that I was going to be an actress, because I was doing impressions of Margaret Thatcher at the age of four.” [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker recalls early signs of a future acting career, showing how childhood play can foreshadow talent. **In simple terms:** Childhood play can hint at future paths. Key Takeaway Notice early passions. Themes career identity play Mood nostalgic inspirational Type personal reflective When to use this quote - school performances - family gatherings - improvisation sessions Key Concepts developmental psychology acting self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - Did you recognize your talent early? - How did you nurture it? A Different Perspective Not all childhood interests become careers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) ## Related quotes > [I had no interest in really becoming an actress or doing that kind of thing I just knew that I wanted to do something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-downey/i-had-no-interest-in-really-becoming-an-actress-or-doing-that-kind-of/) [Susan Downey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-downey/) > [When you are a pan-Indian actress, you are doing films in different languages and invariably, you end up not signing films in one language…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amyra-dastur/when-you-are-a-pan-indian-actress-you-are-doing-films-in-different/) [Amyra Dastur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amyra-dastur/) > [Because I'd done 30 plays or so at Oxford, I thought that I was an actress anyway because that's what I was doing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-parkinson/because-i-d-done-30-plays-or-so-at-oxford-i-thought-that-i-was-an/) [Katherine Parkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-parkinson/) > [When people say, 'If you could do anything else, what would you do?' I would be an actress. That's something that I would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imani-hakim/when-people-say-if-you-could-do-anything-else-what-would-you-do-i/) [Imani Hakim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imani-hakim/) > [Right now, I love the fact that I have so many opportunities, but I know this privileged position cannot last. That doesn't mean that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/right-now-i-love-the-fact-that-i-have-so-many-opportunities-but-i/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [My parents knew there was no point in pushing the football thing. I hated the boots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-williamson/my-parents-knew-there-was-no-point-in-pushing-the-football-thing-i/) [Matthew Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-williamson/) > [My parents knew that I did King-Cat, but honestly my mom didn't want to see a lot of it. She would tell me, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-porcellino/my-parents-knew-that-i-did-king-cat-but-honestly-my-mom-didn-t-want/) [John Porcellino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-porcellino/) > [“I certainly never felt rejected because they had given me up. My parents knew nothing about my birth mother, yet always explained with certainty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-giffin/i-certainly-never-felt-rejected-because-they-had-given-me-up-my/) [Emily Giffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-giffin/) > [For sure, my parents knew what I had to eat and how to prepare for training sessions and what behaviour was needed in order…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-sane/for-sure-my-parents-knew-what-i-had-to-eat-and-how-to-prepare-for/) [Leroy Sane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-sane/) > [I was lucky enough that my parents knew about World Cup skiing, so since I was really little, we were watching World Cup winning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikaela-shiffrin/i-was-lucky-enough-that-my-parents-knew-about-world-cup-skiing-so/) [Mikaela Shiffrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikaela-shiffrin/) > [I was brought up in a family which valued natural history. Both my parents knew the names of all the British wildflowers, so as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-was-brought-up-in-a-family-which-valued-natural-history-both-my/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [When I came out to my parents, I knew that they knew. My father was like, 'Are you sure?' I literally said, 'You took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-eichner/when-i-came-out-to-my-parents-i-knew-that-they-knew-my-father-was/) [Billy Eichner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-eichner/) > [“While their parents knew a different life and would never really feel at home again without it, their kids had never known anything else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-l-friedman/while-their-parents-knew-a-different-life-and-would-never-really-feel/) [Thomas L. Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-l-friedman/) > [In reality, my parents knew that I was a vegetable outside of music. They have fears, they know how tough and competitive it is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mnek/in-reality-my-parents-knew-that-i-was-a-vegetable-outside-of-music/) [MNEK](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mnek/) > [My parents knew if they kept me active, I'd stay out of trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-bomer/my-parents-knew-if-they-kept-me-active-i-d-stay-out-of-trouble/) [Matt Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-bomer/) ## More by Michelle Dockery > [Playing Isabella in 'Measure for Measure' pushed me to my limits. Janet Suzman was directing, and she was very hard on me. I went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/playing-isabella-in-measure-for-measure-pushed-me-to-my-limits-janet/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [I just enjoy acting, whatever area - theatre, film, television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/i-just-enjoy-acting-whatever-area-theatre-film-television/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [I'm not from aristocracy, or anything like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/i-m-not-from-aristocracy-or-anything-like-that/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [My godchildren went to see Taylor Swift in concert and got to meet her. They literally ran toward her and hugged her, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/my-godchildren-went-to-see-taylor-swift-in-concert-and-got-to-meet/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [I love singing live, actually. 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People are often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/i-come-from-a-very-working-class-background-so-my-family-would-have/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [Being in the same scenes as Maggie Smith and Shirley MacLaine is something I will never forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/being-in-the-same-scenes-as-maggie-smith-and-shirley-maclaine-is/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) [Explore all 71 Michelle Dockery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) ## 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. 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