--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a joy in acting that's not…" description: "\"There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but there's a gratification in writing and creating that you can't necessarily find in acting.\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg" --- # There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but… ![“There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but there's a gratification in writing and creating that you can't necessarily find in acting.” quote by Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg) > “There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but there's a gratification in writing and creating that you can't necessarily find in acting.” [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting offers immediate emotional release, while writing provides deeper, lasting creative satisfaction. **In simple terms:** Acting is instant; writing is lasting. Key Takeaway Balance both for creative fulfillment. Themes creativity artistic expression career choices Mood reflective inspired Type artistic career When to use this quote - theatre productions - screenwriting workshops - personal projects Key Concepts immediacy depth personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - Which medium aligns with your current goals? - How can you integrate both skills? A Different Perspective Writing can be solitary and less recognized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [We got instant gratification when we would slip in one of our own songs and people would cheer. We started getting a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/we-got-instant-gratification-when-we-would-slip-in-one-of-our-own/) [Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/) > [The joy of acting for me is to be able to experience emotions in a safe environment. You can't scream and cry in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-eisenberg/the-joy-of-acting-for-me-is-to-be-able-to-experience-emotions-in-a/) [Jesse Eisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-eisenberg/) > [That's the joy of acting - you get to play people who are not you; you get to explore the dark, hidden sides of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kavner/that-s-the-joy-of-acting-you-get-to-play-people-who-are-not-you-you/) [Julie Kavner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kavner/) > [If I didn't get joy from acting, I wouldn't do it. My passion for acting is growing and I love telling good stories and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annasophia-robb/if-i-didn-t-get-joy-from-acting-i-wouldn-t-do-it-my-passion-for/) [AnnaSophia Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annasophia-robb/) > [I get the most joy out of acting and studying new characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/choi-woo-shik/i-get-the-most-joy-out-of-acting-and-studying-new-characters/) [Choi Woo-shik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/choi-woo-shik/) > [Some of the joy in acting is switching it up: being able to do something that's different than what you've been doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kelechi-watson/some-of-the-joy-in-acting-is-switching-it-up-being-able-to-do/) [Susan Kelechi Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kelechi-watson/) > [When I connect to my soul, project it into another # character , and then bring it to the stage or to a film--that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-sedgwick/when-i-connect-to-my-soul-project-it-into-another-character-and-then/) [Kyra Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-sedgwick/) > [There are a lot of other things in this world that can and will bring me joy. Acting is one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-pratt/there-are-a-lot-of-other-things-in-this-world-that-can-and-will-bring/) [Victoria Pratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-pratt/) > [I think if you're too embroiled in the need to relate too closely to the character, then you start to judge the character for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-if-you-re-too-embroiled-in-the-need-to-relate-too-closely-to/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [“The present is the only thing we can control and is the only thing we can change.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wyatt/the-present-is-the-only-thing-we-can-control-and-is-the-only-thing-we/) [William Wyatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wyatt/) > [Global poverty is the product of reversible policy failures overseen by politicians, past and present. The poorest of the poor don't vote in American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-evans/global-poverty-is-the-product-of-reversible-policy-failures-overseen/) [Hugh Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-evans/) > [To have a future we have to live and leave the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akiane-kramarik/to-have-a-future-we-have-to-live-and-leave-the-present/) [Akiane Kramarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akiane-kramarik/) > [My last defense / Is the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/my-last-defense-is-the-present-tense/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [“My past is what God expects me to use to help others through their present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-sorenson/my-past-is-what-god-expects-me-to-use-to-help-others-through-their/) [Toni Sorenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-sorenson/) > [I don't try to be something I'm not, I don't try to pretend that I'm something I'm not, I don't try to present myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-capuano/i-don-t-try-to-be-something-i-m-not-i-don-t-try-to-pretend-that-i-m/) [Michael Capuano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-capuano/) ## More by Mike O'Malley > [The reason I'm a writer is to understand other people and myself more. The reason I'm a writer is to dramatize stories about human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/the-reason-i-m-a-writer-is-to-understand-other-people-and-myself-more/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [That's what I'm attracted to: how people face struggle - with humor - and how they handle tough situations in their lives and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/that-s-what-i-m-attracted-to-how-people-face-struggle-with-humor-and/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [Politics isn't something that really interested me; I, of course, care about what's going on in the world, but so much of political discourse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/politics-isn-t-something-that-really-interested-me-i-of-course-care/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I will talk to anybody about 'Survivor's Remorse' because I'm proud of the show and the actors and directors and the entire crew. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-will-talk-to-anybody-about-survivor-s-remorse-because-i-m-proud-of/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I'm a big boy, and I knew what I was getting into when I got into TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-m-a-big-boy-and-i-knew-what-i-was-getting-into-when-i-got-into-tv/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [There have been plenty of things that I've written that other people haven't cared about, but it hasn't stopped me from being a writer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-have-been-plenty-of-things-that-i-ve-written-that-other-people/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I'm just very interested in how we, as people, can live the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-m-just-very-interested-in-how-we-as-people-can-live-the-right-way/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I'm just trying to age as ungracefully as I can in front of the nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-m-just-trying-to-age-as-ungracefully-as-i-can-in-front-of-the-nation/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I can change a tire, but I couldn't change a fuse on the computer panel on my car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-can-change-a-tire-but-i-couldn-t-change-a-fuse-on-the-computer/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I think what good television does well is that it shows characters evolving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-think-what-good-television-does-well-is-that-it-shows-characters/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [For writers, you just have to have the ability to not restrict your imagination. Men can write about women; women can write about men.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/for-writers-you-just-have-to-have-the-ability-to-not-restrict-your/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [Is there an actor who wouldn't want to sing on one of the top-rated shows in the country?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/is-there-an-actor-who-wouldn-t-want-to-sing-on-one-of-the-top-rated/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [I had always wanted to run my own show and focus solely on the writing, and that's what 'Survivor's Remorse' has been for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/i-had-always-wanted-to-run-my-own-show-and-focus-solely-on-the/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [The tale of the actor struggling to make it is oft-told for a reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/the-tale-of-the-actor-struggling-to-make-it-is-oft-told-for-a-reason/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) > [We know, in history, people are unable to put different elements together and create gold, yet it's what you're asking actors to do every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/we-know-in-history-people-are-unable-to-put-different-elements/) [Mike O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) [Explore all 31 Mike O'Malley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/) ## 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": "There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but there's a gratification in writing and creating that you can't necessarily find in acting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike O'Malley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-present-in-writing-but-there-s-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-present-in-writing-but-there-s-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3b/mike-o-malley-20265_acting_there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-prese_1822321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There's a joy in acting that's not present in writing, but there's a gratification in writing and creating…” — Mike O'Malley", "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": "Mike O'Malley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-o-malley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There's a joy in acting that's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-present-in-writing-but-there-s-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-o-malley/there-s-a-joy-in-acting-that-s-not-present-in-writing-but-there-s-a/#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 } } ] } ```