--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I must say acting was good training for…" description: "\"I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.\" — Nancy Reagan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg" --- # I must say acting was good training for the political life… ![“I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.” quote by Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg) > “I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.” [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting equipped her with public speaking, image management, and persuasive skills useful in politics. **In simple terms:** Acting as political prep Key Takeaway Performance skills translate to political effectiveness Themes public speaking image crafting persuasion career transition leadership Mood confident strategic Type reflective observational When to use this quote - campaign speeches - media interviews - public appearances - debates - press conferences Key Concepts communication media political strategy Practical Applications - speechwriting - media training Questions to Reflect On - How does performance experience shape political leadership? - What aspects of acting are most valuable in politics? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Political life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-life/) [Training](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/training/) ## Related quotes > [I must say that acting was good training for the political life that lay ahead of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-must-say-that-acting-was-good-training-for-the-political-life-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's important to have people around you with enough confidence to say if you are not acting in a good way. Normally, when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-nadal/it-s-important-to-have-people-around-you-with-enough-confidence-to/) [Rafael Nadal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-nadal/) > [“It’s not gay to jack off, so how could it be gay to give your clone a handjob? If anything, it’s on-the-job training for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-not-gay-to-jack-off-so-how-could-it-be-gay-to-give-your-clone-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [When I say that the acting is sort of like a normal acting experience, I'm just talking about the interacting in actual scenes, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fisher/when-i-say-that-the-acting-is-sort-of-like-a-normal-acting-experience/) [Noel Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fisher/) > [There is nothing that one can say about acting, writing, producing or directing that cannot be revoked in the next breath. Nothing is immutable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moss-hart/there-is-nothing-that-one-can-say-about-acting-writing-producing-or/) [Moss Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moss-hart/) > [Now that was one thing, but from an actor's point of view, this poor young man, crying from the moment I opened the door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-steiger/now-that-was-one-thing-but-from-an-actor-s-point-of-view-this-poor/) [Rod Steiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-steiger/) > [“I got this to say. you are acting like a crowd of kids.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-got-this-to-say-you-are-acting-like-a-crowd-of-kids/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I know actors who say acting is acting, but I love the live-ness of an audience. I love feeling the energy of a room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/i-know-actors-who-say-acting-is-acting-but-i-love-the-live-ness-of-an/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) > [People say, "Why is it that you love to act?" And you want to say, "Well, most of acting is sitting in your trailer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/people-say-why-is-it-that-you-love-to-act-and-you-want-to-say-well/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) > [I always say about acting: the audience doesn't come to see you, they come to see themselves. So if you're able to give them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-always-say-about-acting-the-audience-doesn-t-come-to-see-you-they/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [I'd say that acting is a side project for Jack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-gass/i-d-say-that-acting-is-a-side-project-for-jack/) [Kyle Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-gass/) > [There's not much to say about acting but this. Never settle back on your heels. Never relax. If you relax, the audience relaxes. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cagney/there-s-not-much-to-say-about-acting-but-this-never-settle-back-on/) [James Cagney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cagney/) > [I got a chance to act, and I have to say that acting is extremely fun and vital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-labrava/i-got-a-chance-to-act-and-i-have-to-say-that-acting-is-extremely-fun/) [David Labrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-labrava/) > [If a show comes and the content is great, I would never say no to acting on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-fatehi/if-a-show-comes-and-the-content-is-great-i-would-never-say-no-to/) [Nora Fatehi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-fatehi/) > [Something people say about acting is that acting is listening. But I think that writing is listening, too. That you really have to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/something-people-say-about-acting-is-that-acting-is-listening-but-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) ## More by Nancy Reagan > [Throughout Ronnie's presidency, there was an ongoing public discussion as to how much influence the first lady should have on the president. It's hardly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/throughout-ronnie-s-presidency-there-was-an-ongoing-public-discussion/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [A lot of business can be accomplished in the state dinners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/a-lot-of-business-can-be-accomplished-in-the-state-dinners/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [A woman is like a tea bag. She only knows her strength when put in hot water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/a-woman-is-like-a-tea-bag-she-only-knows-her-strength-when-put-in-hot/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [Dont ever lose hope. Even when life seems bleak and hopeless, know that you are not alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/don-t-ever-lose-hope-even-when-life-seems-bleak-and-hopeless-know/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [People don't understand that all presidents, the minute they become president, get a knock at the door. And there's a man there saying, 'Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/people-don-t-understand-that-all-presidents-the-minute-they-become/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [A friend of mine said to me a year ago, "You're so lucky, Nancy, because Ronnie left you the library," She said, "You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/a-friend-of-mine-said-to-me-a-year-ago-you-re-so-lucky-nancy-because/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I favor capital punishment. It saves lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-favor-capital-punishment-it-saves-lives/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I do not believe in abortion at will. I do not believe that if a woman just wants to have an abortion she should...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-do-not-believe-in-abortion-at-will-i-do-not-believe-that-if-a-woman/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I'm doing what I want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-m-doing-what-i-want-to-do/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [“A woman is like a teabag - only in hot water do you realize how strong she is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/a-woman-is-like-a-teabag-only-in-hot-water-do-you-realize-how-strong/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [What can you say about a man, who on Mother's Day sends flowers to his mother-in-law, with a note thanking her for making him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/what-can-you-say-about-a-man-who-on-mother-s-day-sends-flowers-to-his/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I've found a letter that was written to me from a girl who was getting married. And she wanted to know the secret of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-ve-found-a-letter-that-was-written-to-me-from-a-girl-who-was/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [What it boils down to is that each person has his own ways of coping with trauma and grief, with the pain of life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/what-it-boils-down-to-is-that-each-person-has-his-own-ways-of-coping/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [Countless people, suffering from many different diseases, stand to benefit from the answers stem cell research can provide. We owe it to ourselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/countless-people-suffering-from-many-different-diseases-stand-to/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) > [I urge researchers to make use of the opportunities that are available to them and to do all they can to fulfill the promise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-urge-researchers-to-make-use-of-the-opportunities-that-are/) [Nancy Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) [Explore all 95 Nancy Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/) ## 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": "I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for-the-political-life-which-lay/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for-the-political-life-which-lay/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/321/nancy-reagan-7070_acting_i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for_23158.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.” — Nancy Reagan", "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": "Nancy Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I must say acting was good...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for-the-political-life-which-lay/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-reagan/i-must-say-acting-was-good-training-for-the-political-life-which-lay/#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 } } ] } ```