--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea of acting is something that…" description: "\"The idea of acting is something that absolutely repulses me. I just can't do it. I'm terrible at it. I get roped into films every now and then, and it'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d47/nick-cave-1153_absolutely_the-idea-of-acting-is-something-that-abs_742742.jpg" --- # The idea of acting is something that absolutely repulses… ![“The idea of acting is something that absolutely repulses me. I just can't do it. I'm terrible at it. I get roped into films every now and then, and it's always a disaster.” quote by Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d47/nick-cave-1153_absolutely_the-idea-of-acting-is-something-that-abs_742742.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d47/nick-cave-1153_absolutely_the-idea-of-acting-is-something-that-abs_742742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d47/nick-cave-1153_absolutely_the-idea-of-acting-is-something-that-abs_742742.jpg) > “The idea of acting is something that absolutely repulses me. I just can't do it. I'm terrible at it. I get roped into films every now and then, and it's always a disaster.” [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) ## 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 feels a deep aversion to acting, seeing it as disastrous despite occasional involvement **In simple terms:** Acting feels repulsive and disastrous for me Key Takeaway Explore why acting feels repulsive and consider alternatives Themes self‑doubt performance discomfort Mood anxious reflective Type personal creative When to use this quote - acting auditions - self‑help workshops - career counseling Key Concepts psychology of avoidance creative expression Questions to Reflect On - What triggers the repulsion toward acting? - How might you reframe acting to reduce disaster? A Different Perspective May ignore potential growth through confronting fear ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely/) [Absolutely Repulses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutely-repulses-5795508/) [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-absolutely-5126510/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [Films](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films/) [Films Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/films-disaster-5795507/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Idea Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-acting-1423267/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Now and then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now-and-then/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) ## Related quotes > [I am an actor. I love acting, and I absolutely love what I do, but I don't want it to be every waking hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-peake/i-am-an-actor-i-love-acting-and-i-absolutely-love-what-i-do-but-i-don/) [Maxine Peake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-peake/) > [My idea of acting was working in the theater. So I am very grateful for all my jobs. I know that at the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-long/my-idea-of-acting-was-working-in-the-theater-so-i-am-very-grateful/) [Justin Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-long/) > [The idea of acting on the first 'Halloween', it didn't really apply to my eventual work, working with actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-castle/the-idea-of-acting-on-the-first-halloween-it-didn-t-really-apply-to/) [Nick Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-castle/) > ['Crystal Fairy' was one of the first movies I did after I recommitted to the idea of acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/crystal-fairy-was-one-of-the-first-movies-i-did-after-i-recommitted/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I loved the idea that acting was something you could develop into slowly; something you could study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-j-smith/i-loved-the-idea-that-acting-was-something-you-could-develop-into/) [Brian J. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-j-smith/) > [I do constantly get to change the way I look, which is sort of an old-school idea of acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lowden/i-do-constantly-get-to-change-the-way-i-look-which-is-sort-of-an-old/) [Jack Lowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lowden/) > [No, I haven't taken training as such but I used to attend all those 7 day workshops before the play. Those workshops aren't so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jitendra-kumar/no-i-haven-t-taken-training-as-such-but-i-used-to-attend-all-those-7/) [Jitendra Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jitendra-kumar/) > [So from an actor's perspective, you really have no idea how you're acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/so-from-an-actor-s-perspective-you-really-have-no-idea-how-you-re/) [Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/) > [I was always toying with the idea of acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-antony/i-was-always-toying-with-the-idea-of-acting/) [Vijay Antony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-antony/) > [Ultimately, the idea of acting is to understand the people you're playing, and then where they're coming from is not so mystifying. You've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mawle/ultimately-the-idea-of-acting-is-to-understand-the-people-you-re/) [Joseph Mawle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mawle/) > [My mom always liked the idea of us acting - me and my sister - like, one of us trying it. But my dad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-prokop/my-mom-always-liked-the-idea-of-us-acting-me-and-my-sister-like-one/) [Matt Prokop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-prokop/) > [The whole idea with acting is that you take some risks. And if you take some risks, you're really going to mess up sometimes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/domhnall-gleeson/the-whole-idea-with-acting-is-that-you-take-some-risks-and-if-you/) [Domhnall Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/domhnall-gleeson/) > [I like the idea of acting. Of all these things I've done, sometimes I think I've done well, and sometimes I think I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flea/i-like-the-idea-of-acting-of-all-these-things-i-ve-done-sometimes-i/) [Flea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flea/) > [I never bothered about keeping track.Every now and then someone records one of my songs, and I get credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mose-allison/i-never-bothered-about-keeping-track-every-now-and-then-someone/) [Mose Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mose-allison/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) ## More by Nick Cave > [Texting is apocalyptic on some level. It's a reduction of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/texting-is-apocalyptic-on-some-level-it-s-a-reduction-of-things/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [“And I know why our friendship must be kept a secret. Or they will kill You like they killed You in the Bible. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/and-i-know-why-our-friendship-must-be-kept-a-secret-or-they-will-kill/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I want to write songs that are so sad, the kind of sad where you take someone's little finger and break it in three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-want-to-write-songs-that-are-so-sad-the-kind-of-sad-where-you-take/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [“Through these days Bunny made increasingly frequent and protracted visits to the bathroom, beating off with a single-minded savagery intense even by Bunny's standards.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/through-these-days-bunny-made-increasingly-frequent-and-protracted/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [Personally I find the story of Christ incredibly moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/personally-i-find-the-story-of-christ-incredibly-moving/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [ That's what we \[outsiders\] feel America is really about - the kind of crazed ravings of the Christian right - when it's probably something… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/that-s-what-we-outsiders-feel-america-is-really-about-the-kind-of/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [“My relationship with my muse is a delicate one at the best of times and I feel that it is my duty to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/my-relationship-with-my-muse-is-a-delicate-one-at-the-best-of-times/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I'm kind of old-school and love nothing more than sitting, opening a book, and reading it. But I also love listening to audio books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-m-kind-of-old-school-and-love-nothing-more-than-sitting-opening-a/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [Early on I realized when you write a song about someone, it flatters them on some level, and gives you a lot of room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/early-on-i-realized-when-you-write-a-song-about-someone-it-flatters/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [My father was a teacher and my mother also worked in the school, so the family has a background in education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/my-father-was-a-teacher-and-my-mother-also-worked-in-the-school-so/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [I think it's an essential fact for any performer or artist to fail as poignantly as they can succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/i-think-it-s-an-essential-fact-for-any-performer-or-artist-to-fail-as/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [To my undying shame, I do read reviews. I don't read them all, but I like to get some kind of idea how things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/to-my-undying-shame-i-do-read-reviews-i-don-t-read-them-all-but-i/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [Brother, be a brother, fill this tiny cup of mine. And please, sir, make it whiskey: I have no head for wine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/brother-be-a-brother-fill-this-tiny-cup-of-mine-and-please-sir-make/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [When you've been initiated, you can stand in the world differently. And I think it is up to all of us, we can have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/when-you-ve-been-initiated-you-can-stand-in-the-world-differently-and/) [Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/) > [Polly Jean, I love you. I love the texture of your skin, the taste of your saliva, the softness of your ears. 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They worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-laurel/the-game-business-arose-from-computer-programs-that-were-written-by/) [Brenda Laurel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-laurel/) > [If I was a man, I would be a drag queen. Honestly, I would. I absolutely love it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scarlett-moffatt/if-i-was-a-man-i-would-be-a-drag-queen-honestly-i-would-i-absolutely/) [Scarlett Moffatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scarlett-moffatt/) > [There's very little about being in a functional-M.R.I. scanner that is natural: you are flat on your back, absolutely still, with your head immobilized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/there-s-very-little-about-being-in-a-functional-m-r-i-scanner-that-is/) [Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/) > [When you're still, and some actors are really brilliant at that, you bring a kind of energy to you as opposed to sending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/when-you-re-still-and-some-actors-are-really-brilliant-at-that-you/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [I'm absolutely an Elizabeth Taylor fan!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/i-m-absolutely-an-elizabeth-taylor-fan/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [You can absolutely be what you can't see! 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