--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I thought people would think I only…" description: "\"I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor because my dad was, rather than because I had an innate calling.\" — Nina Conti" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png" --- # I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor… ![“I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor because my dad was, rather than because I had an innate calling.” quote by Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png) > “I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor because my dad was, rather than because I had an innate calling.” [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She reflects on doubts about her motivations, fearing others think her career is nepotistic rather than driven by genuine passion. **In simple terms:** She worries people think she got the job because of her dad, not her own desire. Key Takeaway Acknowledge external perceptions but stay true to personal calling. Themes identity career family perception authenticity Mood reflective determined Type personal motivational When to use this quote - audition preparation - career counseling - family discussions - personal branding Key Concepts nepotism self‑determination public image Questions to Reflect On - How do you differentiate between inherited advantage and personal passion? - What steps can you take to prove your own merit? A Different Perspective Perceptions can be changed by consistent performance and transparency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-dad-997942/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/calling/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dad Innate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad-innate-4959739/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Innate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innate/) [Innate Calling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innate-calling-4959740/) [My dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-dad/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-think/) [Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rather/) [Than](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/than/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-actor/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [I never wanted to be an actor. My dad was an actor, and he never brought joy home, so I didn't view it as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lawrence/i-never-wanted-to-be-an-actor-my-dad-was-an-actor-and-he-never/) [Jennifer Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lawrence/) > [You have to succeed as a young actor, then as a dad actor, those would be my 'Harvey Moon' years, then as an old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-cranham/you-have-to-succeed-as-a-young-actor-then-as-a-dad-actor-those-would/) [Kenneth Cranham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-cranham/) > [I decided in my late teens that I wanted to be an actor, and my dad and I agreed that films were better. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadanobu-asano/i-decided-in-my-late-teens-that-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-and-my-dad/) [Tadanobu Asano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadanobu-asano/) > [My dad had been an actor... not only had my dad been an actor, but his dad had been an actor, and my great-grandfather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hyde-pierce/my-dad-had-been-an-actor-not-only-had-my-dad-been-an-actor-but-his/) [David Hyde Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hyde-pierce/) > [I thought I could never be the actor Dad was, so I avoided it for a while.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/i-thought-i-could-never-be-the-actor-dad-was-so-i-avoided-it-for-a/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [After my last divorce, I said I was absolutely going to marry somebody in another field, an aid worker or something. Then I met…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/after-my-last-divorce-i-said-i-was-absolutely-going-to-marry-somebody/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [I don't know why people feel the need to do this to me, but my friend asked my dad, 'Aren't your proud of Jimmy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/i-don-t-know-why-people-feel-the-need-to-do-this-to-me-but-my-friend/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) > [My uncle is an actor, my dad is a producer, so they asked me if I was interested, and I was like, 'How can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabhas/my-uncle-is-an-actor-my-dad-is-a-producer-so-they-asked-me-if-i-was/) [Prabhas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabhas/) > [I come from Nova Scotia, and I'd never seen a theater or been inside of a theater. When I was 17, my dad asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-come-from-nova-scotia-and-i-d-never-seen-a-theater-or-been-inside/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [Originally, I think, I wanted to be an actor. But I got into broadcasting by accident, if you will, because I needed money to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-trebek/originally-i-think-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-but-i-got-into/) [Alex Trebek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-trebek/) > [I never wanted to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-bloodgood/i-never-wanted-to-be-an-actor/) [Moon Bloodgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-bloodgood/) > [I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years-old/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I wasn't sure I wanted to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-duris/i-wasn-t-sure-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor/) [Romain Duris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-duris/) > [Well, I knew I wanted to be an actor, and I didn't necessarily need or want to be famous or a celebrity actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-fischer/well-i-knew-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-and-i-didn-t-necessarily-need-or/) [Jenna Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-fischer/) > [It wasn't easy at all for a qualified engineer to take the decision of giving it up, leave Punjab and try to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonu-sood/it-wasn-t-easy-at-all-for-a-qualified-engineer-to-take-the-decision/) [Sonu Sood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonu-sood/) ## More by Nina Conti > [The character of the monkey just grew from something out of his face and my granddad's personality. They fused, and that's what I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/the-character-of-the-monkey-just-grew-from-something-out-of-his-face/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I like my squishy, red, high-heeled Vivienne Westwood jelly shoes. They make you seem like you're much more of a go-er.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-like-my-squishy-red-high-heeled-vivienne-westwood-jelly-shoes-they/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [If I have a gig in the evening, I get 'the doom' at about 5 P.M., when I think I'm getting flu.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/if-i-have-a-gig-in-the-evening-i-get-the-doom-at-about-5-p-m-when-i/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [With acting, I always felt like I didn't have control of it. It was all about other people giving me a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/with-acting-i-always-felt-like-i-didn-t-have-control-of-it-it-was-all/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [My puppets are far more liberated than I am. Ventriloquism is a useful way of expressing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/my-puppets-are-far-more-liberated-than-i-am-ventriloquism-is-a-useful/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I make napkins talk in restaurants, socks talk on car journeys. There is an awful lot of puppetry going on in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-make-napkins-talk-in-restaurants-socks-talk-on-car-journeys-there/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I will remember the night I won the New Comedy Awards, as I was young and unformed, so that sticks in the mind. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-will-remember-the-night-i-won-the-new-comedy-awards-as-i-was-young/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I've started running three or four times a week, which prompts millions of sketch ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-ve-started-running-three-or-four-times-a-week-which-prompts/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I was really awful at auditions. There's something about sitting down and saying into the camera: 'I'm Nina and this is the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-was-really-awful-at-auditions-there-s-something-about-sitting-down/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I don't want to tie myself into one area or the other. I think its important not to rely heavily on either TV or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-don-t-want-to-tie-myself-into-one-area-or-the-other-i-think-its/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I feel Scottish when with English people, and when I'm with Scottish people, I realise I'm English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-feel-scottish-when-with-english-people-and-when-i-m-with-scottish/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [The most satisfaction I get is from doing a good gig, which really makes you feel in control. If you've worked a room really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/the-most-satisfaction-i-get-is-from-doing-a-good-gig-which-really/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [I could never be on stage on my own. But puppets can say things that humans can't say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-could-never-be-on-stage-on-my-own-but-puppets-can-say-things-that/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [If I'm on my own, I'll speak to 'Monkey' to generate new stuff for the act. I mean, I don't do it for moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/if-i-m-on-my-own-i-ll-speak-to-monkey-to-generate-new-stuff-for-the/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) > [Having a puppet is a way of having opposing opinions - I say a thing; he says the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/having-a-puppet-is-a-way-of-having-opposing-opinions-i-say-a-thing-he/) [Nina Conti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) [Explore all 31 Nina Conti quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/) ## 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. 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor because my dad was, rather than because I had an innate calling.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nina Conti" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-my/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-my/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0c/nina-conti-20332_actor_i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-want_1408971.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I thought people would think I only wanted to be an actor because my dad was, rather than because I had an…” — Nina Conti", "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": "Nina Conti", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-conti/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I thought people would think I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-my/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-conti/i-thought-people-would-think-i-only-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-my/#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 } } ] } ```