--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I loved being on stage, but I told myself…" description: "\"I loved being on stage, but I told myself that if I didn't get into RADA, I wouldn't pursue an acting career. I did get in, though, and that was that.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/oona-chaplin-35088_acting_i-loved-being-on-stage-but-i-told-myself_1041147.jpg" --- # I loved being on stage, but I told myself that if I didn't… ![“I loved being on stage, but I told myself that if I didn't get into RADA, I wouldn't pursue an acting career. I did get in, though, and that was that.” quote by Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/oona-chaplin-35088_acting_i-loved-being-on-stage-but-i-told-myself_1041147.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/oona-chaplin-35088_acting_i-loved-being-on-stage-but-i-told-myself_1041147.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d7/oona-chaplin-35088_acting_i-loved-being-on-stage-but-i-told-myself_1041147.jpg) > “I loved being on stage, but I told myself that if I didn't get into RADA, I wouldn't pursue an acting career. I did get in, though, and that was that.” [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor sets a strict condition for pursuing a career, and once achieved, removes the self‑imposed limit **In simple terms:** Setting a condition motivated success, then the condition became irrelevant Key Takeaway Set goals, then let success guide you Themes determination career self‑belief risk artistic pursuit Mood inspired optimistic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - audition preparation - acting school - creative projects - career pivots Key Concepts goal‑setting confidence career development Questions to Reflect On - What limits do you set for yourself? - When should you drop a condition? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on conditional thinking can hinder flexibility ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-career/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue/) [Pursue Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursue-acting/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Stage Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage-told-2288211/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Though](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/though/) [Wouldn Pursue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wouldn-pursue-2435128/) ## Related quotes > [I moved here to California when I was 13 to pursue my acting career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-milian/i-moved-here-to-california-when-i-was-13-to-pursue-my-acting-career/) [Christina Milian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-milian/) > [It was only when I realized how actors have the power to move people that I decided to pursue acting as a career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/it-was-only-when-i-realized-how-actors-have-the-power-to-move-people/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [I moved with my mom to Los Angeles for her to pursue her acting career, and she got a job casting atmosphere in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ian-nicholas/i-moved-with-my-mom-to-los-angeles-for-her-to-pursue-her-acting/) [Thomas Ian Nicholas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ian-nicholas/) > [One day, when I'm unable to physically perform, would I want to pursue more of an acting career? 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I take it very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilie-de-ravin/i-want-to-pursue-as-much-of-a-serious-acting-career-as-i-can-not-just/) [Emilie De Ravin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilie-de-ravin/) > [Given that Chiru also comes from a family which is closely associated with the film industry, I know I will get more support from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghana-raj/given-that-chiru-also-comes-from-a-family-which-is-closely-associated/) [Meghana Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghana-raj/) > [I decided to pursue an acting career after having had an incredible experience working on a play in high school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pawel-szajda/i-decided-to-pursue-an-acting-career-after-having-had-an-incredible/) [Pawel Szajda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pawel-szajda/) > [I started taking lessons in third grade because I thought it was a fun thing to do. Through my acting teacher, I got my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-gilman/i-started-taking-lessons-in-third-grade-because-i-thought-it-was-a/) [Jared Gilman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-gilman/) > [That's not what people pay for. They pay to come see us play live, create magic on stage, not to be told how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dolmayan/that-s-not-what-people-pay-for-they-pay-to-come-see-us-play-live/) [John Dolmayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dolmayan/) > [It always bothered me when people came off stage and were told how great they were. They weren't, really, in my opinion. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/it-always-bothered-me-when-people-came-off-stage-and-were-told-how/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [When I met her she was Anna Mae. I was the one who turned her into Tina Turner. I had to tell her how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ike-turner/when-i-met-her-she-was-anna-mae-i-was-the-one-who-turned-her-into/) [Ike Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ike-turner/) > [When I was in high school, my parents had this power over me - if I ever lied or got caught doing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-byrd/when-i-was-in-high-school-my-parents-had-this-power-over-me-if-i-ever/) [Dan Byrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-byrd/) > [I went to UCLA as pre-med. When I was there my freshman year, I auditioned for a play and got it, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-gubelmann/i-went-to-ucla-as-pre-med-when-i-was-there-my-freshman-year-i/) [Fiona Gubelmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-gubelmann/) ## More by Oona Chaplin > [My mother doesn't have much of a social life with other A-list people. Which in a way I'm very grateful for, because if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/my-mother-doesn-t-have-much-of-a-social-life-with-other-a-list-people/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [I have to go through auditions, and my surname has got me into rooms, but I'll never know if it gets me any jobs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/i-have-to-go-through-auditions-and-my-surname-has-got-me-into-rooms/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [I love boxing. I box in a local boxing gym in London. I usually spar. 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It actually exceeded my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/watching-yourself-on-screen-is-always-a-little-weird-but-i-didn-t/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [My grandmother died in 1991 and I was born in '86. We only met once, but I didn't speak English and she didn't speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/my-grandmother-died-in-1991-and-i-was-born-in-86-we-only-met-once-but/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [People think that I can just walk into a room and get a job, but of the 200 interviews and auditions I go through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/people-think-that-i-can-just-walk-into-a-room-and-get-a-job-but-of/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [I'm part Cuban, so anything with a good beat like Rumberos de Cuba gets me going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/i-m-part-cuban-so-anything-with-a-good-beat-like-rumberos-de-cuba/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [I'm a big fan of David Attenborough, who I think is the most adventurous of the nature program presenters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/i-m-a-big-fan-of-david-attenborough-who-i-think-is-the-most/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [As I don't know what life would be like without my Chaplin connections, I work with them. I'm just really happy it's a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/as-i-don-t-know-what-life-would-be-like-without-my-chaplin/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) > [I don't buy things now, I buy plane tickets. The only thing I want is to make enough money to be able to travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oona-chaplin/i-don-t-buy-things-now-i-buy-plane-tickets-the-only-thing-i-want-is/) [Oona Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) [Explore all 13 Oona Chaplin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oona-chaplin/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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. 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