--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I went to acting school, but only for…" description: "\"I went to acting school, but only for nine months. If you're an actor, you know, don't really need to learn how to do it.\" — Patrick Macnee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/patrick-macnee-27262_acting_i-went-to-acting-school-but-only-for-nin_1761443.jpg" --- # I went to acting school, but only for nine months. If… ![“I went to acting school, but only for nine months. If you're an actor, you know, don't really need to learn how to do it.” quote by Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/patrick-macnee-27262_acting_i-went-to-acting-school-but-only-for-nin_1761443.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/patrick-macnee-27262_acting_i-went-to-acting-school-but-only-for-nin_1761443.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93d/patrick-macnee-27262_acting_i-went-to-acting-school-but-only-for-nin_1761443.jpg) > “I went to acting school, but only for nine months. If you're an actor, you know, don't really need to learn how to do it.” [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Experience shows practical work often outweighs formal training for actors. **In simple terms:** Practice beats school for actors. Key Takeaway Focus on doing, not just learning. Themes acting experience learning practicality Mood reflective realistic Type advice personal When to use this quote - audition prep - stage performance - film set - improvisation Key Concepts skill acquisition on‑the‑job learning Questions to Reflect On - Do you rely more on experience or training? - How does practical work shape your craft? A Different Perspective Formal education may still provide valuable networks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-school/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Aggravation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aggravation/) [Nine months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nine-months/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I went to acting school, and I polished my dancing, but I didn't really learn how to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-kapoor/i-went-to-acting-school-and-i-polished-my-dancing-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Arjun Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-kapoor/) > [There's a whole catalogue of actors that never went to acting school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-farina/there-s-a-whole-catalogue-of-actors-that-never-went-to-acting-school/) [Dennis Farina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-farina/) > [I really had the best time on 'Mad Men.' It was a wonderful place for me, because I never went to an acting school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiernan-shipka/i-really-had-the-best-time-on-mad-men-it-was-a-wonderful-place-for-me/) [Kiernan Shipka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiernan-shipka/) > [I never went to acting school, so improv was my training. Just being quick on your feet helps in everyday life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-schwartz/i-never-went-to-acting-school-so-improv-was-my-training-just-being/) [Ben Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-schwartz/) > [I never went to acting school; when someone expounds on motivation and all that stuff, I don't understand it. I was just lucky to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-macmurray/i-never-went-to-acting-school-when-someone-expounds-on-motivation-and/) [Fred MacMurray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-macmurray/) > [I went to an acting school in Delhi after doing 15 films as a hero! I went there because I wanted to know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-morea/i-went-to-an-acting-school-in-delhi-after-doing-15-films-as-a-hero-i/) [Dino Morea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-morea/) > [I knew, starting in 10th grade, I wanted to be in theater and an actor. I went to acting school in Siberia, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrey-zvyagintsev/i-knew-starting-in-10th-grade-i-wanted-to-be-in-theater-and-an-actor/) [Andrey Zvyagintsev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrey-zvyagintsev/) > [I went to acting school for like a year and ended up doing voiceovers and stuff. I could have done a lot more with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mic-geronimo/i-went-to-acting-school-for-like-a-year-and-ended-up-doing-voiceovers/) [Mic Geronimo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mic-geronimo/) > [My background is a small town with no movie theater. So... I always pictured myself onstage. I went to acting school and learned all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franka-potente/my-background-is-a-small-town-with-no-movie-theater-so-i-always/) [Franka Potente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franka-potente/) > [I didn't go to film school, I went to acting school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-s-dutton/i-didn-t-go-to-film-school-i-went-to-acting-school/) [Charles S. Dutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-s-dutton/) > [I never went to acting school. I started in the circus, music hall, I was in a group, did kids' bits. I've always had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-graves/i-never-went-to-acting-school-i-started-in-the-circus-music-hall-i/) [Rupert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-graves/) > [I never went to school. I never went to acting school because I was so scared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-andress/i-never-went-to-school-i-never-went-to-acting-school-because-i-was-so/) [Ursula Andress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-andress/) > [I had spent my childhood making up adventures in my head. Then I realized when I went to acting school that there were adventures…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-marchand/i-had-spent-my-childhood-making-up-adventures-in-my-head-then-i/) [Nancy Marchand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-marchand/) > [It was always my intention to direct. I went to film school. And then I wanted to know how to work with actors, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benn-northover/it-was-always-my-intention-to-direct-i-went-to-film-school-and-then-i/) Benn Northover ## More by Patrick Macnee > [It doesn't work that way, you know, because most parts that you think you'd do well, most other people don't. So they offer you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/it-doesn-t-work-that-way-you-know-because-most-parts-that-you-think/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [They call it The New Avengers but it's really the old Avengers with new people except for me, looking rather fat and rather old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/they-call-it-the-new-avengers-but-it-s-really-the-old-avengers-with/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [These things don't just come, arrive and settle like a bird picking up a few bits of crumbs. They develop. I think the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/these-things-don-t-just-come-arrive-and-settle-like-a-bird-picking-up/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [But I did an awful lot of work in Hollywood, and in New York for that matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/but-i-did-an-awful-lot-of-work-in-hollywood-and-in-new-york-for-that/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [The only danger about websites, you know, is people who remember something you did or said thirty or forty years ago, and bring it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/the-only-danger-about-websites-you-know-is-people-who-remember/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [Until the year 1967, it was a crime, for which you could be put in prison, to make homosexual love to someone in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/until-the-year-1967-it-was-a-crime-for-which-you-could-be-put-in/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [I like most of the Humphrey Bogart movies because they had to act then, and they acted very well. Edward G. Robinson is probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-like-most-of-the-humphrey-bogart-movies-because-they-had-to-act/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [The radio even weren't allowed to say there was a Holocaust and people were being killed right, left and center in these terrible camps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/the-radio-even-weren-t-allowed-to-say-there-was-a-holocaust-and/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [The strange thing about the English character is that they understate everything. 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The most accomplished thing I've done is to have lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/accomplishment-is-such-a-patronizing-dangerous-word-isn-t-it-i-haven/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [And in the Second World War, you didn't just read about it in the newspapers because you weren't allowed to read it in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/and-in-the-second-world-war-you-didn-t-just-read-about-it-in-the/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) [Explore all 20 Patrick Macnee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) ## 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. 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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. 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