---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not able to work anymore as an actor…"
description: "\"I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to... you start to lose your memory. You start to lose your confidence. Yo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/paul-newman-2526_confidence_i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor_453586.png"
---

#  I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the…

![“I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to... you start to lose your memory. You start to lose your confidence. You start to lose your invention. So, that's pretty much a closed book for me.” quote by Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/paul-newman-2526_confidence_i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor_453586.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/paul-newman-2526_confidence_i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor_453586.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/448/paul-newman-2526_confidence_i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor_453586.png)

> “I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to... you start to lose your memory. You start to lose your confidence. You start to lose your invention. So, that's pretty much a closed book for me.”

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aging erodes memory, confidence, and creativity, making an artist feel like their abilities are gone.

**In simple terms:** Aging can diminish an artist’s skills and confidence.

Key Takeaway

Accept change and seek new ways to express yourself.

Themes

aging self-doubt creativity career identity

Mood

reflective melancholic hopeful

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- acting career
- personal reinvention
- teaching
- writing
- directing

Key Concepts

neurodegeneration self-efficacy artistic identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you channel past experience into new roles?
- What non‑acting avenues can fulfill your creative drive?

A Different Perspective

Even with loss, experience can guide new contributions.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [Well, I'm not able to work anymore as an actor and still at the level I would want to ... you start to lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/well-i-m-not-able-to-work-anymore-as-an-actor-and-still-at-the-level/)

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> [“So that’s it.” “Pretty much.” He closed his eyes. “Unless you let me kill him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thea-harrison/so-that-s-it-pretty-much-he-closed-his-eyes-unless-you-let-me-kill-him/)

[Thea Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thea-harrison/)

> [“To lose your memory is not just to lose everything you have. It's to lose everything you are. It's to lose your very self.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-pitts-jr/to-lose-your-memory-is-not-just-to-lose-everything-you-have-it-s-to/)

[Leonard Pitts Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-pitts-jr/)

> [I hope that memory is valued - that we do not lose memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/i-hope-that-memory-is-valued-that-we-do-not-lose-memory/)

[Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/)

> [Database: the information you lose when your memory crashes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/database-the-information-you-lose-when-your-memory-crashes/)

[Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/)

> [The only time I lose is when it's my memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chamillionaire/the-only-time-i-lose-is-when-it-s-my-memory/)

[Chamillionaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chamillionaire/)

> [“So couples relive romantic memories, families watch home movies, and friends "catch up" with each other, as if they've lagged behind on a trail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ackerman/so-couples-relive-romantic-memories-families-watch-home-movies-and/)

[Diane Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ackerman/)

> [When you lose someone, their memory lives on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-matthews/when-you-lose-someone-their-memory-lives-on/)

[Spencer Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-matthews/)

> [They say you lose your memory as you grow older. I say 'forget about the past' and live life to the fullest today. Start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/they-say-you-lose-your-memory-as-you-grow-older-i-say-forget-about/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If we lose our memory, we lose ourselves. Forgetting is one of the symptoms of death. Without memory we cease to be human beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-klima/if-we-lose-our-memory-we-lose-ourselves-forgetting-is-one-of-the/)

[Ivan Klíma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-klima/)

> [If we lose our culture, we lose our memory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/if-we-lose-our-culture-we-lose-our-memory/)

[Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/)

> [Where would dictators be without our compliant amnesia? Make the collective lose its memory, you can conceal anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/where-would-dictators-be-without-our-compliant-amnesia-make-the/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [You have to begin to lose your memory, if only in bits and pieces, to realize that memory is what makes our lives. Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-bunuel/you-have-to-begin-to-lose-your-memory-if-only-in-bits-and-pieces-to/)

[Luis Buñuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-bunuel/)

> [We may lose our memory as we get older, but this might not be such a bad thing - who wants to drag a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leunig/we-may-lose-our-memory-as-we-get-older-but-this-might-not-be-such-a/)

[Michael Leunig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leunig/)

> [I always thought if I photographed anyone or anything enough, I would never lose the person, I would never lose the memory, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-always-thought-if-i-photographed-anyone-or-anything-enough-i-would/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

## More by Paul Newman

> [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [An actor has to evaluate his own abilities and be honest with himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/an-actor-has-to-evaluate-his-own-abilities-and-be-honest-with-himself/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [When the idea came up, (Newman's Own) I said, "Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?" And then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-the-idea-came-up-newman-s-own-i-said-are-you-crazy-stick-my-face/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [When you see the right thing to do, you'd better do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-you-see-the-right-thing-to-do-you-d-better-do-it/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [In racing, the fastest person wins. It is very simple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/in-racing-the-fastest-person-wins-it-is-very-simple/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I never ask my wife about my flaws. Instead I try to get her to ignore them and concentrate on my sense of humor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-never-ask-my-wife-about-my-flaws-instead-i-try-to-get-her-to-ignore/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I would like it if people would think that beyond Newman, there's a spirit that takes action, a heart, and a talent that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-would-like-it-if-people-would-think-that-beyond-newman-there-s-a/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [What we got here is a failure to communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/what-we-got-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [Newman's first law: It is useless to put on your brakes when you're upside down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/newman-s-first-law-it-is-useless-to-put-on-your-brakes-when-you-re/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [A feud should live a full and colorful life, and then it should die a natural death and be forgotten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/a-feud-should-live-a-full-and-colorful-life-and-then-it-should-die-a/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [People like to do what they used to do after they've stopped being able to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/people-like-to-do-what-they-used-to-do-after-they-ve-stopped-being/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [We've polluted the stratosphere with these chlorine and bromine compounds, and because it's now colder, and because we have this change in the climate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/we-ve-polluted-the-stratosphere-with-these-chlorine-and-bromine/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I am convinced that a person is entitled to as much privacy as he wants. It should be his privilege to keep certain areas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-am-convinced-that-a-person-is-entitled-to-as-much-privacy-as-he/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [For some players, luck itself is an art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/for-some-players-luck-itself-is-an-art/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [I can eat fifty eggs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/i-can-eat-fifty-eggs/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

[Explore all 162 Paul Newman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

## More Confidence quotes

> [The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/the-cia-has-concluded-in-a-secret-assessment-that-russia-intervened/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [I was just confident my work was good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bunny-yeager/i-was-just-confident-my-work-was-good/)

[Bunny Yeager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bunny-yeager/)

> [I am confident when I take the penalty otherwise I would pass for somebody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-fernandes/i-am-confident-when-i-take-the-penalty-otherwise-i-would-pass-for/)

[Bruno Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-fernandes/)

> [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [My friend made me a leather dress for the MTV awards. It gives you confidence, wearing something you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-deeley/my-friend-made-me-a-leather-dress-for-the-mtv-awards-it-gives-you/)

[Cat Deeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-deeley/)

> [Confidence comes from cutting yourself some slack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-daly/confidence-comes-from-cutting-yourself-some-slack/)

[Tess Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-daly/)

> [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/)

[Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/)

> [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/)

[Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/)

> [Get to know yourself well enough to not only expect, but also control, your response to the unexpected challenges in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/get-to-know-yourself-well-enough-to-not-only-expect-but-also-control/)

Senoraroy

> [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [I look for someone who has confidence. Also someone whose energetic, cause I'm NOT that energetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-jonas/i-look-for-someone-who-has-confidence-also-someone-whose-energetic/)

[Nick Jonas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-jonas/)

> [Why shouldn't I be confident? I'm well educated, I can deliver a line, and I have more than three expressions. That's good right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/why-shouldn-t-i-be-confident-i-m-well-educated-i-can-deliver-a-line/)

[Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/)

> [I was very confident on the stage, and I stood out in a red gown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-johnson/i-was-very-confident-on-the-stage-and-i-stood-out-in-a-red-gown/)

[Nicole Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-johnson/)

> [If you go to any nunnery and ask them what the main obstacle is, they'll always say low self-esteem and lack of confidence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/if-you-go-to-any-nunnery-and-ask-them-what-the-main-obstacle-is-they/)

[Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/)

[Browse all 11,290 Confidence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/)

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