--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I found at this point that effective…" description: "\"I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects, that I wanted, as it were, to leave an impr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png" --- # I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I… ![“I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects, that I wanted, as it were, to leave an impression of a particular kind of human being.” quote by Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png) > “I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects, that I wanted, as it were, to leave an impression of a particular kind of human being.” [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He realized acting should convey a true human essence rather than create artificial effects. **In simple terms:** Acting should reflect genuine humanity. Key Takeaway Focus on authentic expression. Themes authenticity performance human nature Mood reflective introspective Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - theatre - film auditions - personal storytelling Key Concepts method acting character immersion Questions to Reflect On - How can you convey genuine humanity in performance? - What sacrifices does authenticity demand? A Different Perspective True authenticity may be hard to achieve under commercial pressures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) ## Related quotes > [I really think that effective acting has to do literally with the movement of molecules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-really-think-that-effective-acting-has-to-do-literally-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its Not How Long You Spend With The Person. But, The Memories You Created With Them, That Will Leave An Impression On Their Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-not-how-long-you-spend-with-the-person-but-the-memories-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And he said... ...fall on your face and you will leave an impression that people will not forget.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-t-hincks/and-he-said-fall-on-your-face-and-you-will-leave-an-impression-that/) [Anthony T. Hincks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-t-hincks/) > [Sometimes people can't see past us to hear our message. We never have a second chance to leave a first impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-r-swindoll/sometimes-people-can-t-see-past-us-to-hear-our-message-we-never-have/) [Charles R. Swindoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-r-swindoll/) > [I would not want to leave the impression that I would give some precedents more weight than others because of some sort of academic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-coney-barrett/i-would-not-want-to-leave-the-impression-that-i-would-give-some/) [Amy Coney Barrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-coney-barrett/) > [I will leave an impression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puff-daddy/i-will-leave-an-impression/) [Puff Daddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puff-daddy/) > [“You never leave yourself as an impression upon the world. The world always leaves its impression upon your silence. This is how we travel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lujan-matus/you-never-leave-yourself-as-an-impression-upon-the-world-the-world/) [Lujan Matus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lujan-matus/) > [The only characters I ever don't like are ones that leave no impression on me. And I don't write characters that leave no impression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-destefano/the-only-characters-i-ever-don-t-like-are-ones-that-leave-no/) [Lauren DeStefano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-destefano/) > [Always look nice because you never know who you'll run into that you have to leave an impression on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-yee/always-look-nice-because-you-never-know-who-you-ll-run-into-that-you/) [Angela Yee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-yee/) > [One of the things I love about the theater is that no one can tell you to stop. Once you're onstage, it's three hours,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carey-mulligan/one-of-the-things-i-love-about-the-theater-is-that-no-one-can-tell/) [Carey Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carey-mulligan/) > [I realized that acting was something I wasn't going to be lazy about. You feel good when you do it well. It is something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-elliott/i-realized-that-acting-was-something-i-wasn-t-going-to-be-lazy-about/) [Alison Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-elliott/) > [Acting wasn't some long-held dream, and it still isn't, really. I'm just trying to make some money and pay the bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/acting-wasn-t-some-long-held-dream-and-it-still-isn-t-really-i-m-just/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) > [I've always been business-minded. I worked in corporate America before becoming an actress and knew that acting wasn't the end but a means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-longoria/i-ve-always-been-business-minded-i-worked-in-corporate-america-before/) [Eva Longoria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-longoria/) > [Knowing that my granddad was a highly respected actor wasn't necessarily intimidating, but it definitely meant there was always a pressure to live up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-r-mcqueen/knowing-that-my-granddad-was-a-highly-respected-actor-wasn-t/) [Steven R. McQueen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-r-mcqueen/) > [Music was my first love; acting was something that wasn't important to me early on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-kulig/music-was-my-first-love-acting-was-something-that-wasn-t-important-to/) [Joanna Kulig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-kulig/) ## More by Paul Scofield > [As you get older, the more you know, so the more nervous you become. The risks are much bigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/as-you-get-older-the-more-you-know-so-the-more-nervous-you-become-the/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [What these books have conclusively proven is that the diffence between men and women is exactly 38 pages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/what-these-books-have-conclusively-proven-is-that-the-diffence/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [Oh, I suppose my wife and I will open a bottle of champagne with another couple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/oh-i-suppose-my-wife-and-i-will-open-a-bottle-of-champagne-with/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [It isn't difficult to leave King Lear or Macbeth, but once you have gone back to yourself, you want it to be the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/it-isn-t-difficult-to-leave-king-lear-or-macbeth-but-once-you-have/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [Sixty-four thousand dollars for a question, I hope they are asking you the meaning of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/sixty-four-thousand-dollars-for-a-question-i-hope-they-are-asking-you/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [I decided a long time ago I didn't want to be a star personality and live my life out in public. I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-decided-a-long-time-ago-i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-star-personality-and/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [I should in fairness add that my taste in music is reputedly deplorable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-should-in-fairness-add-that-my-taste-in-music-is-reputedly/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [A book is worth a few francs; we Germans can afford to destroy those. We all may not appreciate artistic merit, but cash value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/a-book-is-worth-a-few-francs-we-germans-can-afford-to-destroy-those/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [Cheating on a quiz show? That's sort of like plagiarizing a comic strip.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/cheating-on-a-quiz-show-that-s-sort-of-like-plagiarizing-a-comic-strip/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [The Actor should make you forget the existence of author and director, and even forget the actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/the-actor-should-make-you-forget-the-existence-of-author-and-director/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [A painting means as much to you as a string of pearls to an ape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/a-painting-means-as-much-to-you-as-a-string-of-pearls-to-an-ape/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [King Lear is undoubtedly the greatest play ever written by Shakespeare — or anybody else for that matter. Hamlet is certainly great, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/king-lear-is-undoubtedly-the-greatest-play-ever-written-by/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) > [Privacy is not negotiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/privacy-is-not-negotiable/) [Paul Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) [Explore all 14 Paul Scofield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/) ## 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 > [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. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/) [Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects, that I wanted, as it were, to leave an impression of a particular kind of human being.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Scofield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-acting-wasn-t-what-i-wanted-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-acting-wasn-t-what-i-wanted-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/053/paul-scofield-34735_acting_i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-act_457971.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I found at this point that effective acting wasn't what I wanted to do, that I didn't want to make effects…” — Paul Scofield", "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": "Paul Scofield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-scofield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I found at this point that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-acting-wasn-t-what-i-wanted-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-scofield/i-found-at-this-point-that-effective-acting-wasn-t-what-i-wanted-to/#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 } } ] } ```