--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting just didn't seem like a viable…" description: "\"Acting just didn't seem like a viable option. I didn't have any connections in the industry, and I had little support from my family. Also, there just ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/randall-park-22568_acting_acting-just-didn-t-seem-like-a-viable-op_1113512.jpg" --- # Acting just didn't seem like a viable option. I didn't… ![“Acting just didn't seem like a viable option. I didn't have any connections in the industry, and I had little support from my family. Also, there just weren't a lot of Asian-Americans on TV or in the movies.” quote by Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/randall-park-22568_acting_acting-just-didn-t-seem-like-a-viable-op_1113512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/randall-park-22568_acting_acting-just-didn-t-seem-like-a-viable-op_1113512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5aa/randall-park-22568_acting_acting-just-didn-t-seem-like-a-viable-op_1113512.jpg) > “Acting just didn't seem like a viable option. I didn't have any connections in the industry, and I had little support from my family. Also, there just weren't a lot of Asian-Americans on TV or in the movies.” [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling excluded and unsupported can make a career path seem impossible, especially when representation is lacking. **In simple terms:** Lack of support and representation hinder ambition. Key Takeaway Seek mentors and build community despite obstacles. Themes representation determination career identity Mood determined reflective Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - audition preparation - networking events - online workshops - community theater - seeking mentorship Key Concepts social barriers self‑efficacy industry networks Questions to Reflect On - How can you create your own support network? - What steps can you take to increase visibility? A Different Perspective Even with support, success still requires personal resilience and skill development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-just/) [Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian/) [Asian Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian-americans/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Lot Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot-asian-2978452/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Option Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/option-didn-2978453/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [I think that's what we need more of: Asian-Americans on movie screens and TV screens where they're normalized. Where it's not about them being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/i-think-that-s-what-we-need-more-of-asian-americans-on-movie-screens/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [As a community, as a group of people as a society, Asian Americans have not always been visible, but we've always been present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamlyn-tomita/as-a-community-as-a-group-of-people-as-a-society-asian-americans-have/) [Tamlyn Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamlyn-tomita/) > [A generation has witnessed the fight for racial justice from the front lines: Asian Americans have been paying attention, and they are ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-wagner/a-generation-has-witnessed-the-fight-for-racial-justice-from-the/) [Alex Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-wagner/) > [Once there are more African Americans and Asian Americans behind the scenes as producers, writers, and directors, I think more inclusive casting will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-ari-parker/once-there-are-more-african-americans-and-asian-americans-behind-the/) [Nicole Ari Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-ari-parker/) > [I've always been very passionate about trying to have Asian-Americans or Asian faces be more prominent in mainstream media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/i-ve-always-been-very-passionate-about-trying-to-have-asian-americans/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [I started asking friends, my white friends around, I said, "What's something that you think all Asians have in common?" They almost always immediately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-tam/i-started-asking-friends-my-white-friends-around-i-said-what-s/) [Simon Tam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-tam/) > [Asian-Americans are fighting for space and fighting for visibility and for acceptance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nam/asian-americans-are-fighting-for-space-and-fighting-for-visibility/) [Eric Nam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nam/) > [Asian-Americans are still regarded as 'other' by many of their fellow-citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/asian-americans-are-still-regarded-as-other-by-many-of-their-fellow/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [You're talking to a guy that graduated from business school by the skin of his teeth, only to crash and burn at his first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simu-liu/you-re-talking-to-a-guy-that-graduated-from-business-school-by-the/) [Simu Liu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simu-liu/) > [There are a lot of communities within the Asian Pacific Islander umbrella that are predominantly more working-class or lower class, and those stories haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/there-are-a-lot-of-communities-within-the-asian-pacific-islander/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [Danny Chung in 'Veep' is a really unique, very anti-stereotypical role for an Asian-American actor, and being able to play that has been super…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/danny-chung-in-veep-is-a-really-unique-very-anti-stereotypical-role/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [For us as Asian-Americans, I think the bane of our existence is one stereotype - 'Sixteen Candles,' the Long Duk Dong character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-wu/for-us-as-asian-americans-i-think-the-bane-of-our-existence-is-one/) [Daniel Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-wu/) > [As Asian-Americans, the charge that is often lobbed against us is sort of the least original: the idea that somehow we're perpetual foreigners, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/as-asian-americans-the-charge-that-is-often-lobbed-against-us-is-sort/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [“the Afro-American experience, rejecting the false history, spurious logic, and expedient politics that collapse the situations of Afro-Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, and indigenous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-j-fields/the-afro-american-experience-rejecting-the-false-history-spurious/) [Barbara J. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-j-fields/) > [Asian-Americans often struggle to be good sons and daughters, but it's ultimately your life. In the end, you have to find what you want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/su-chin-pak/asian-americans-often-struggle-to-be-good-sons-and-daughters-but-it-s/) [Su-chin Pak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/su-chin-pak/) ## More by Randall Park > [When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to write, and so I looked into specializing in creative writing in the English…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/when-i-was-at-ucla-a-professor-there-encouraged-me-to-write-and-so-i/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I remember, as a kid, I loved kimchi. It wasn't weird to me at all because it was in our house all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-remember-as-a-kid-i-loved-kimchi-it-wasn-t-weird-to-me-at-all/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I ended up going into the Master's program for Asian-American studies at UCLA, in part because I was passionate about it, but also because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-ended-up-going-into-the-master-s-program-for-asian-american-studies/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [People would call me Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan or whatever popular martial artist there was at that time. I also remember the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/people-would-call-me-bruce-lee-or-jackie-chan-or-whatever-popular/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [Early on, when I first started acting professionally, it was really important for me to get my parents on board, because they were so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/early-on-when-i-first-started-acting-professionally-it-was-really/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [Danny Chung in 'Veep' is a really unique, very anti-stereotypical role for an Asian-American actor, and being able to play that has been super…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/danny-chung-in-veep-is-a-really-unique-very-anti-stereotypical-role/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [People really liked my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/people-really-liked-my-dad/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [There are a lot of communities within the Asian Pacific Islander umbrella that are predominantly more working-class or lower class, and those stories haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/there-are-a-lot-of-communities-within-the-asian-pacific-islander/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I pretty much ate everything that I like and I've always wanted to eat and I just didn't hold myself back and it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-pretty-much-ate-everything-that-i-like-and-i-ve-always-wanted-to/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [For network TV, you obviously have to appeal to a wide viewership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/for-network-tv-you-obviously-have-to-appeal-to-a-wide-viewership/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I remember in the '70s or the early '80s, there were a lot of viewpoints represented on TV. And I don't know what happened.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-remember-in-the-70s-or-the-early-80s-there-were-a-lot-of-viewpoints/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [Sometimes I have no choice but to wear my hair and I try to make it look as normal as possible, but no, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/sometimes-i-have-no-choice-but-to-wear-my-hair-and-i-try-to-make-it/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I always feel that comedy, at its best, tackles issues that are controversial, polarizing, volatile, and sheds light onto those issues and the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-always-feel-that-comedy-at-its-best-tackles-issues-that-are/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [There's one stereotype in the industry that Asian people aren't funny, I've heard that over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/there-s-one-stereotype-in-the-industry-that-asian-people-aren-t-funny/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [There were so few examples of Asian or Asian-American lead characters on American TV or even in the movies. And the ones that have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/there-were-so-few-examples-of-asian-or-asian-american-lead-characters/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) [Explore all 27 Randall Park quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) ## 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. 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": "Acting just didn't seem like a viable option. I didn't have any connections in the industry, and I had little support from my family. 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