--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was at UCLA, a professor there…" description: "\"When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to write, and so I looked into specializing in creative writing in the English Department. And thro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/randall-park-22568_actor_when-i-was-at-ucla-a-professor-there-enc_12183.jpg" --- # When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to… ![“When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to write, and so I looked into specializing in creative writing in the English Department. And through that, I started writing plays.” quote by Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/randall-park-22568_actor_when-i-was-at-ucla-a-professor-there-enc_12183.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/randall-park-22568_actor_when-i-was-at-ucla-a-professor-there-enc_12183.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ac/randall-park-22568_actor_when-i-was-at-ucla-a-professor-there-enc_12183.jpg) > “When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to write, and so I looked into specializing in creative writing in the English Department. And through that, I started writing plays.” [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. The speaker credits a professor's encouragement at UCLA for steering them toward creative writing, which led to a career in playwriting. **In simple terms:** Mentorship sparked a creative writing path. Key Takeaway Encouragement can pivot career direction. Themes Mentorship Creative Writing Career Development Education Artistic Exploration Mood Inspired Reflective Type Personal anecdote Career origin When to use this quote - College student seeking direction - Aspiring writer exploring majors - Individual discovering a passion for theater Key Concepts Influence of teachers Academic pathways Creative expression Practical Applications - Guidance counseling programs - Creative writing workshops Questions to Reflect On - How can mentors identify latent talents? - What role does academic environment play in artistic careers? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Creative writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-writing/) [English Department](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-department-370606/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Started Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-writing/) [Ucla Professor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ucla-professor-370607/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-plays/) ## Related quotes > [The reform of a college English department cuts no ice down at the corner garage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-reform-of-a-college-english-department-cuts-no-ice-down-at-the/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [It was difficult being a teacher and out of the closet in the '50s. By the time I retired, the English department was proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-gunn/it-was-difficult-being-a-teacher-and-out-of-the-closet-in-the-50s-by/) [Thom Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-gunn/) > [I think I succeeded as a writer because I did not come out of an English department. I used to write in the chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-think-i-succeeded-as-a-writer-because-i-did-not-come-out-of-an/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I had always written. I had written stories and poems. Then I started writing plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-had-always-written-i-had-written-stories-and-poems-then-i-started/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [When I was around eight, I learned how to touch-type at school, and I received a computer as a present. I started writing plays,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/when-i-was-around-eight-i-learned-how-to-touch-type-at-school-and-i/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [I started writing my own plays, and I would sell out, but after everything was said and done, I'd break even. That's being successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-michael-quezada/i-started-writing-my-own-plays-and-i-would-sell-out-but-after/) [Steven Michael Quezada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-michael-quezada/) > [I started writing plays in around 1967, and at a certain point, I thought, 'I'm writing plays, I should learn about acting and what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-started-writing-plays-in-around-1967-and-at-a-certain-point-i/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I started writing plays, but the fact that plays don't last forever was too much for me to bear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/i-started-writing-plays-but-the-fact-that-plays-don-t-last-forever/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [I majored in English with a specialization in creative writing along with Asian American Studies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-majored-in-english-with-a-specialization-in-creative-writing-along/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [I started writing in the '90s, so I was free to just have an eccentric career and not conform to some idea of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/i-started-writing-in-the-90s-so-i-was-free-to-just-have-an-eccentric/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [I always liked movies, so I started writing for Hollywood, but my day job was physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/i-always-liked-movies-so-i-started-writing-for-hollywood-but-my-day/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [When I first broke out, everyone was like, 'OK, so is this a joke?' They had to wait until I sold out shows before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yung-lean/when-i-first-broke-out-everyone-was-like-ok-so-is-this-a-joke-they/) [Yung Lean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yung-lean/) > [I always sang. I wanted to be in a band with my sister, and I was, at 11. At 12, I started writing seriously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyndi-lauper/i-always-sang-i-wanted-to-be-in-a-band-with-my-sister-and-i-was-at-11/) [Cyndi Lauper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyndi-lauper/) > [I started writing music around 20 years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-d/i-started-writing-music-around-20-years-old/) [J.I.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-d/) > [When I first started making music, it was learning other people's songs and putting them onto four-track. Like Beatles songs and stuff. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-ward/when-i-first-started-making-music-it-was-learning-other-people-s/) [M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-ward/) ## More by 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/) > [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.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/acting-just-didn-t-seem-like-a-viable-option-i-didn-t-have-any/) [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 Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was at UCLA, a professor there encouraged me to write, and so I looked into specializing in creative writing in the English Department. 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