--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's upsetting that it is such a big…" description: "\"It's upsetting that it is such a big deal. I wish it weren't an issue all the time. It's funny that people say it's a departure, because I've been acti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/randy-harrison-19221_acting_it-s-upsetting-that-it-is-such-a-big-dea_1309223.jpg" --- # It's upsetting that it is such a big deal. I wish it… ![“It's upsetting that it is such a big deal. I wish it weren't an issue all the time. It's funny that people say it's a departure, because I've been acting since I was a child. I've played three gay roles out of hundreds.” quote by Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/randy-harrison-19221_acting_it-s-upsetting-that-it-is-such-a-big-dea_1309223.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/randy-harrison-19221_acting_it-s-upsetting-that-it-is-such-a-big-dea_1309223.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b9e/randy-harrison-19221_acting_it-s-upsetting-that-it-is-such-a-big-dea_1309223.jpg) > “It's upsetting that it is such a big deal. I wish it weren't an issue all the time. It's funny that people say it's a departure, because I've been acting since I was a child. I've played three gay roles out of hundreds.” [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) ## 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 feels frustration that a personal issue is exaggerated and wishes it were less prominent, noting they have long acted in similar roles without controversy. **In simple terms:** Frustration over being made a big deal of a personal matter. Key Takeaway Accept the issue, seek perspective. Themes identity public perception career self‑acceptance Mood reflective concerned Type personal analytical When to use this quote - acting career - public interviews - self‑reflection - media analysis Key Concepts typecasting media scrutiny personal narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does public perception shape personal identity? - What steps can reduce undue focus on personal matters? A Different Perspective The issue may be rooted in broader societal biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/) ## Related quotes > [I'm certainly not going to tell other people what they should do with their own personal lives. I think it's certainly easier for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-waters/i-m-certainly-not-going-to-tell-other-people-what-they-should-do-with/) [John Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-waters/) > [I think as far as straight actors playing gay roles, "Brokeback Mountain" was a big breakthrough. I'm pretty sure when they were casting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/i-think-as-far-as-straight-actors-playing-gay-roles-brokeback/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [I'm wildly impressed with the diversity of gay roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-patrick-harris/i-m-wildly-impressed-with-the-diversity-of-gay-roles/) [Neil Patrick Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-patrick-harris/) > [So the fact that a lot of straight men have gone on to play iconic gay roles and to be lauded for that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-bailey/so-the-fact-that-a-lot-of-straight-men-have-gone-on-to-play-iconic/) [Jonathan Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-bailey/) > [The 'Family Ties' role was the first of many gay roles that I've ended up playing. I remember that I made them laugh, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-azaria/the-family-ties-role-was-the-first-of-many-gay-roles-that-i-ve-ended/) [Hank Azaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-azaria/) > [When I was in high school, there weren't a lot of out gay actors playing gay roles. I didn't see myself represented truthfully in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-dorfman/when-i-was-in-high-school-there-weren-t-a-lot-of-out-gay-actors/) [Tommy Dorfman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-dorfman/) > [A lot of straight actors are actively searching for gay roles because it is something different to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-everett/a-lot-of-straight-actors-are-actively-searching-for-gay-roles-because/) [Rupert Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-everett/) > [I don't mind playing gay because there's a whole plethora of gay roles out there, but if I get asked to play one more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/i-don-t-mind-playing-gay-because-there-s-a-whole-plethora-of-gay/) [Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/) > [I like the fact that it's like The Ramones. You just have to change your name, and you're a Ramone. You just have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-like-the-fact-that-it-s-like-the-ramones-you-just-have-to-change/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [Being a young actor in the industry, I had a lot of people who strongly advised me to stay quiet. That was hard to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-amboyer/being-a-young-actor-in-the-industry-i-had-a-lot-of-people-who/) [Dan Amboyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-amboyer/) > [People think they know who I am, because I've played so many very, very out gay men on stage, and they think that's me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-lane/people-think-they-know-who-i-am-because-i-ve-played-so-many-very-very/) [Nathan Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-lane/) > [I don't think there is a guy that played more gay characters than I have done in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-banderas/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-guy-that-played-more-gay-characters-than-i/) [Antonio Banderas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-banderas/) > [I had a friend write me that our music was being played at Gay Pride in New York, which is a big compliment. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-nettles/i-had-a-friend-write-me-that-our-music-was-being-played-at-gay-pride/) [Jennifer Nettles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-nettles/) > [I had played many gay characters before, but they were finite - guest characters in TV shows or characters in plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-mccormack/i-had-played-many-gay-characters-before-but-they-were-finite-guest/) [Eric McCormack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-mccormack/) > [I've played gay, and I've played straight... I'm proud to be a gay man myself, and I'm thrilled to get the opportunity to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arden/i-ve-played-gay-and-i-ve-played-straight-i-m-proud-to-be-a-gay-man/) [Michael Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arden/) ## More by Randy Harrison > [I guess I had a suspicion of it my entire life without knowing exactly what it was - knowing that there was something different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-guess-i-had-a-suspicion-of-it-my-entire-life-without-knowing/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I just don't think that I could be the kind of actor I want to be and not be honest with myself. Honesty is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-just-don-t-think-that-i-could-be-the-kind-of-actor-i-want-to-be-and/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I wasn't being bullied at school at this point. I had a group of friends, and I was isolated because I wasn't communicating with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-wasn-t-being-bullied-at-school-at-this-point-i-had-a-group-of/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I actually have more respect for people who are in the closet. You end up exposing so much of yourself because you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-actually-have-more-respect-for-people-who-are-in-the-closet-you-end/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I wasn't dating anyone. I was hyper-focused on acting. So I didn't bring a guy to the prom. I was the lone gay person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-wasn-t-dating-anyone-i-was-hyper-focused-on-acting-so-i-didn-t/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [When you watch it, you're like, Wow. I look like that. But it doesn't feel like that at all. It was about communicating with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/when-you-watch-it-you-re-like-wow-i-look-like-that-but-it-doesn-t/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [It always weirds me out and makes me unhappy that some people think I'm Justin. I'm not. People can be talking to me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/it-always-weirds-me-out-and-makes-me-unhappy-that-some-people-think-i/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I don't want to be the center of attention. My posture has changed. I walk with my head down and shoulders slumped. Suddenly I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-don-t-want-to-be-the-center-of-attention-my-posture-has-changed-i/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I never felt a need to manipulate my career from the outside - try to be someone I wasn't to get ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-never-felt-a-need-to-manipulate-my-career-from-the-outside-try-to/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I've done sexual stuff before - onstage, which is even more emotionally difficult. With a TV crew around, you are stopping and starting; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-ve-done-sexual-stuff-before-onstage-which-is-even-more-emotionally/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I think the sense of community that exists with all the characters - that's the answer. The fact that they have found a family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-think-the-sense-of-community-that-exists-with-all-the-characters/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I love my parents. Coming out to them was sort of coming out to myself. I educated them, and I wanted our relationship to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-love-my-parents-coming-out-to-them-was-sort-of-coming-out-to-myself/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [The whole character of Justin and the club life he lives - I have no experience with it. It's really foreign to me, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/the-whole-character-of-justin-and-the-club-life-he-lives-i-have-no/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [It's nice to see that people in Middle America are really affected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/it-s-nice-to-see-that-people-in-middle-america-are-really-affected/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) > [I hope that they are finding satisfaction. I'm in no way making a judgment. I know it doesn't make me happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-harrison/i-hope-that-they-are-finding-satisfaction-i-m-in-no-way-making-a/) [Randy Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) [Explore all 33 Randy Harrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-harrison/) ## 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": "It's upsetting that it is such a big deal. I wish it weren't an issue all the time. It's funny that people say it's a departure, because I've been acting since I was a child. 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