---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If I'm going to be honest about it, I…"
description: "\"If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do this sort of thing all the time. You look at countless performances by great male actors who ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg"
---

#  If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do…

![“If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do this sort of thing all the time. You look at countless performances by great male actors who get to play the whole gamut of human emotions. Women aren't regularly allowed to do that, and I don't know why people are so frightened by it.” quote by Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg)

> “If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do this sort of thing all the time. You look at countless performances by great male actors who get to play the whole gamut of human emotions. Women aren't regularly allowed to do that, and I don't know why people are so frightened by it.”

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

## 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 critiques gender disparity in acting roles, noting men often portray a full emotional range while women are limited.

**In simple terms:** Men get more diverse acting roles than women.

Key Takeaway

Advocate for equal casting opportunities.

Themes

gender equality film industry representation artistic freedom

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

social cultural

When to use this quote

- casting decisions
- film production
- acting workshops

Key Concepts

typecasting industry bias career advancement

Questions to Reflect On

- Why are audiences hesitant to accept women in varied roles?
- What steps can industry take to broaden representation?

A Different Perspective

Systemic biases and market pressures may resist change.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Human emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-emotions/) [Male actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male-actors/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women/)

## Related quotes

> [Just like how male actors get to play varied characters, I would also like to play characters that people don't normally see female characters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/song-hye-kyo/just-like-how-male-actors-get-to-play-varied-characters-i-would-also/)

[Song Hye-kyo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/song-hye-kyo/)

> [Men are no more immune from emotions than women; we think women are more emotional because the culture lets them give free vent to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/una-stannard/men-are-no-more-immune-from-emotions-than-women-we-think-women-are/)

Una Stannard

> [“When it comes to emotions, women know how to paint with the full set of oils, while men are busy doodling with crayons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-moody/when-it-comes-to-emotions-women-know-how-to-paint-with-the-full-set/)

[Hank Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-moody/)

> [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/)

[Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/)

> [Actors play a small part in all the things that go into the making of a movie. I want to know about pre-production, post-production,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nushrat-bharucha/actors-play-a-small-part-in-all-the-things-that-go-into-the-making-of/)

[Nushrat Bharucha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nushrat-bharucha/)

> [Actors are different. Some actors play themselves very successfully, but I come from the theater. Having done Shakespeare, we sometimes did three or four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/actors-are-different-some-actors-play-themselves-very-successfully/)

[Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/)

> [I became an actress and studied human emotions so that I could give the gift of feelings to my son. This is what my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tisha-campbell-martin/i-became-an-actress-and-studied-human-emotions-so-that-i-could-give/)

[Tisha Campbell-Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tisha-campbell-martin/)

> [Despite what everyone thinks about science fiction, ultimately, at its best, it's about human beings with human emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greig-fraser/despite-what-everyone-thinks-about-science-fiction-ultimately-at-its/)

[Greig Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greig-fraser/)

> [When you are talking about human emotions, stardom doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahadh-faasil/when-you-are-talking-about-human-emotions-stardom-doesn-t-matter/)

[Fahadh Faasil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahadh-faasil/)

> [“Why? Must one have seen the world? In this village, in every house, in every shack, you will find the entire range of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sendker-jan-philipp/why-must-one-have-seen-the-world-in-this-village-in-every-house-in/)

Sendker, Jan-Philipp

> [Empathy is the most radical of human emotions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/empathy-is-the-most-radical-of-human-emotions/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [They came to her, naturally, since she was a woman, all day long with this and that; one wanting this, another that; the children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/they-came-to-her-naturally-since-she-was-a-woman-all-day-long-with/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [I've worked opposite so many male actors whose egos have been so delicate that it was just so hard to do the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-riseborough/i-ve-worked-opposite-so-many-male-actors-whose-egos-have-been-so/)

[Andrea Riseborough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-riseborough/)

> [I think male actors get confused by their own vanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-think-male-actors-get-confused-by-their-own-vanity/)

[Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/)

> [A lot of male actors are method actors and they become the characters which they both were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izabella-scorupco/a-lot-of-male-actors-are-method-actors-and-they-become-the-characters/)

[Izabella Scorupco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izabella-scorupco/)

## More by Rebecca Hall

> [There are a lot of movies about misfits that are quite cool, that kind of glamorize it on some level. I think there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/there-are-a-lot-of-movies-about-misfits-that-are-quite-cool-that-kind/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [Anyone who commits an act of violence to themselves or others is worth consideration in the sense that there must be something that brought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/anyone-who-commits-an-act-of-violence-to-themselves-or-others-is/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [As someone who works and travels as much, you could feel... A bit rootless?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/as-someone-who-works-and-travels-as-much-you-could-feel-a-bit-rootless/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [Of course, any job is scary, but you tackle the challenges head on and hope for the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/of-course-any-job-is-scary-but-you-tackle-the-challenges-head-on-and/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [Yes, I'm a complete itinerant. I keep making attempts not to be, but then circumstances make me uproot and go somewhere else again. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/yes-i-m-a-complete-itinerant-i-keep-making-attempts-not-to-be-but/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [I think acting can be very frustrating, and there's no experience that doesn't make you a better actor. So people may choose to explore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-think-acting-can-be-very-frustrating-and-there-s-no-experience-that/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [In high drama or high tragedy or anything, it's not really human unless there's some humor at the same time. And vice versa. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/in-high-drama-or-high-tragedy-or-anything-it-s-not-really-human/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [I try and avoid thinking of strategy and I tend to stick to my gun of doing things that I like and try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-try-and-avoid-thinking-of-strategy-and-i-tend-to-stick-to-my-gun-of/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [For better or worse, I don't necessarily categorize myself as a method actor; I'm not going to make claims that I stayed in character 24/7.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/for-better-or-worse-i-don-t-necessarily-categorize-myself-as-a-method/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [When I was 22, I thought I couldn't wear heels because of my height.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/when-i-was-22-i-thought-i-couldn-t-wear-heels-because-of-my-height/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [It sounds trite, but I like telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/it-sounds-trite-but-i-like-telling-stories/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [I grew up watching his movies; I know everyone did, but I really feel that a lot of my formative years were informed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-grew-up-watching-his-movies-i-know-everyone-did-but-i-really-feel/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [You sit there, and you argue and you argue, and you sort of bully the hell out of the text until you're quite sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/you-sit-there-and-you-argue-and-you-argue-and-you-sort-of-bully-the/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [I was a really pretentious teenager,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-was-a-really-pretentious-teenager/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

> [I felt very fulfilled after doing 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' because I'd always wanted to work with Woody Allen. That was like a lifelong dream,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/i-felt-very-fulfilled-after-doing-vicky-cristina-barcelona-because-i/)

[Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

[Explore all 124 Rebecca Hall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/)

## More Actors quotes

> [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/)

[Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/)

[Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/)

> [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

> [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/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/)

[Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/)

> [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/)

[Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/)

> [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/)

[Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/)

> [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/)

[Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/)

> [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/)

[Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/)

> [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/)

[Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/)

> [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/)

[Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/)

[Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do this sort of thing all the time. You look at countless performances by great male actors who get to play the whole gamut of human emotions. Women aren't regularly allowed to do that, and I don't know why people are so frightened by it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rebecca Hall"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-think-men-get-to-do-this-sort-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-think-men-get-to-do-this-sort-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/747/rebecca-hall-3694_actors_if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-thi_1174964.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“If I'm going to be honest about it, I think men get to do this sort of thing all the time. You look at…” — Rebecca Hall",
                "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": "Rebecca Hall",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "If I'm going to be honest...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-think-men-get-to-do-this-sort-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/if-i-m-going-to-be-honest-about-it-i-think-men-get-to-do-this-sort-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
