--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was an actor... or, at least, I was…" description: "\"I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor.\" — Richard Donner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg" --- # I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor. ![“I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor.” quote by Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg) > “I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor.” [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting is a pursuit that may involve continual self‑questioning and effort. **In simple terms:** Acting is a journey. Key Takeaway Embrace the learning process. Themes career self‑discovery persistence Mood determined reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - auditions - training - career pivots Key Concepts identity performance art Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to keep trying? - How do you handle rejection? A Different Perspective Success is not guaranteed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I spent so many years trying to become an actor, trying to be a person that I wasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/i-spent-so-many-years-trying-to-become-an-actor-trying-to-be-a-person/) [Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/) > [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/) > [Often actors ask me if I think they should go on trying to be an actor. I have the same answer for everyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shurtleff/often-actors-ask-me-if-i-think-they-should-go-on-trying-to-be-an/) [Michael Shurtleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shurtleff/) > [I don't think I can call myself an actress yet. I just don't think my skill level is that high. I hope that with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keira-knightley/i-don-t-think-i-can-call-myself-an-actress-yet-i-just-don-t-think-my/) [Keira Knightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keira-knightley/) > [I think if you come out to California trying to be an actor, it's pretty hard. There's desperation. A lot of people are desperate,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-galifianakis/i-think-if-you-come-out-to-california-trying-to-be-an-actor-it-s/) [Zach Galifianakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-galifianakis/) > [When you're acting, it's all about you and the person in front of you, and I think in life we forget to apply the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/when-you-re-acting-it-s-all-about-you-and-the-person-in-front-of-you/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Everybody said I was nuts for going out to California and trying to be an actor, but I think you can apply pragmatism and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wahl/everybody-said-i-was-nuts-for-going-out-to-california-and-trying-to/) [Ken Wahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wahl/) > [I can't think of anything more exciting than trying to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-howard/i-can-t-think-of-anything-more-exciting-than-trying-to-be-an-actor/) Leslie Howard > [In my experience of doing physical scenes, half of your energy is spent on trying to get the other actor to enter into it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/in-my-experience-of-doing-physical-scenes-half-of-your-energy-is/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [What you're trying to do as an actor is somehow trick yourself into believing that these words have never been said, and so you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/what-you-re-trying-to-do-as-an-actor-is-somehow-trick-yourself-into/) [Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/) > [Look, I'm not odd. I'm just trying to be an actor; not a movie star, an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montgomery-clift/look-i-m-not-odd-i-m-just-trying-to-be-an-actor-not-a-movie-star-an/) [Montgomery Clift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/montgomery-clift/) > [Even trying it as an actor, I never thought I'd actually make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-azaria/even-trying-it-as-an-actor-i-never-thought-i-d-actually-make-it/) [Hank Azaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-azaria/) > [Totally, if I wasn't trying to be an actor, I would leave L.A. because you can't really have that life here. There's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumer-willis/totally-if-i-wasn-t-trying-to-be-an-actor-i-would-leave-l-a-because/) [Rumer Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumer-willis/) > [The same thing I applied to football, I applied to trying to be an actor and hopefully it came off well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rice/the-same-thing-i-applied-to-football-i-applied-to-trying-to-be-an/) [Jerry Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rice/) > [I'm a rapper trying to be an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/method-man/i-m-a-rapper-trying-to-be-an-actor/) [Method Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/method-man/) ## More by Richard Donner > [Soon it's all going to be digital anyway. It's all going to be saved on a little coin somewhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/soon-it-s-all-going-to-be-digital-anyway-it-s-all-going-to-be-saved/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [I'm open to comments. I'm open to objective points of view, because I've been very narrow and very subjective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-m-open-to-comments-i-m-open-to-objective-points-of-view-because-i/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [It's only been a couple of times in my life that I've really locked horns with actors. It did not hurt the films, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/it-s-only-been-a-couple-of-times-in-my-life-that-i-ve-really-locked/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [Working with Christopher, he convinced me he could fly, and he's convinced me he's going to walk again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/working-with-christopher-he-convinced-me-he-could-fly-and-he-s/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [I've always wanted to do a Crichton book. I really love his writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-ve-always-wanted-to-do-a-crichton-book-i-really-love-his-writing/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [With The Omen, I really felt I wasn't in control. It was panic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/with-the-omen-i-really-felt-i-wasn-t-in-control-it-was-panic/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [I was very lucky. I started my own commercial company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-very-lucky-i-started-my-own-commercial-company/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [Superman was never previewed because the producers didn't trust Warners with the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/superman-was-never-previewed-because-the-producers-didn-t-trust/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [It was the beginning of film for television. So we had all of these great opportunities. Northwestern was probably the only major film school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/it-was-the-beginning-of-film-for-television-so-we-had-all-of-these/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [When you make a film, you like to run it with an audience. They tell you you're narrow-minded or subjective, or that seems too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/when-you-make-a-film-you-like-to-run-it-with-an-audience-they-tell/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [How was I going to make a man fly? How was I going to convince the public that an actor could fly?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/how-was-i-going-to-make-a-man-fly-how-was-i-going-to-convince-the/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [I was really disappointed that Warner Bros. didn't think highly enough of my film or my filmmaking to ask me to make the new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-really-disappointed-that-warner-bros-didn-t-think-highly-enough/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [VERISIMILITUDE (the appearance or semblance of truth)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/verisimilitude-the-appearance-or-semblance-of-truth/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [I think what some people are doing with effects is starting to get silly. It's overused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-think-what-some-people-are-doing-with-effects-is-starting-to-get/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) > [In motion pictures, the actor rules. The camera served the actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/in-motion-pictures-the-actor-rules-the-camera-served-the-actor/) [Richard Donner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) [Explore all 30 Richard Donner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/) ## 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": "I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Donner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying-to-be-an-actor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying-to-be-an-actor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/richard-donner-20853_actor_i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying_2328867.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was an actor... or, at least, I was trying to be an actor.” — Richard Donner", "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": "Richard Donner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-donner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was an actor... or, at...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying-to-be-an-actor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-donner/i-was-an-actor-or-at-least-i-was-trying-to-be-an-actor/#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 } } ] } ```