--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was about 12, I came home from…" description: "\"When I was about 12, I came home from middle school and told my parents I wanted to be an actor. My father didn't say it to me, but he told my mom, 'No..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/richard-jenkins-16529_death_when-i-was-about-12-i-came-home-from-mid_1895846.jpg" --- # When I was about 12, I came home from middle school and… ![“When I was about 12, I came home from middle school and told my parents I wanted to be an actor. My father didn't say it to me, but he told my mom, 'No. I'm not going to allow that. He'll starve to death.' I grew up in a small town in Illinois where being an actor was not something people did.” quote by Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/richard-jenkins-16529_death_when-i-was-about-12-i-came-home-from-mid_1895846.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/richard-jenkins-16529_death_when-i-was-about-12-i-came-home-from-mid_1895846.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/452/richard-jenkins-16529_death_when-i-was-about-12-i-came-home-from-mid_1895846.jpg) > “When I was about 12, I came home from middle school and told my parents I wanted to be an actor. My father didn't say it to me, but he told my mom, 'No. I'm not going to allow that. He'll starve to death.' I grew up in a small town in Illinois where being an actor was not something people did.” [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing artistic dreams faces familial resistance, especially in conservative environments, but perseverance can break expectations. **In simple terms:** Family may oppose artistic dreams. Key Takeaway Persist despite discouragement. Themes dreams family artistic ambition perseverance Mood determined reflective Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - acting career - small town upbringing - family dynamics Key Concepts social expectations career choice Questions to Reflect On - What fuels your creative drive? - How can you negotiate family concerns? A Different Perspective Success may require compromise. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Middle school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-school/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Small town](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-town/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I always wanted to be an actor. My father inspired me since I was three years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-deol/i-always-wanted-to-be-an-actor-my-father-inspired-me-since-i-was/) [Bobby Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-deol/) > [I told my parents I wanted to be an actor, and they were getting ready for a life of unemployment, so they're just happy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/i-told-my-parents-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-and-they-were-getting-ready/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [When I told my parents I wanted to be an actor, it was like saying I wanted to be an astronaut. Not because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morrissey/when-i-told-my-parents-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-it-was-like-saying-i/) [David Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morrissey/) > [All I've ever wanted to do as an actor was move people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harbour/all-i-ve-ever-wanted-to-do-as-an-actor-was-move-people/) [David Harbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harbour/) > [When I was 16 and wanted to be an actor, people told me to go work at the supermarket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-valentine/when-i-was-16-and-wanted-to-be-an-actor-people-told-me-to-go-work-at/) [Steve Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-valentine/) > [When I started as a child actor, my father didn't tell me anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-babu/when-i-started-as-a-child-actor-my-father-didn-t-tell-me-anything/) [Mahesh Babu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-babu/) > [My mother told me I was begging her to be an actor when I was four. My father and my grandfather saw at least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovanni-ribisi/my-mother-told-me-i-was-begging-her-to-be-an-actor-when-i-was-four-my/) [Giovanni Ribisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovanni-ribisi/) > [My mother says I was two and a half when I first mentioned I wanted to be an actor. My father said, 'The word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjeev-bhaskar/my-mother-says-i-was-two-and-a-half-when-i-first-mentioned-i-wanted/) [Sanjeev Bhaskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjeev-bhaskar/) > [After working for a couple of years, I have realised how much hard work it takes to become an actor, and my father has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiger-shroff/after-working-for-a-couple-of-years-i-have-realised-how-much-hard/) [Tiger Shroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiger-shroff/) > [My father told me, "Don't do anything that would bring shame to the family." I was always mindful of that. 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But when I see him on screen, I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshara-haasan/as-a-kid-i-could-not-figure-out-why-everyone-was-running-after-my/) [Akshara Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshara-haasan/) > [From a very young age, I wanted to be an actor, but I lived in a very small town in Florida where there weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-miller/from-a-very-young-age-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-but-i-lived-in-a-very/) [Lauren Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-miller/) > [I was ballet dancing at four, playing piano by six, and doing commercials by 12. When I was 21, I was on the number…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roselyn-sanchez/i-was-ballet-dancing-at-four-playing-piano-by-six-and-doing/) [Roselyn Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roselyn-sanchez/) > [I told my parents I was going to be a doctor and then a lawyer, but I never believed it and never tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinaw-mengestu/i-told-my-parents-i-was-going-to-be-a-doctor-and-then-a-lawyer-but-i/) [Dinaw Mengestu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinaw-mengestu/) ## More by Richard Jenkins > [I always loved movies. I wanted to be in them! I always saw them and said, 'How do you do that?' It seemed like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-always-loved-movies-i-wanted-to-be-in-them-i-always-saw-them-and/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [The end comes, no matter what. The only thing that matters is, how do you want to go out, on your feet or on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/the-end-comes-no-matter-what-the-only-thing-that-matters-is-how-do/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > ['My character wouldn't do that.' That was always my favorite thing people say: 'My character wouldn't do that.' I said, 'Well, it says right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/my-character-wouldn-t-do-that-that-was-always-my-favorite-thing/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [Any time you die in a film, it's not real, so it's all kind of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/any-time-you-die-in-a-film-it-s-not-real-so-it-s-all-kind-of-fun/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [A Western would be good. 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That's all I ask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/when-i-go-to-the-movies-i-want-to-see-a-human-being-dealing-with/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [Losing a parent makes you realize how temporary everything is - you're looking through someone's whole life in a drawer, and they're very simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/losing-a-parent-makes-you-realize-how-temporary-everything-is-you-re/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I worked with Mike Nichols. First time I worked with Mike Nichols, I just really loved this man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-jenkins/i-worked-with-mike-nichols-first-time-i-worked-with-mike-nichols-i/) [Richard Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-jenkins/) > [I was an only child, and I spent a lot of time alone. 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