--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a very real way Norman [Lear]…" description: "\"In a very real way Norman [Lear] godfathered me into my career. He was the best mentor anybody could have ever had.\" — Richard Masur" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/richard-masur-16998_careers_in-a-very-real-way-norman-lear-godfather_1266846.png" --- # In a very real way Norman \[Lear\] godfathered me into my… ![“In a very real way Norman [Lear] godfathered me into my career. He was the best mentor anybody could have ever had.” quote by Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/richard-masur-16998_careers_in-a-very-real-way-norman-lear-godfather_1266846.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/richard-masur-16998_careers_in-a-very-real-way-norman-lear-godfather_1266846.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e10/richard-masur-16998_careers_in-a-very-real-way-norman-lear-godfather_1266846.png) > “In a very real way Norman \[Lear\] godfathered me into my career. He was the best mentor anybody could have ever had.” [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mentor profoundly shaped his career, likened to a godfather figure. **In simple terms:** A mentor guided his career. Key Takeaway Seek mentors who guide you. Themes career mentorship growth Mood inspirational grateful Type advice personal When to use this quote - career decisions - professional development - networking - skill building - career transitions Key Concepts leadership guidance legacy Questions to Reflect On - Who can you mentor? - What qualities define a good mentor? A Different Perspective Mentors may have biases or limited perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-mentor-224926/) [Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lear/) [Lear Godfathered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lear-godfathered-4045948/) [Mentor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor/) [Mentor Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentor-anybody-3734625/) [Mentorship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentorship/) [Norman Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/norman-lear-806745/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a mentor to anybody who's interested.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-m-a-mentor-to-anybody-who-s-interested/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [My best mentor is a mechanic - and he never left the sixth grade. By any competency measure, he doesn't have it. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendon-burchard/my-best-mentor-is-a-mechanic-and-he-never-left-the-sixth-grade-by-any/) [Brendon Burchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendon-burchard/) > [I consider myself a disciple of Norman Lear. And one of the things he did was topic-driven humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenya-barris/i-consider-myself-a-disciple-of-norman-lear-and-one-of-the-things-he/) [Kenya Barris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenya-barris/) > [I remember the great work that Norman Lear did. That was an incredible heyday to be a black actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sterling-k-brown/i-remember-the-great-work-that-norman-lear-did-that-was-an-incredible/) [Sterling K. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sterling-k-brown/) > [I liked Norman Lear's ideology that you could trust an audience to stay with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-finkel/i-liked-norman-lear-s-ideology-that-you-could-trust-an-audience-to/) [Dave Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-finkel/) > [I think I have a finely tuned sense of humor. I think just being around it and growing up in it... my dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/i-think-i-have-a-finely-tuned-sense-of-humor-i-think-just-being/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [Norman Lear considers almost any Christian who speaks up for and acts on his or her faith to be 'dangerous.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-wildmon/norman-lear-considers-almost-any-christian-who-speaks-up-for-and-acts/) [Donald Wildmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-wildmon/) > [Housing in New York seemed to fit Norman Lear. In addition, his shows confronted all kinds of social issues - racial separation and prejudice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solly-granatstein/housing-in-new-york-seemed-to-fit-norman-lear-in-addition-his-shows/) [Solly Granatstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solly-granatstein/) > [“I didn't grow up in a Norman Rockwell house... my house was more akin to Norman Lear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-p-naughton/i-didn-t-grow-up-in-a-norman-rockwell-house-my-house-was-more-akin-to/) [Michael P. Naughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-p-naughton/) > [Norman Lear was talking about everything in the '70s... race, sexism, all of it. The network comedy really stayed away from that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nahnatchka-khan/norman-lear-was-talking-about-everything-in-the-70s-race-sexism-all/) [Nahnatchka Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nahnatchka-khan/) > [When I was growing up my favorite show was 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show', and I loved all the stuff that Norman Lear did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-murphy/when-i-was-growing-up-my-favorite-show-was-the-mary-tyler-moore-show/) [Ryan Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-murphy/) > [As far as getting my start, it was really Norman Lear, even aside from being on 'All in the Family.' He helped me get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-reiner/as-far-as-getting-my-start-it-was-really-norman-lear-even-aside-from/) [Rob Reiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-reiner/) > [“As an associate at McKinsey & Company, my first assignment was on a team that consisted of a male senior engagement manager (SEM) and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/as-an-associate-at-mckinsey-company-my-first-assignment-was-on-a-team/) [Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/) > [“Encouragement during the early years is crucial because beginners are still figuring out whether they want to commit or cut bait. Accordingly, Bloom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/encouragement-during-the-early-years-is-crucial-because-beginners-are/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [The best mentors present their opinions simply as data and not as direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cohen/the-best-mentors-present-their-opinions-simply-as-data-and-not-as/) [David Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cohen/) ## More by Richard Masur > [Most profoundly deaf people have speech that is very difficult to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/most-profoundly-deaf-people-have-speech-that-is-very-difficult-to/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can't. And I'm not talking about imagining what a deaf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/but-people-who-think-they-can-project-themselves-into-deafness-are/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [I know deaf people. I have discussed the issues with them I've also thought about them a lot so I have some insights that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-know-deaf-people-i-have-discussed-the-issues-with-them-i-ve-also/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [There is no relation to sound for deaf people. It is a totally different mental process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/there-is-no-relation-to-sound-for-deaf-people-it-is-a-totally/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [ After we did \[All In The Family\], that ended up being a real love fest all around. Me and Norman, Norman \[Lear\] and me,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/after-we-did-all-in-the-family-that-ended-up-being-a-real-love-fest/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [I did my first movie,a movie called Whiffs, which very few people ever saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-did-my-first-movie-a-movie-called-whiffs-which-very-few-people-ever/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [ I consider anybody who has been able to make a living in this business \[movie business\] without having to do something else for a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-consider-anybody-who-has-been-able-to-make-a-living-in-this/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [People who just wanted to make it work and knew it was going to be a real challenge. We were on the beach the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/people-who-just-wanted-to-make-it-work-and-knew-it-was-going-to-be-a/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [Very interesting show. It's "Hotel" with the E missing. Hot L Baltimore. It was about a rundown hotel which had become kind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/very-interesting-show-it-s-hotel-with-the-e-missing-hot-l-baltimore/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [I'm one of the handful of survivors of the guys I came up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-m-one-of-the-handful-of-survivors-of-the-guys-i-came-up-with/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [ She \[Susan Lucci\] was extraordinary. She wouldn't look at the scene until you walked in to rehearse it. It was amazing to me. That's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/she-susan-lucci-was-extraordinary-she-wouldn-t-look-at-the-scene/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [I was doing a play in New York, which we had done in New Haven, Connecticut. It was an American premiere of a play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-was-doing-a-play-in-new-york-which-we-had-done-in-new-haven/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [ I did Bored To Death with Jason \[Schwartzman\] and Zach Galifianakis and those guys. I mean, how lucky can you be that you get… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-did-bored-to-death-with-jason-schwartzman-and-zach-galifianakis-and/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [I actually then went on to direct an after-school special where one of the characters was deaf. They hired me without even knowing I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/i-actually-then-went-on-to-direct-an-after-school-special-where-one/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) > [Maybe if I'd gone in younger, I wouldn't have had that feeling, but I've seen an enormous amount of changes since the early-'70s in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-masur/maybe-if-i-d-gone-in-younger-i-wouldn-t-have-had-that-feeling-but-i/) [Richard Masur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) [Explore all 38 Richard Masur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-masur/) ## More Careers quotes > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/) [Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/) > [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/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/) [Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/) > [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/) [Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/) > [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/) > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [What has drug addiction done for me? 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