--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's what acting is. You're pretending…" description: "\"That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.\" — Saoirse Ronan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg" --- # That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else. ![“That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.” quote by Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg) > “That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.” [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting involves adopting another’s persona, highlighting the performative nature of identity. **In simple terms:** Acting is pretending to be someone else. Key Takeaway Embrace empathy, explore different perspectives. Themes identity performance empathy Mood insightful thoughtful Type artistic educational When to use this quote - theatre - film - improv workshops - personal growth exercises Key Concepts Method acting role immersion psychology of self Questions to Reflect On - What does pretending teach you about yourself? - When is it safe to fully embody another role? A Different Perspective Pretending can blur personal boundaries if not managed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-pretending-520227/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Pretending](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending/) [Pretending to be someone else](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretending-to-be-someone-else/) ## Related quotes > [Acting is pretending to be someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-paquin/acting-is-pretending-to-be-someone-else/) [Anna Paquin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-paquin/) > [When I'm acting, I'm pretending to be someone else, but when I fish, I'm just Robson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robson-green/when-i-m-acting-i-m-pretending-to-be-someone-else-but-when-i-fish-i-m/) [Robson Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robson-green/) > [Acting is not pretending or lying. It's finding a side of yourself that's the character and ignoring your other sides. And there's a side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-jolie/acting-is-not-pretending-or-lying-it-s-finding-a-side-of-yourself/) [Angelina Jolie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-jolie/) > [He often felt that too many people lived their lives acting and pretending,wearing masks and losing themselves in the process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-often-felt-that-too-many-people-lived-their-lives-acting-and/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [When I was a kid, I used to pretend to be Bond; I used to make up scenarios and irritate my sister and annoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/when-i-was-a-kid-i-used-to-pretend-to-be-bond-i-used-to-make-up/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [Pretending to be what you are not, is like pretending to be shit… What's wrong with being yourself.. at least you are recognized. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramandeep-singh/pretending-to-be-what-you-are-not-is-like-pretending-to-be-shit-what/) [Ramandeep Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramandeep-singh/) > [Life is not about pretending to be someone else, or trying to be like someone else. Its about being who you are regardless if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-not-about-pretending-to-be-someone-else-or-trying-to-be-like/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I was bullied; I was kind of a girl in the corner. So acting was a great outlet for me by pretending to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaya-scodelario/i-was-bullied-i-was-kind-of-a-girl-in-the-corner-so-acting-was-a/) [Kaya Scodelario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kaya-scodelario/) > [I'm amazed how unable I am to deal with the demands that are made on me as an actor. Not the one I enjoy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-boorman/i-m-amazed-how-unable-i-am-to-deal-with-the-demands-that-are-made-on/) [Charley Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-boorman/) > [I write from my soul. This is the reason that critics don't hurt me, because it is me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/i-write-from-my-soul-this-is-the-reason-that-critics-don-t-hurt-me/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Live your life being yourself, Don't live it pretending to be someone else.. Nobody can play your role better than you :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishika-dangol/live-your-life-being-yourself-don-t-live-it-pretending-to-be-someone/) [Ishika Dangol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishika-dangol/) > [When you learn liking yourself more, then it's the lesser want for you- in pretending to be someone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meow-opre/when-you-learn-liking-yourself-more-then-it-s-the-lesser-want-for-you/) [Meow Opre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meow-opre/) > [For me acting is pretending. It's illuminating my human struggle - trying to grow and have the courage to be filmed while figuring things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherilyn-fenn/for-me-acting-is-pretending-it-s-illuminating-my-human-struggle/) [Sherilyn Fenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherilyn-fenn/) > [I always think of the character as being me. But me wearing a 'coat', which may be a different way of speaking, moving or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-melamed/i-always-think-of-the-character-as-being-me-but-me-wearing-a-coat/) [Fred Melamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-melamed/) > [For me, it's just acting. It's pretending. The best actors are children, and children don't do research. You never see a child going, 'I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/for-me-it-s-just-acting-it-s-pretending-the-best-actors-are-children/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) ## More by Saoirse Ronan > [I appreciate the written word and spoken word more, but Atonement sort of established so much of me. It was a character that didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-appreciate-the-written-word-and-spoken-word-more-but-atonement-sort/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I think I do believe in the afterlife; I have heard stories from people who I can completely trust that have seen ghosts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-think-i-do-believe-in-the-afterlife-i-have-heard-stories-from/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [It's too distracting to read about yourself. You want to be perfect and you want everyone to love you, and that's never going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/it-s-too-distracting-to-read-about-yourself-you-want-to-be-perfect/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I like to get far away from myself when I'm acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-like-to-get-far-away-from-myself-when-i-m-acting/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I've always wanted to act and I grew up a little on film sets when my dad was working as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-ve-always-wanted-to-act-and-i-grew-up-a-little-on-film-sets-when-my/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I like books that are exciting and that make you think about things, as well. I like things that have a twist - like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-like-books-that-are-exciting-and-that-make-you-think-about-things/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [Lindsay Lohan was the 'It' girl from, like, 14. That's a lot of pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/lindsay-lohan-was-the-it-girl-from-like-14-that-s-a-lot-of-pressure/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [If I'm in the middle of a take and I start to think about what I'm doing, I just mess up and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/if-i-m-in-the-middle-of-a-take-and-i-start-to-think-about-what-i-m/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I listen to everything. I love The Chemical Brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-listen-to-everything-i-love-the-chemical-brothers/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I remember being on Atonement and it felt very right to be there. There was so much excitement every day. I remember very vividly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-remember-being-on-atonement-and-it-felt-very-right-to-be-there/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [Vampire teeth really aren't very efficient, are they? It looks very messy. I'm not sure it's the best way to get a pint off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/vampire-teeth-really-aren-t-very-efficient-are-they-it-looks-very/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [My whole life I try to make into a comedy, so it would be nice to see that onscreen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/my-whole-life-i-try-to-make-into-a-comedy-so-it-would-be-nice-to-see/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I think if my child died I would prefer it if I were dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-think-if-my-child-died-i-would-prefer-it-if-i-were-dead/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [I think 'Twilight' was such a phenomenon that it will be a while before anything like that will happen again. Cause it really influenced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/i-think-twilight-was-such-a-phenomenon-that-it-will-be-a-while-before/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) > [When I am on set or rehearsing for the play, the only thing I can talk about is the work I'm doing. In that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/when-i-am-on-set-or-rehearsing-for-the-play-the-only-thing-i-can-talk/) [Saoirse Ronan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) [Explore all 86 Saoirse Ronan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Saoirse Ronan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending-to-be-someone-else/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending-to-be-someone-else/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b7/saoirse-ronan-7939_acting_that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending_428126.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's what acting is. You're pretending to be someone else.” — Saoirse Ronan", "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": "Saoirse Ronan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saoirse-ronan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "That's what acting is. You're pretending...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending-to-be-someone-else/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saoirse-ronan/that-s-what-acting-is-you-re-pretending-to-be-someone-else/#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 } } ] } ```