--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to be an actor because it gave…" description: "\"I wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in ways I wasn't comfortable expressing myself, as a kid growing up in St...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg" --- # I wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity… ![“I wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in ways I wasn't comfortable expressing myself, as a kid growing up in St. Louis.” quote by Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg) > “I wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in ways I wasn't comfortable expressing myself, as a kid growing up in St. Louis.” [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The actor pursued acting to explore parts of himself that he could not express in childhood. **In simple terms:** Acting offered a safe outlet for hidden feelings. Key Takeaway Use creative outlets to explore self. Themes career self‑expression growth Mood inspired optimistic Type motivational personal development When to use this quote - career choices - personal development - artistic pursuits Key Concepts identity exploration creative fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What other avenues can you use to express yourself? - How does acting help you grow? A Different Perspective Acting may not solve deeper issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Expressing Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing-myself/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-growing-up/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [My lyrics are about same-sex relationships, because that's who I am. It was important to me that I felt comfortable expressing myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-alexander/my-lyrics-are-about-same-sex-relationships-because-that-s-who-i-am-it/) [Olly Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-alexander/) > [Though I've spent years working with and creating images, I feel most comfortable expressing myself through writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salu/though-i-ve-spent-years-working-with-and-creating-images-i-feel-most/) [Michael Salu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salu/) > [I just always knew I wanted to be an actor. I gave my Emmy acceptance speech when I was 11. But, I wasn't allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azita-ghanizada/i-just-always-knew-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-i-gave-my-emmy-acceptance/) [Azita Ghanizada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azita-ghanizada/) > [“You need to own your feelings. Get more comfortable expressing yourself." "How about I express you out the nearest window?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-cox/you-need-to-own-your-feelings-get-more-comfortable-expressing/) [Greg Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-cox/) > [For me, Twitter has given me a direct line to the world - it gave me an opportunity to be like, "This is my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/for-me-twitter-has-given-me-a-direct-line-to-the-world-it-gave-me-an/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [Anybody that got in your way or stopped you or barred your success, you either push through them or work around them. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samoa-joe/anybody-that-got-in-your-way-or-stopped-you-or-barred-your-success/) [Samoa Joe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samoa-joe/) > [I was down in Tampa and it just wasn't a good setup for me, all things considered. But it also gave me the opportunity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-burrell/i-was-down-in-tampa-and-it-just-wasn-t-a-good-setup-for-me-all-things/) [Pat Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-burrell/) > [America gave me the opportunity to open successful restaurants, start a TV show, and write books. I can even fill an auditorium when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/america-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-open-successful-restaurants-start/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I went to the Professional Children's School in New York, and I started modeling because I could do that until I actually figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-qualley/i-went-to-the-professional-children-s-school-in-new-york-and-i/) [Margaret Qualley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-qualley/) > [You gave him an opportunity of showing greatness of character and he did not seize it. He will never forgive you for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/you-gave-him-an-opportunity-of-showing-greatness-of-character-and-he/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [WWE never made me any promises just gave me an opportunity to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelton-benjamin/wwe-never-made-me-any-promises-just-gave-me-an-opportunity-to-make/) [Shelton Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelton-benjamin/) > [The film was fair to his musical achievement and gave him every opportunity to explain himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-bashir/the-film-was-fair-to-his-musical-achievement-and-gave-him-every/) [Martin Bashir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-bashir/) > [I feel like a lot of us have a story to tell, it's just that we don't get the platform or the access or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-saracho/i-feel-like-a-lot-of-us-have-a-story-to-tell-it-s-just-that-we-don-t/) [Tanya Saracho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-saracho/) > [The good lord gave me a very unusual voice, and gave me the opportunity to learn how to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thurl-ravenscroft/the-good-lord-gave-me-a-very-unusual-voice-and-gave-me-the/) [Thurl Ravenscroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thurl-ravenscroft/) > [I wasn't paid a dime for my track career. But participating in the Olympics gave me the opportunity to learn about different cultures; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyomia-tyus/i-wasn-t-paid-a-dime-for-my-track-career-but-participating-in-the/) Wyomia Tyus ## More by Scott Bakula > [I don't think that a company should own a studio and the network, and program for their own network. It hurts the creativity -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-don-t-think-that-a-company-should-own-a-studio-and-the-network-and/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [The longer you are in acting business, the more you cherish the times when you're working with people that do great work, and can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/the-longer-you-are-in-acting-business-the-more-you-cherish-the-times/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [To do something for other people when they need it most just feels good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/to-do-something-for-other-people-when-they-need-it-most-just-feels/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [After 'Quantum Leap,' a lot of sci-fi things came my way, and I had to say, 'I can't do that right now.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/after-quantum-leap-a-lot-of-sci-fi-things-came-my-way-and-i-had-to/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Running for me has always been a great place to get away. It's a great stress reliever for me. It's great if I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/running-for-me-has-always-been-a-great-place-to-get-away-it-s-a-great/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [New Orleans has a unique history as a great melting pot of all kinds of cultures, and that manifests itself now through the food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/new-orleans-has-a-unique-history-as-a-great-melting-pot-of-all-kinds/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Clive Barker is just genius, and he's incredibly gifted in so many different ways. He can write and direct and paint and do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/clive-barker-is-just-genius-and-he-s-incredibly-gifted-in-so-many/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [I've done great theatre, great films and had a lot of opportunities in television. I also love to sing, and I've been able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-ve-done-great-theatre-great-films-and-had-a-lot-of-opportunities-in/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [Ideally, people find mates with whom they can express both their masculine and feminine sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/ideally-people-find-mates-with-whom-they-can-express-both-their/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [The further away you can get away from yourself as an actor, the more fun you have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/the-further-away-you-can-get-away-from-yourself-as-an-actor-the-more/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [I like pop, rock n' roll, big band, Broadway - I like all those elements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-like-pop-rock-n-roll-big-band-broadway-i-like-all-those-elements/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [In the fantasy, sci-fi world, the fans are so discerning and they're so tough and they're so intelligent, and they're so critical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/in-the-fantasy-sci-fi-world-the-fans-are-so-discerning-and-they-re-so/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [By all standards, except for 'Star Trek' standards, 98 episodes of any television show is a wildly successful run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/by-all-standards-except-for-star-trek-standards-98-episodes-of-any/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [It's a joyful, humbling feeling to be in different places around the planet and people have seen shows that I'm proud of being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/it-s-a-joyful-humbling-feeling-to-be-in-different-places-around-the/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) > [It's always great to be involved in something that's not in an in-your-face fashion, but has a message that goes out guised as entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/it-s-always-great-to-be-involved-in-something-that-s-not-in-an-in/) [Scott Bakula](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) [Explore all 83 Scott Bakula quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/) ## 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 wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in ways I wasn't comfortable expressing myself, as a kid growing up in St. Louis.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Bakula" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-express/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-express/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1c4/scott-bakula-8181_actor_i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave_831941.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wanted to be an actor because it gave me the opportunity to express myself in ways I wasn't comfortable…” — Scott Bakula", "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": "Scott Bakula", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bakula/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wanted to be an actor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-express/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bakula/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-because-it-gave-me-the-opportunity-to-express/#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 } } ] } ```