--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't consider myself specifically…" description: "\"I don't consider myself specifically political, you know? I think of working as an actor as being a human thing. The concerns I have that fall into pol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/sean-penn-3005_actor_i-don-t-consider-myself-specifically-pol_2026369.png" --- # I don't consider myself specifically political, you know?… ![“I don't consider myself specifically political, you know? I think of working as an actor as being a human thing. The concerns I have that fall into politics are human concerns.” quote by Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/sean-penn-3005_actor_i-don-t-consider-myself-specifically-pol_2026369.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/sean-penn-3005_actor_i-don-t-consider-myself-specifically-pol_2026369.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/86d/sean-penn-3005_actor_i-don-t-consider-myself-specifically-pol_2026369.png) > “I don't consider myself specifically political, you know? I think of working as an actor as being a human thing. The concerns I have that fall into politics are human concerns.” [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He separates his acting work from partisan politics, viewing it as a universal human activity concerned with shared human issues. **In simple terms:** Acting is about humanity, not politics. Key Takeaway Focus on common human concerns. Themes humanity politics art identity Mood thoughtful reflective Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - interviews - public speaking - media appearances Key Concepts humanism public persona career Questions to Reflect On - How does your work reflect universal human concerns? - Can art influence political discourse? A Different Perspective Political labels can oversimplify complex personal motivations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Working actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-actor/) ## Related quotes > [It is in the nature of all party systems that the authentically political talents can assert themselves only in rare cases, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-arendt/it-is-in-the-nature-of-all-party-systems-that-the-authentically/) [Hannah Arendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-arendt/) > [The first several scenes are about sexual addiction. They're not specifically political at all. . . . I didn't sit down and think, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-durang/the-first-several-scenes-are-about-sexual-addiction-they-re-not/) [Christopher Durang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-durang/) > [In general, just as a framing, we always thought about 'Winter Soldier' very specifically as a political thriller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-russo/in-general-just-as-a-framing-we-always-thought-about-winter-soldier/) [Anthony Russo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-russo/) > [One of the things that concerns me is the lack of adult supervision, and more specifically, caring adult supervision, at various reform schools and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/one-of-the-things-that-concerns-me-is-the-lack-of-adult-supervision/) [Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/) > [The basic problem is not political, it is apolitical and human. One of the most important things to do is to keep cutting deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-basic-problem-is-not-political-it-is-apolitical-and-human-one-of/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The Thick of It' and 'Veep' were not exclusively about politics - they were about human nature and selfishness, venality and power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-front/the-thick-of-it-and-veep-were-not-exclusively-about-politics-they/) [Rebecca Front](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-front/) > [Politics is human beings; it's addition rather than subtraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/politics-is-human-beings-it-s-addition-rather-than-subtraction/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [I will try to make our politics more human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrej-kiska/i-will-try-to-make-our-politics-more-human/) Andrej Kiska > [All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch-powell/all-political-lives-unless-they-are-cut-off-in-midstream-at-a-happy/) [Enoch Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch-powell/) > [ \[My son\] Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-sheehan/my-son-casey-died-for-a-country-which-cares-more-about-who-will-be/) [Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-sheehan/) > [The 10 years of theatre prepared me not only as an actor but also as a human being. It gave me the habit of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manoj-bajpayee/the-10-years-of-theatre-prepared-me-not-only-as-an-actor-but-also-as/) [Manoj Bajpayee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manoj-bajpayee/) > [Every actor - every human being - looks for security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-greene/every-actor-every-human-being-looks-for-security/) [Lorne Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-greene/) > [Be in the moment as an actor and as a human being, and you're going to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-webber/be-in-the-moment-as-an-actor-and-as-a-human-being-and-you-re-going-to/) [Mark Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-webber/) > [I think the only productive way to approach characters, and frankly people in life, is through empathy. The minute we call someone a villain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-pinkham/i-think-the-only-productive-way-to-approach-characters-and-frankly/) [Bryce Pinkham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-pinkham/) > [Don't be an actor. Be a human being who works off what exists under imaginary circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanford-meisner/don-t-be-an-actor-be-a-human-being-who-works-off-what-exists-under/) [Sanford Meisner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanford-meisner/) ## More by Sean Penn > [A SWAT team surrounded my house and came in every door. But it happened because on the day that we split up, Madonna developed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/a-swat-team-surrounded-my-house-and-came-in-every-door-but-it/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [The advice you give to young directors for sure is to go out and become some version of a successful movie actor. Do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/the-advice-you-give-to-young-directors-for-sure-is-to-go-out-and/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [A clearer and more conventional narrative would have helped the film without, in my opinion, lessening its beauty and its impact. Frankly, I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/a-clearer-and-more-conventional-narrative-would-have-helped-the-film/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [I think that people like the Howard Sterns, the Bill O'Reillys and to a lesser degree the bin Ladens of the world are making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/i-think-that-people-like-the-howard-sterns-the-bill-o-reillys-and-to/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [That on a romantic level, if you feel it about somebody and it's pure, it means that they do too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/that-on-a-romantic-level-if-you-feel-it-about-somebody-and-it-s-pure/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [In between, I go broke because I seem to do movies where you're not paid a lot as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/in-between-i-go-broke-because-i-seem-to-do-movies-where-you-re-not/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [It has nothing to do with the emotional demands of a role; I've done comedies that are as draining to me as any drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/it-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-emotional-demands-of-a-role-i-ve-done/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [Marriage ain't easy, but it's great most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/marriage-ain-t-easy-but-it-s-great-most-of-the-time/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [Well, look at all of these summer blockbusters. You can't help but laugh a little, because you've already seen a lot of these movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/well-look-at-all-of-these-summer-blockbusters-you-can-t-help-but/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [I don't see myself as a different guy than I was ten years ago. I don't have aspirations to be. It's really about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/i-don-t-see-myself-as-a-different-guy-than-i-was-ten-years-ago-i-don/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [Well, the kind of central question: "Do you want to live - and I don't mean stay alive - do you want to feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/well-the-kind-of-central-question-do-you-want-to-live-and-i-don-t/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [Haiti, like any place, has its security problems; it has a great challenge in terms of establishing a kind of globally acceptable rule of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/haiti-like-any-place-has-its-security-problems-it-has-a-great/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [I'm a huge Woody Allen fan. Good movie, bad movie, it doesn't matter - I just like his movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/i-m-a-huge-woody-allen-fan-good-movie-bad-movie-it-doesn-t-matter-i/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [Sacrificing American soldiers or innocent civilians in an unprecedented preemptive attack on a separate sovereign nation may well prove itself a most temporary medicine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/sacrificing-american-soldiers-or-innocent-civilians-in-an/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [There is no shame in my saying that we all want to be loved by someone. As I look back over my life in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/there-is-no-shame-in-my-saying-that-we-all-want-to-be-loved-by/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) [Explore all 142 Sean Penn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) ## 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 don't consider myself specifically political, you know? I think of working as an actor as being a human thing. 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