--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?" description: "\"I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?\" — Shannyn Sossamon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg" --- # I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean? ![“I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?” quote by Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg) > “I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?” [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker emphasizes that acting is not merely performance; it reflects authentic identity beyond labels. **In simple terms:** Acting isn’t just a role; it’s about being true. Key Takeaway Recognize and express your authentic self. Themes identity authenticity self‑expression art Mood reflective assertive Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre audition - personal branding - social interaction - creative work Key Concepts Existential authenticity role theory self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - What part of you feels “not an actor”? - How do you convey authenticity in performance? A Different Perspective Industry pressure can force conformity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-know/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-mean/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [One needs to constantly read up, practice and work, irrespective of your profession. 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It's other things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-think-the-emotional-toolbox-i-have-is-healthy-for-an-actor-as-far/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I dont know where I stand with you. And I dont know what I mean to you. All I know is everytime I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-dont-know-where-i-stand-with-you-and-i-dont-know-what-i-mean-to-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Know what I mean? Eh, eh, Nudge nudge, Say no more?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-idle/know-what-i-mean-eh-eh-nudge-nudge-say-no-more/) [Eric Idle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-idle/) > [“I've thought of everything, know what I mean?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-ve-thought-of-everything-know-what-i-mean/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [I'm not aware of too many things, I know what I know, if you know what I mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-brickell/i-m-not-aware-of-too-many-things-i-know-what-i-know-if-you-know-what/) [Edie Brickell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-brickell/) > [I'm not a bad mouther, you know what I mean?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-cheban/i-m-not-a-bad-mouther-you-know-what-i-mean/) [Jonathan Cheban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-cheban/) > [“When you want to become great, you have to know what to do, I mean you must first determine what you were born to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-want-to-become-great-you-have-to-know-what-to-do-i-mean-you/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I forget what you mean to me. 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U R SO SWEET!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany/some-think-it-some-say-it-some-know-it-but-i-mean-it-u-r-so-sweet/) [Brittany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany/) > [“Chameleonesque, hobbitish, unicorned, stompled, selfishism, and unwakeable may not be real words, but you do know what they mean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/chameleonesque-hobbitish-unicorned-stompled-selfishism-and-unwakeable/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) ## More by Shannyn Sossamon > [I went to a slumber party in a hotel. The whole hotel was rented out. The hotel was the party. It really was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-went-to-a-slumber-party-in-a-hotel-the-whole-hotel-was-rented-out/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I think the emotional toolbox I have is healthy for an actor, as far as the intensity of emotions go. 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I didn't want that to be me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/you-know-when-there-s-someone-new-on-the-rise-and-there-s-too-much/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I was more wishy-washy in the first 12 years of my career, just because that was my personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-was-more-wishy-washy-in-the-first-12-years-of-my-career-just/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I see in my friends that don't have kids, when they come over, and the amount of times our conversation gets interrupted by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-see-in-my-friends-that-don-t-have-kids-when-they-come-over-and-the/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [The opportunity is there so it depends on what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/the-opportunity-is-there-so-it-depends-on-what-you-do/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [If money is the only plus, I will always say no. 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It's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/my-sister-and-i-have-great-chemistry-i-feel-like-her-and-i-would-be/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I'm a little bit more of a relaxed, lazy mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-a-little-bit-more-of-a-relaxed-lazy-mother/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [I did a film called The Jesuit, which was an independent film. I did that shortly after Mistresses. I was still feeling soft and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-did-a-film-called-the-jesuit-which-was-an-independent-film-i-did/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) > [It's become like an urban myth. I don't know her. I don't know anybody she knows. I was standing there at the party by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/it-s-become-like-an-urban-myth-i-don-t-know-her-i-don-t-know-anybody/) [Shannyn Sossamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) [Explore all 36 Shannyn Sossamon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/) ## 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. 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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! 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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'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shannyn Sossamon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/555/shannyn-sossamon-17697_theatre_i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean-18_1866948.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not an Actor, you know what I mean?” — Shannyn Sossamon", "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": "Shannyn Sossamon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannyn-sossamon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not an Actor, you know...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannyn-sossamon/i-m-not-an-actor-you-know-what-i-mean/#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 } } ] } ```