--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is so hard for musicians when they…" description: "\"It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're coming in with a real set idea of who they ar..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg" --- # It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is… ![“It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're coming in with a real set idea of who they are, where they're coming from, what their politics are, what their tastes are.” quote by Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg) > “It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're coming in with a real set idea of who they are, where they're coming from, what their politics are, what their tastes are.” [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Artists bring their established identities into new fields, making it hard to start fresh and be judged on new skills alone. **In simple terms:** Artists carry their past selves into new roles, limiting fresh perception. Key Takeaway Recognize and separate past identity from new craft. Themes identity career transition creativity Mood reflective determined Type advice motivational When to use this quote - auditions - casting - branding - collaborations Key Concepts self-concept public perception skill transfer Questions to Reflect On - How can you consciously reset expectations when entering a new field? - What strategies help you showcase fresh abilities? A Different Perspective New roles may still be judged by old reputations, limiting opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Blank slates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blank-slates/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Musicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musicians/) ## Related quotes > [You can sit in front of a computer and have a blank slate and be completely overwhelmed by the possibilities and not get anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-brown/you-can-sit-in-front-of-a-computer-and-have-a-blank-slate-and-be/) [Rob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-brown/) > [ It was a lot of fun to play a character \[in Swiss Army Man\] with no inhibitions, and with no knowledge of the world,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/it-was-a-lot-of-fun-to-play-a-character-in-swiss-army-man-with-no/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [The brain is highly structured, but it is also extremely flexible. It's not a blank slate, but it isn't written in stone, either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/the-brain-is-highly-structured-but-it-is-also-extremely-flexible-it-s/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [The religion that has transformed Western civilization for two millennia is a blank slate for liberals. Their closest reference point is conservative Christians, meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/the-religion-that-has-transformed-western-civilization-for-two/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [Don't get seduced by your own stuff. Don't get high on your own supply. The hardest thing as a filmmaker is when you're watching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/don-t-get-seduced-by-your-own-stuff-don-t-get-high-on-your-own-supply/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [There's a brief moment when you first wake up, where you have no memories. A blissful blank slate, a happy emptiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/there-s-a-brief-moment-when-you-first-wake-up-where-you-have-no/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [I definitely want to get more into the acting. Coming from a background of WWE and being on live television and having those storylines,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-kelly/i-definitely-want-to-get-more-into-the-acting-coming-from-a/) [Kelly Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-kelly/) > [It's fun for musicians to step into each other's world. It's like different football teams - it's the same game but a different play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-halford/it-s-fun-for-musicians-to-step-into-each-other-s-world-it-s-like/) [Rob Halford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-halford/) > [Music is the chalk to the blackboard of life. Without it everything is a blank slate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-charles/music-is-the-chalk-to-the-blackboard-of-life-without-it-everything-is/) [Ray Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-charles/) > [When a dancer comes onstage, he is not just a blank slate that the choreographer has written on. Behind him he has all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-baryshnikov/when-a-dancer-comes-onstage-he-is-not-just-a-blank-slate-that-the/) [Mikhail Baryshnikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-baryshnikov/) > [Contrary to what some parents might believe or hope for, children are not born a blank slate. Rather, they come into the world with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-brody/contrary-to-what-some-parents-might-believe-or-hope-for-children-are/) [Jane Brody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-brody/) > [Most people have a blank slate and can start from nothing. But for me, I had to break a bad habit that I've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roshon-fegan/most-people-have-a-blank-slate-and-can-start-from-nothing-but-for-me/) [Roshon Fegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roshon-fegan/) > [When absolutes are abandoned for principles, the U.S. Constitution becomes a blank slate for anyone’s graffiti.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-lapierre/when-absolutes-are-abandoned-for-principles-the-u-s-constitution/) [Wayne LaPierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-lapierre/) > [Don't get seduced by your own stuff; work hard to keep a blank slate state of mind each time you watch your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/don-t-get-seduced-by-your-own-stuff-work-hard-to-keep-a-blank-slate/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [Thus, true long-term change is brought about not by destructive passion of the moment but by well-reasoned constructive action. Violent shock of Armageddon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/thus-true-long-term-change-is-brought-about-not-by-destructive/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) ## More by Shirley Manson > [I'm 45 years old. I used to be a club girl, but that's not my world anymore. That doesn't mean I can't make music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-m-45-years-old-i-used-to-be-a-club-girl-but-that-s-not-my-world/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [There's nothing I've done that I feel a lot of regret over because I stuck to my guns, even when it got uncomfortable -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/there-s-nothing-i-ve-done-that-i-feel-a-lot-of-regret-over-because-i/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [A lot of celebrities just want money, fame, power, fancy cars, houses all over the world and have people BOW DOWN to them. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/a-lot-of-celebrities-just-want-money-fame-power-fancy-cars-houses-all/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [Selling millions of albums is a sign you've infiltrated the culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/selling-millions-of-albums-is-a-sign-you-ve-infiltrated-the-culture/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I love pop music. Who doesn't?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-love-pop-music-who-doesn-t/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I just want to live my life a little freely and not adhere to any schedule - just make music and have fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-just-want-to-live-my-life-a-little-freely-and-not-adhere-to-any/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [That's a difficult question, because to consider yourself a rebel is sort of ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/that-s-a-difficult-question-because-to-consider-yourself-a-rebel-is/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [The sensation of never feeling good enough or pretty enough will always be there. It's a constant dialogue, and you just learn to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/the-sensation-of-never-feeling-good-enough-or-pretty-enough-will/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [We're living in a time when people are struggling to appear perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/we-re-living-in-a-time-when-people-are-struggling-to-appear-perfect/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I am not a sexy woman, I'm not beautiful, I'm not a sex kitten, I don't flirt with people, yet I've been tagged more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-am-not-a-sexy-woman-i-m-not-beautiful-i-m-not-a-sex-kitten-i-don-t/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [Being a singer, being a performer, you have tricks, somehow, to calm yourself when things feel a little overwhelming. I don't do breathing exercises,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/being-a-singer-being-a-performer-you-have-tricks-somehow-to-calm/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I'm fairly in control and I don't like to flirt particularly. I mean, obviously if I meet someone who I think is hot, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-m-fairly-in-control-and-i-don-t-like-to-flirt-particularly-i-mean/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I wanted to put out a solo record because I was stuck on a major label and sick of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-wanted-to-put-out-a-solo-record-because-i-was-stuck-on-a-major/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [I plan on doing as much in my life as I possibly can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/i-plan-on-doing-as-much-in-my-life-as-i-possibly-can/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) > [In the '90s, the radio was still alive with all different kinds of points of view, and I think that's why people are longing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/in-the-90s-the-radio-was-still-alive-with-all-different-kinds-of/) [Shirley Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) [Explore all 98 Shirley Manson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/) ## 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 > [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": "It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're coming in with a real set idea of who they are, where they're coming from, what their politics are, what their tastes are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Manson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-step-into-acting-is-they-re-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-step-into-acting-is-they-re-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62f/shirley-manson-6597_acting_it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-st_1090371.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is so hard for musicians when they step into acting is they're not coming in as a blank slate, they're…” — Shirley Manson", "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": "Shirley Manson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-manson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is so hard for musicians...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-step-into-acting-is-they-re-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-manson/it-is-so-hard-for-musicians-when-they-step-into-acting-is-they-re-not/#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 } } ] } ```