--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think actually that kind of ego…" description: "\"I don't think actually that kind of ego check or \"I could do better\" mentality probably serves better in Hollywood, because it's definitely not a merit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/suzanne-todd-28562_ego_i-don-t-think-actually-that-kind-of-ego_2682374.jpg" --- # I don't think actually that kind of ego check or "I could… ![“I don't think actually that kind of ego check or "I could do better" mentality probably serves better in Hollywood, because it's definitely not a meritocracy. You can look at any number of careers and sort of see that they don't really make sense if it was only based on your movies working either…” quote by Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/suzanne-todd-28562_ego_i-don-t-think-actually-that-kind-of-ego_2682374.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/suzanne-todd-28562_ego_i-don-t-think-actually-that-kind-of-ego_2682374.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a62/suzanne-todd-28562_ego_i-don-t-think-actually-that-kind-of-ego_2682374.jpg) > “I don't think actually that kind of ego check or "I could do better" mentality probably serves better in Hollywood, because it's definitely not a meritocracy. You can look at any number of careers and sort of see that they don't really make sense if it was only based on your movies working either creatively or financially. There are people that move ahead without that, and there are people that don't move ahead even if they did have that.” [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) ## 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 critiques Hollywood’s meritocracy myth, noting that success isn’t solely based on talent or ego. **In simple terms:** Success in Hollywood isn’t purely merit‑based. Key Takeaway Recognize systemic factors beyond personal effort. Themes industry meritocracy ego career dynamics Mood critical reflective Type industry advisory When to use this quote - career planning - industry networking - creative projects - financial decisions Key Concepts sociology media studies psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does ego affect your career choices? - What non‑ego factors drive success? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on ego can ignore structural barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Mentality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentality/) [Meritocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meritocracy/) [Moving ahead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-ahead/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I just try to, in my own way, contribute to making a better Hollywood, to move Hollywood to be a leader in social justice,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-just-try-to-in-my-own-way-contribute-to-making-a-better-hollywood/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [I think any time you put in a lot of work and you're trying to believe in a process, be dedicated to that one-percent-better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caris-levert/i-think-any-time-you-put-in-a-lot-of-work-and-you-re-trying-to/) [Caris LeVert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caris-levert/) > [I don't have an ego. I check it at the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-pederson/i-don-t-have-an-ego-i-check-it-at-the-door/) [Doug Pederson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-pederson/) > [My ego has been in check for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-parish/my-ego-has-been-in-check-for-a-long-time/) [Robert Parish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-parish/) > [“Ego Check. Damn it. How many would he need in one day?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/ego-check-damn-it-how-many-would-he-need-in-one-day/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Long ago, I had to sort of learn to have a thick skin to read some of the things you read in the papers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-griffin/long-ago-i-had-to-sort-of-learn-to-have-a-thick-skin-to-read-some-of/) [Kenneth C. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-griffin/) > [The most important thing is being genuine, and real, and not getting caught up in the "Star-Ness" of it. You don't want to act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-jett/the-most-important-thing-is-being-genuine-and-real-and-not-getting/) [Joan Jett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-jett/) > [I'm one of seven kids. That'll keep your ego in check.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-adams/i-m-one-of-seven-kids-that-ll-keep-your-ego-in-check/) [Amy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-adams/) > [Always keep your ego in check and not be afraid to listen. Listening is a great art form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/always-keep-your-ego-in-check-and-not-be-afraid-to-listen-listening/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [The hard thing for me, and it took me many years to understand, the concept of Hollywood not being a meritocracy - I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-hard-thing-for-me-and-it-took-me-many-years-to-understand-the/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [There's a thing about Hollywood where there are at least a couple of guys that behind closed doors and in small circles we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/there-s-a-thing-about-hollywood-where-there-are-at-least-a-couple-of/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken-2/as-democracy-is-perfected-the-office-of-president-represents-more-and/) [H.L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken-2/) > [Stand-up comedy in the end, unlike the rest of the entertainment industry, is a meritocracy. There's a certain level of undeniability you can work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/stand-up-comedy-in-the-end-unlike-the-rest-of-the-entertainment/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [“This story is not at all an uncommon one in tech circles, including gaming. The popular notion is that women who get ahead must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bailey-poland/this-story-is-not-at-all-an-uncommon-one-in-tech-circles-including/) [Bailey Poland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bailey-poland/) ## More by Suzanne Todd > [That can be undersold, I think, the importance when you're trying to do something good is that everybody understands the director's vision, everybody believes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/that-can-be-undersold-i-think-the-importance-when-you-re-trying-to-do/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [Somebody pointed out to me that there's no horror film on my resume, which is true, but I also don't really go see those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/somebody-pointed-out-to-me-that-there-s-no-horror-film-on-my-resume/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [The hard thing for me, and it took me many years to understand, the concept of Hollywood not being a meritocracy - I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-hard-thing-for-me-and-it-took-me-many-years-to-understand-the/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [I remember somebody had said to me "What're you doing with a movie like Boiler Room? It's all men and you're a woman. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/i-remember-somebody-had-said-to-me-what-re-you-doing-with-a-movie/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [The crazy thing is, I sent out 200 letters and I got one job interview, and I actually got that job, which was working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-crazy-thing-is-i-sent-out-200-letters-and-i-got-one-job-interview/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [I think producing is first about understanding and finding people who understand it in the same way throughout the crew and everybody who's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/i-think-producing-is-first-about-understanding-and-finding-people-who/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [I only worked on that one movie, but then quickly realized that the path of being an assistant director was not gonna get me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/i-only-worked-on-that-one-movie-but-then-quickly-realized-that-the/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [The first thing you do as a producer is you try to understand the director's vision in as deeply a way as you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-first-thing-you-do-as-a-producer-is-you-try-to-understand-the/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [The industry has changed in big ways. When I started making movies, the studios were not all owned by huge conglomerates, so the decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-industry-has-changed-in-big-ways-when-i-started-making-movies-the/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [It takes a number of different skill sets, I think, to try and be a good producer. You have to be very creative, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/it-takes-a-number-of-different-skill-sets-i-think-to-try-and-be-a/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [I think Memento movie was hard because people didn't get it, they just didn't understand it. Not from the stage when we read the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/i-think-memento-movie-was-hard-because-people-didn-t-get-it-they-just/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [There's a thing about Hollywood where there are at least a couple of guys that behind closed doors and in small circles we think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/there-s-a-thing-about-hollywood-where-there-are-at-least-a-couple-of/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [You want to put people together who will work well, and each movie kind of has its own personality in terms of how people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/you-want-to-put-people-together-who-will-work-well-and-each-movie/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [The problem for me is that I just don't often come across material that speaks to me and my TV education. Before we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/the-problem-for-me-is-that-i-just-don-t-often-come-across-material/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [For me and movies - and it is kind of similar to motherhood and raising your children - I always feel like there's more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/for-me-and-movies-and-it-is-kind-of-similar-to-motherhood-and-raising/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) [Explore all 19 Suzanne Todd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) ## More Ego quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm a straight shooter, and most of the time my ego doesn't interrupt my relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-macht/i-m-a-straight-shooter-and-most-of-the-time-my-ego-doesn-t-interrupt/) [Gabriel Macht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-macht/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I hate acting when I see it. I don't want to feel it, I don't want to see it, I want to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-hate-acting-when-i-see-it-i-don-t-want-to-feel-it-i-don-t-want-to/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“... a man doesn't like to have his ego popped, especially when he prides himself on his sagacity, and then to be proved wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/a-man-doesn-t-like-to-have-his-ego-popped-especially-when-he-prides/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) > [Show me success without ego!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/show-me-success-without-ego/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) [Browse all 3,462 Ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think actually that kind of ego check or \"I could do better\" mentality probably serves better in Hollywood, because it's definitely not a meritocracy. You can look at any number of careers and sort of see that they don't really make sense if it was only based on your movies working either creatively or financially. 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