--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Quite often in acting, you have to play a…" description: "\"Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part; you cannot speak as much as you want to speak.\" — Sylvester Stallone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg" --- # Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part… ![“Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part; you cannot speak as much as you want to speak.” quote by Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg) > “Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part; you cannot speak as much as you want to speak.” [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors must sometimes suppress personal expression to serve a role. **In simple terms:** Suppress self to play a part. Key Takeaway Prioritize character over ego. Themes craft discipline self‑control Mood serious instructive Type professional educational When to use this quote - audition - theatre performance - film set Key Concepts method acting role immersion Questions to Reflect On - When should you assert your own voice? - How to balance personal style with role demands? A Different Perspective Risk losing authenticity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-play-618103/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Cannot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cannot/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-speak-4658637/) [Much](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/much/) [Often](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/often/) [Part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite/) [Quite Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quite-acting-4658636/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-speak/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Rapping and wrestling are pretty much the same. It's not quite acting, but it's kind of acting too, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sexyy-red/rapping-and-wrestling-are-pretty-much-the-same-it-s-not-quite-acting/) [Sexyy Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sexyy-red/) > [Playing normal-looking characters really intimidatesme. I got into acting to play anyone but me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/playing-normal-looking-characters-really-intimidatesme-i-got-into/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [I don't do method acting. If I play a farmer, I'm not gonna spend 3 weeks on a chicken farm. That's a bit too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carice-van-houten/i-don-t-do-method-acting-if-i-play-a-farmer-i-m-not-gonna-spend-3/) [Carice van Houten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carice-van-houten/) > [I think that's the great thing about acting: you get to play different characters and enhance one part of yourself to really bring that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/i-think-that-s-the-great-thing-about-acting-you-get-to-play-different/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [That's the beautiful part about acting - you get to play somebody other than yourself. So, I'm open to people who can't sing, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandy-norwood/that-s-the-beautiful-part-about-acting-you-get-to-play-somebody-other/) [Brandy Norwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandy-norwood/) > [I like that, in voice acting, you can play different characters than you can when you're on camera and you're limited by your physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-chabert/i-like-that-in-voice-acting-you-can-play-different-characters-than/) [Lacey Chabert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-chabert/) > [That's the wonderful thing about acting - you play a role. It's about humanity, rather than labeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/that-s-the-wonderful-thing-about-acting-you-play-a-role-it-s-about/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [Sometimes I am kind of the opposite of my character. But that's the thing about acting, you get to play people who are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dakota-fanning/sometimes-i-am-kind-of-the-opposite-of-my-character-but-that-s-the/) [Dakota Fanning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dakota-fanning/) > [I think acting, for me, is about play. It's about time, and it's about feeling, like there's a story to tell and I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-keller/i-think-acting-for-me-is-about-play-it-s-about-time-and-it-s-about/) [Rachel Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-keller/) > [What's wonderful about acting is that you get to play different roles. For instance, in 'Amelie,' I played a young mother. Some of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bolger/what-s-wonderful-about-acting-is-that-you-get-to-play-different-roles/) [Sarah Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bolger/) > [“What's it really like to always be the prettiest person in a room? Dos it mean you're always acting as if in a play,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwood-smith/what-s-it-really-like-to-always-be-the-prettiest-person-in-a-room-dos/) [Sherwood Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwood-smith/) > [Paul Schofield said something like, 'If I'm not acting in a play, I don't really exist.' Those weren't the exact words, but he meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gambon/paul-schofield-said-something-like-if-i-m-not-acting-in-a-play-i-don/) [Michael Gambon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gambon/) > [For me, acting is play. It's just play and it's playing make believe really, really well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anson-mount/for-me-acting-is-play-it-s-just-play-and-it-s-playing-make-believe/) [Anson Mount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anson-mount/) > [Modelling, initially, is interesting. I think acting is a long process and it is far more interesting a job. In acting you play a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-morea/modelling-initially-is-interesting-i-think-acting-is-a-long-process/) [Dino Morea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-morea/) > [My favorite thing about acting is that I can play all kinds of different people. Frankly, I don't consider myself a very interesting person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-kress/my-favorite-thing-about-acting-is-that-i-can-play-all-kinds-of/) [Nathan Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-kress/) ## More by Sylvester Stallone > [I think kids growing up, if they were picked on and feeling inferior at 12, they're going to feel that way at 72. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-kids-growing-up-if-they-were-picked-on-and-feeling-inferior/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I just like stories about redemption about getting a second chance at life, I think everyone in the world has a few major mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-just-like-stories-about-redemption-about-getting-a-second-chance-at/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I am not the richest, smartest or most talented person in the world, but I succeed because I keep going and going and going.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-am-not-the-richest-smartest-or-most-talented-person-in-the-world/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/every-champion-was-once-a-contender-that-refused-to-give-up/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [Plan B. You've always got to have a Plan B.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/plan-b-you-ve-always-got-to-have-a-plan-b/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [“It ain't over till its over”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/it-ain-t-over-till-its-over/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [On the sequel, you've lost the element of surprise. Usually, on the first one you may not go very, very deep into character; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/on-the-sequel-you-ve-lost-the-element-of-surprise-usually-on-the/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [In this day and age, if you're aspiring to be an actor, and you're putting all your eggs in one basket, you could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/in-this-day-and-age-if-you-re-aspiring-to-be-an-actor-and-you-re/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [People asked if I could have played the Terminator. Are you kidding? Not a chance, I never could have played the Terminator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/people-asked-if-i-could-have-played-the-terminator-are-you-kidding/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [Sometimes worst enemies like a Mohammed Ali and Joe Frazier that's what makes you fight so hard. Without them they never would have achieved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/sometimes-worst-enemies-like-a-mohammed-ali-and-joe-frazier-that-s/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [A lot of guys have muscles. A lot of strong men in this world. I think it's important to show that even under all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/a-lot-of-guys-have-muscles-a-lot-of-strong-men-in-this-world-i-think/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [That's the hardest thing about doing sequels - you've lost the element of surprise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/that-s-the-hardest-thing-about-doing-sequels-you-ve-lost-the-element/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I tend to think of action movies as exuberant morality plays in which good triumphs over evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-tend-to-think-of-action-movies-as-exuberant-morality-plays-in-which/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [Adrian: It was Thanksgiving. Rocky: Yeah, to you, but to me it's Thursday, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/adrian-it-was-thanksgiving-rocky-yeah-to-you-but-to-me-it-s-thursday/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I think everyone has questions in their mind. Did they do their very best?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/i-think-everyone-has-questions-in-their-mind-did-they-do-their-very/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) [Explore all 318 Sylvester Stallone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part; you cannot speak as much as you want to speak.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sylvester Stallone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a-certain-part-you-cannot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a-certain-part-you-cannot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/756/sylvester-stallone-966_acting_quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a_2172644.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Quite often in acting, you have to play a certain part; you cannot speak as much as you want to speak.” — Sylvester Stallone", "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": "Sylvester Stallone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Quite often in acting, you have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a-certain-part-you-cannot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/quite-often-in-acting-you-have-to-play-a-certain-part-you-cannot/#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 } } ] } ```