--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The reason that I'm an actor, or an…" description: "\"The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful self-portrai..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg" --- # The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately… ![“The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful self-portrait that you can.” quote by Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg) > “The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful self-portrait that you can.” [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He sees acting and art as a way to explore and express his deepest self, creating a comprehensive self-portrait through performance. **In simple terms:** Acting is self-exploration. Key Takeaway Use art to understand yourself. Themes self‑discovery creativity identity expression Mood introspective inspired Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - the auditions - personal journaling - therapy sessions - creative workshops Key Concepts psychology portraiture artistic process Questions to Reflect On - How does performance reveal hidden aspects of yourself? - What parts of your self‑portrait remain unseen? A Different Perspective Might overlook external influences on identity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Beautiful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beautiful/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self portrait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-portrait/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Seeing that I am so busily occupied with myself just now, I want to try to paint my self-portrait in writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-van-gogh/seeing-that-i-am-so-busily-occupied-with-myself-just-now-i-want-to/) [Vincent Van Gogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-van-gogh/) > [Self-deceit is a most damaging trait. The remedy, for an artist, is to paint a self-portrait!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-kahn/self-deceit-is-a-most-damaging-trait-the-remedy-for-an-artist-is-to/) [Scott Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-kahn/) > [I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frida-kahlo/i-paint-self-portraits-because-i-am-so-often-alone-because-i-am-the/) [Frida Kahlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frida-kahlo/) > [“No one determines your truth but you. You can’t paint your own self-portrait with someone else’s hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/no-one-determines-your-truth-but-you-you-can-t-paint-your-own-self/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [“I often paint self-portraits for it is I that know myself best-Freida Kahlo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-often-paint-self-portraits-for-it-is-i-that-know-myself-best-freida/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A family portrait is only complete with love to fill it's frame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-fesler/a-family-portrait-is-only-complete-with-love-to-fill-it-s-frame/) [Wes Fesler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-fesler/) > [It says in the Bible, in plain words, that God made a self-portrait. He created man in His own image - man and woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thor-heyerdahl/it-says-in-the-bible-in-plain-words-that-god-made-a-self-portrait-he/) [Thor Heyerdahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thor-heyerdahl/) > [When I draw my caricature self-portrait, I always do a huge smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-harris/when-i-draw-my-caricature-self-portrait-i-always-do-a-huge-smile/) [Rolf Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-harris/) > [In a sense, every work you do is a self-portrait because your paintings always reveal more about you than about your subject. Your experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-schmid/in-a-sense-every-work-you-do-is-a-self-portrait-because-your/) [Richard Schmid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-schmid/) > [Painting self-portraits without clothes on has also given me some publicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleo-moore/painting-self-portraits-without-clothes-on-has-also-given-me-some/) [Cleo Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleo-moore/) > [When I look in the mirror, I am slightly reminded of self-portraits by Durer and by Rembrandt, because they both show a degree of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/when-i-look-in-the-mirror-i-am-slightly-reminded-of-self-portraits-by/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Bodybuilding is an art, your body is the canvas, weights are your brush and nutrition is your paint. We all have the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-greene/bodybuilding-is-an-art-your-body-is-the-canvas-weights-are-your-brush/) [Kai Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-greene/) > [My early self-portraits appeared effortlessly and seemed like equivalents for my deeper emotions. Many critics remarked that the images had an almost other-worldly haunting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-tenneson/my-early-self-portraits-appeared-effortlessly-and-seemed-like/) [Joyce Tenneson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-tenneson/) > [THING TO TRY: If you are asked to describe a suspect to a police sketch artist, describe in precise detail, the features of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/thing-to-try-if-you-are-asked-to-describe-a-suspect-to-a-police/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Every job is a self portrait of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-lombardi/unless-you-try-to-do-something-beyond-what-you-have-already-mastered/) [Vince Lombardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-lombardi/) ## More by Terrence Howard > [I found from working on the film that I am a bigot, at times. And that I am also a coward, at times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-found-from-working-on-the-film-that-i-am-a-bigot-at-times-and-that/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [And when I stopped doing that and started thinking about what feels natural and what feels right to me and started pleasing myself, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/and-when-i-stopped-doing-that-and-started-thinking-about-what-feels/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [The difference with Cleveland is that the racial tension was not a casual taste of it. It was outlandish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-difference-with-cleveland-is-that-the-racial-tension-was-not-a/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I've always had a natural fear of the police, or abuse of their power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-ve-always-had-a-natural-fear-of-the-police-or-abuse-of-their-power/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [If evolution works, why are monkeys still around?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/if-evolution-works-why-are-monkeys-still-around/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [The purpose of my life is being a father to my kids and being a husband to my wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-purpose-of-my-life-is-being-a-father-to-my-kids-and-being-a/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [When you hear buzz around the beehive, you know they're making honey in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/when-you-hear-buzz-around-the-beehive-you-know-they-re-making-honey/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I don't think President Obama has been that revolutionary in reaching out to ethnic communities. President Reagan did a lot for the black community…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-don-t-think-president-obama-has-been-that-revolutionary-in-reaching/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [As a child our dreams got scattered all about and all our future prospects got scattered to so many places, and we spend our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/as-a-child-our-dreams-got-scattered-all-about-and-all-our-future/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I want to be the condensation on the glass. I want to be that phenomenon that takes place between hot and cold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-want-to-be-the-condensation-on-the-glass-i-want-to-be-that/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [If you're not going to do your job, get out of here. Don't mess up my work. This is how I feed my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/if-you-re-not-going-to-do-your-job-get-out-of-here-don-t-mess-up-my/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I am an engineer, but what I find important and necessary is that you just learn things as you go along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-am-an-engineer-but-what-i-find-important-and-necessary-is-that-you/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [I like to watch mankind in its futile attempt to understand the unknown, when they don't even understand that which they know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/i-like-to-watch-mankind-in-its-futile-attempt-to-understand-the/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [Sometimes the only way to make palatable that which is appalling and apprehensive is to season it with some humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/sometimes-the-only-way-to-make-palatable-that-which-is-appalling-and/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) > [You just drop a character like this that and the other and it's done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/you-just-drop-a-character-like-this-that-and-the-other-and-it-s-done/) [Terrence Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) [Explore all 62 Terrence Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and the most complete and beautiful self-portrait that you can.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Terrence Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artist-is-ultimately-because-i-m/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artist-is-ultimately-because-i-m/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebf/terrence-howard-10939_actors_the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artis_265567.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reason that I'm an actor, or an artist, is ultimately because I'm trying to paint a self-portrait, and…” — Terrence Howard", "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": "Terrence Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The reason that I'm an actor,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artist-is-ultimately-because-i-m/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-howard/the-reason-that-i-m-an-actor-or-an-artist-is-ultimately-because-i-m/#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 } } ] } ```