--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I try to think of acting in terms of…" description: "\"I try to think of acting in terms of thinking and doing. People think of it as, \"Oh, let's get inside this guy.\" They think that acting is being, or fe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/tobin-bell-17755_acting_i-try-to-think-of-acting-in-terms-of-thi_2342683.jpg" --- # I try to think of acting in terms of thinking and doing… ![“I try to think of acting in terms of thinking and doing. People think of it as, "Oh, let's get inside this guy." They think that acting is being, or feeling, or emoting. It's as much doing. One of the first things you do as an acting student is ask, "Can you say words and do a task at the same…” quote by Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/tobin-bell-17755_acting_i-try-to-think-of-acting-in-terms-of-thi_2342683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/tobin-bell-17755_acting_i-try-to-think-of-acting-in-terms-of-thi_2342683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd6/tobin-bell-17755_acting_i-try-to-think-of-acting-in-terms-of-thi_2342683.jpg) > “I try to think of acting in terms of thinking and doing. People think of it as, "Oh, let's get inside this guy." They think that acting is being, or feeling, or emoting. It's as much doing. One of the first things you do as an acting student is ask, "Can you say words and do a task at the same time, like sweep a floor?" You get to watch the human condition, and there's always a "doing" aspect of it. This couple, they're carrying backpacks, where are they going? Students? Or are they carrying instruments? It stimulates the imagination. So acting is doing ... and I forget how we got off on that.” [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting blends thought and action; it’s not just feeling but also performing tasks simultaneously to reveal humanity. **In simple terms:** Acting is thinking while doing. Key Takeaway Practice multitasking to deepen performance. Themes acting mind-body creativity Mood reflective inquisitive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - improv exercises - character study Key Concepts method acting cognitive load Questions to Reflect On - How does multitasking affect your authenticity? - Can you separate feeling from doing? A Different Perspective Balancing mental focus and physical action can be overwhelming for beginners. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-doing/) [Acting Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-feeling-3586172/) [Acting Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-student-1225591/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [First things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-things/) [Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Human condition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-condition/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Think Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-acting/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [“But whenever I’m feeling “over it,” that maybe I’ve been at this for too long and it’s all a little bloodless, I know what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/but-whenever-i-m-feeling-over-it-that-maybe-i-ve-been-at-this-for-too/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I just randomly fell into acting. I was so young at the time that I never really thought about acting... After I was into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tye-sheridan/i-just-randomly-fell-into-acting-i-was-so-young-at-the-time-that-i/) [Tye Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tye-sheridan/) > [Recording is more autobiographical than acting. It's me - either how I'm feeling then or once felt at some point in my life. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/recording-is-more-autobiographical-than-acting-it-s-me-either-how-i-m/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I had just arrived in New York from California. I was nineteen years old and excited beyond belief. I was an art student and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/i-had-just-arrived-in-new-york-from-california-i-was-nineteen-years/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [I just wanted to be a composer; I became an actor by default, really. I got a scholarship to a college of music and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/i-just-wanted-to-be-a-composer-i-became-an-actor-by-default-really-i/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [I have a theory about that, if you have to say something, if you have encourage for one second a prospective acting student -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dabney-coleman/i-have-a-theory-about-that-if-you-have-to-say-something-if-you-have/) [Dabney Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dabney-coleman/) > [I fell in love with acting while I was a student at UCLA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-park/i-fell-in-love-with-acting-while-i-was-a-student-at-ucla/) [Randall Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-park/) > [“Had his room been facing west he would have noted the sparkling twenty-five-mile vista to the sea which looks almost like the Mediterranean. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/had-his-room-been-facing-west-he-would-have-noted-the-sparkling/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [“A saving grace of the human condition (if I may phrase it like that) is a sense of humor. Many writers and witnesses, guessing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/a-saving-grace-of-the-human-condition-if-i-may-phrase-it-like-that-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Real inspired acting is never DOING, it is always HAPPENING](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chekhov/real-inspired-acting-is-never-doing-it-is-always-happening/) [Michael Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chekhov/) > [I never went to school to study acting, so I'm doing this purely on feeling, and I give it my all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-goth/i-never-went-to-school-to-study-acting-so-i-m-doing-this-purely-on/) [Mia Goth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-goth/) > [Acting is reacting... there's a magic when you're working with another actor. With voice acting, you're doing it alone, all in your head. So,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-keaton/acting-is-reacting-there-s-a-magic-when-you-re-working-with-another/) [Josh Keaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-keaton/) > [If I wasn't acting or doing stand-up, I would be in animation. Or if I had the discipline I might studies physics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/if-i-wasn-t-acting-or-doing-stand-up-i-would-be-in-animation-or-if-i/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [It's not just about television or films, or acting as a whole. It is all about doing only those things which make you happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vatsal-sheth/it-s-not-just-about-television-or-films-or-acting-as-a-whole-it-is/) [Vatsal Sheth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vatsal-sheth/) > [When I first started getting into acting, I was doing improv in acting class, and I had done a serious monologue and everyone was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/when-i-first-started-getting-into-acting-i-was-doing-improv-in-acting/) [Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/) ## More by Tobin Bell > [The only thing worse than working acting in an airplane is working in a prison - they're cold, and the clanging and the noise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/the-only-thing-worse-than-working-acting-in-an-airplane-is-working-in/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [Halloween is fun, but it wasn't always my favorite holiday. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/halloween-is-fun-but-it-wasn-t-always-my-favorite-holiday-i-think/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [One never wants to do anything that's going to break that 'sculpture of the character' that's been done so far, or make anything that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/one-never-wants-to-do-anything-that-s-going-to-break-that-sculpture/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [All I can do is do my best work, try to create the best kind of moment to moment reality that I can do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/all-i-can-do-is-do-my-best-work-try-to-create-the-best-kind-of-moment/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [Actors have seven tracks going in their minds: They've got all the research they've done for the part, then they have whatever the director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/actors-have-seven-tracks-going-in-their-minds-they-ve-got-all-the/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [An actor puts himself in the hands of a director. And the director's first responsibility, obviously, is to tell the story, but the smallest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/an-actor-puts-himself-in-the-hands-of-a-director-and-the-director-s/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [I've worked with multiple directors throughout the 'Saw' series with a lot of conversations as they bring their particular installment to the screen. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/i-ve-worked-with-multiple-directors-throughout-the-saw-series-with-a/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [One of the interesting things about 'Saw' is that you don't find out about things in sequential or linear order. One of the things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/one-of-the-interesting-things-about-saw-is-that-you-don-t-find-out/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [What's interesting is that you can have a set that's very calm, very smooth, very cooperative... and end up with a terrible movie. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/what-s-interesting-is-that-you-can-have-a-set-that-s-very-calm-very/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > ['Saw VI' has a really interesting theme about the ripple effect. Everything you do affects the guy next to you, which affects the guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/saw-vi-has-a-really-interesting-theme-about-the-ripple-effect/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [Im an actor. The fact that Im involved in Jigsaw, I dont approach Jigsaw any differently than I approached The Nordic in The Firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/im-an-actor-the-fact-that-im-involved-in-jigsaw-i-dont-approach/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [No matter what kind of significance leads you do, you learn a lot from doing schlock. The setup's the same, only you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/no-matter-what-kind-of-significance-leads-you-do-you-learn-a-lot-from/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > ['Saw' is a particularly popular film with 14-30 year olds, so I'll be at a playground and meet six or 10 skateboarders who just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/saw-is-a-particularly-popular-film-with-14-30-year-olds-so-i-ll-be-at/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [There's the moment in 'Saw' where I get up off of the floor at the end. That was shocking, because no one expects it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/there-s-the-moment-in-saw-where-i-get-up-off-of-the-floor-at-the-end/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [Halloween is fun, but it wasnt always my favorite holiday. I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/halloween-is-fun-but-it-wasnt-always-my-favorite-holiday-i-think/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) [Explore all 36 Tobin Bell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) ## 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. 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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": "I try to think of acting in terms of thinking and doing. People think of it as, \"Oh, let's get inside this guy.\" They think that acting is being, or feeling, or emoting. It's as much doing. One of the first things you do as an acting student is ask, \"Can you say words and do a task at the same time, like sweep a floor?\" You get to watch the human condition, and there's always a \"doing\" aspect of it. This couple, they're carrying backpacks, where are they going? Students? Or are they carrying instruments? It stimulates the imagination. 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