--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think, primarily, acting is like…" description: "\"I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle; the more you get to do it, the bigger that muscle gets.\" — Tom Payne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg" --- # I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle… ![“I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle; the more you get to do it, the bigger that muscle gets.” quote by Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg) > “I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle; the more you get to do it, the bigger that muscle gets.” [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skill development works like muscle training: consistent practice enlarges ability. **In simple terms:** Practice builds strength. Key Takeaway Practice regularly to improve. Themes growth discipline skill development Mood focused optimistic Type educational motivational When to use this quote - learning a language - musical instrument - sports training - public speaking Key Concepts neuroscience habit formation Questions to Reflect On - What skill are you currently exercising? - How do you balance practice with rest? A Different Perspective Over‑practice may lead to burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Muscle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muscle/) ## Related quotes > [I never really planned on making action films. It just kind of happened. I've focused primarily on acting and developing characters, but that has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-snipes/i-never-really-planned-on-making-action-films-it-just-kind-of/) [Wesley Snipes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-snipes/) > [There's a lot to be said for women who want to focus primarily on acting. Other women, on the other hand, aspire to combine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-campbell/there-s-a-lot-to-be-said-for-women-who-want-to-focus-primarily-on/) [Danielle Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-campbell/) > [I have a gym membership, but that's always been more about muscle building for roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-have-a-gym-membership-but-that-s-always-been-more-about-muscle/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [In acting you have to not be yourself. It's like whatever character is put on, you have to just to turn into that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginuwine/in-acting-you-have-to-not-be-yourself-it-s-like-whatever-character-is/) [Ginuwine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginuwine/) > [When I did 'Think Like A Man', I would run into people who were acting like it was the first thing I'd ever done.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romany-malco/when-i-did-think-like-a-man-i-would-run-into-people-who-were-acting/) [Romany Malco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romany-malco/) > [I ain't the captain of the yacht, but I'm on the boat; I ain't acting what I'm not, knowing that I don't. You niggaz…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beanie-sigel/i-ain-t-the-captain-of-the-yacht-but-i-m-on-the-boat-i-ain-t-acting/) [Beanie Sigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beanie-sigel/) > [You’re always a kid around your parents… Unless they’re acting like children. Then you don’t get the chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-re-always-a-kid-around-your-parents-unless-they-re-acting-like/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [That's all TV acting is. Like, let me find my mark and seem like I'm still acting. Sometimes they'll put sandbags there, but then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-benanti/that-s-all-tv-acting-is-like-let-me-find-my-mark-and-seem-like-i-m/) [Laura Benanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-benanti/) > [I feel like with acting it's not like you make a choice - it's kind of in you and you have to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-feel-like-with-acting-it-s-not-like-you-make-a-choice-it-s-kind-of/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [Acting is like peeling an onion. You have to peel away each layer to reveal another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-binoche/acting-is-like-peeling-an-onion-you-have-to-peel-away-each-layer-to/) [Juliette Binoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-binoche/) > [With acting, it's like you form chemistry with different people in different ways, so it's really added even more fun to work, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/with-acting-it-s-like-you-form-chemistry-with-different-people-in/) [Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/) > [No one has it all figured out, especially not the people who are acting like they do and judging you because of it. Pretending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-max/no-one-has-it-all-figured-out-especially-not-the-people-who-are/) [Tucker Max](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-max/) > [“Why are you fighting like this? You're acting like Reece and Ridley.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/why-are-you-fighting-like-this-you-re-acting-like-reece-and-ridley/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“And so you live like this, day after day, striving and fighting simply to become, or even better - to be. Something better, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/and-so-you-live-like-this-day-after-day-striving-and-fighting-simply/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) > [“You're a survivor. Each one of you. And survivors don't have the luxury of acting like regular people. We do what we have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-roy/you-re-a-survivor-each-one-of-you-and-survivors-don-t-have-the-luxury/) [Deanna Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-roy/) ## More by Tom Payne > ['Downton Abbey' is my worst nightmare. I just hate that whole 'Upstairs Downstairs' thing, I think it's really lazy and it doesn't represent England,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/downton-abbey-is-my-worst-nightmare-i-just-hate-that-whole-upstairs/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I've lived in California for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-ve-lived-in-california-for-years/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I had been working in England since 2005 when I left drama school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-had-been-working-in-england-since-2005-when-i-left-drama-school/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [All great leaders choose great advisors, people they really trust for their governance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/all-great-leaders-choose-great-advisors-people-they-really-trust-for/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [Well, conventions are so cool, because I just feel like I'm giving out smiles all day, it's so fun, and you get people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/well-conventions-are-so-cool-because-i-just-feel-like-i-m-giving-out/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I never believe it when people claim they knew they wanted to be actors when they were 4 or 5 years old. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-never-believe-it-when-people-claim-they-knew-they-wanted-to-be/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [There aren't that many actors with hair like this. And Amazon are casting Aragorn and they're doing Interview with the Vampire' on Hulu, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/there-aren-t-that-many-actors-with-hair-like-this-and-amazon-are/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becoming-rich-i-just-wanted-to-be/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I had an audition notice from my agent telling me the fake name of the part with a short description. I knew it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-had-an-audition-notice-from-my-agent-telling-me-the-fake-name-of/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [When you don't know how to fight you tend to put all your energy into one punch. That will tire you out quickly. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/when-you-don-t-know-how-to-fight-you-tend-to-put-all-your-energy-into/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I was on the tube the other day and it was after the Chelsea match and everyone was going crazy screaming across at each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-was-on-the-tube-the-other-day-and-it-was-after-the-chelsea-match/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [When learning boxing and martial arts, there wasn't any fakery in my training. When teaching you the basics of fighting, even though it's faked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/when-learning-boxing-and-martial-arts-there-wasn-t-any-fakery-in-my/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [Honestly, a lot of the time, I'm like, 'Oh, my god, I've got so many lines to learn,' that I have to focus and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/honestly-a-lot-of-the-time-i-m-like-oh-my-god-i-ve-got-so-many-lines/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [There's no difference between a gay person and a heterosexual person at the end of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/there-s-no-difference-between-a-gay-person-and-a-heterosexual-person/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) > [I'm a huge Highlander' fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-m-a-huge-highlander-fan/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) [Explore all 61 Tom Payne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) ## 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": "I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle; the more you get to do it, the bigger that muscle gets.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Payne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working-out-a-muscle-the-more-you/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working-out-a-muscle-the-more-you/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/502/tom-payne-11262_acting_i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working_2056957.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think, primarily, acting is like working out a muscle; the more you get to do it, the bigger that muscle…” — Tom Payne", "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": "Tom Payne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think, primarily, acting is like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working-out-a-muscle-the-more-you/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-think-primarily-acting-is-like-working-out-a-muscle-the-more-you/#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 } } ] } ```