--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wasn't thinking about awards or…" description: "\"I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an actor.\" — Tom Payne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg" --- # I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just… ![“I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an actor.” quote by Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg) > “I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an actor.” [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. The speaker values artistic fulfillment over fame or wealth, seeking a sustainable career through acting. **In simple terms:** He wants to earn a living by acting, not chase money or awards. Key Takeaway Prioritize passion and craft over external validation. Themes career art authenticity sustainability Mood reflective determined hopeful Type personal professional inspirational When to use this quote - audition preparation - negotiating contracts - building a portfolio - maintaining financial stability - handling rejection Key Concepts intrinsic motivation artistic integrity livelihood creative work Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance creative integrity with financial needs? - What compromises are acceptable for a sustainable acting career? A Different Perspective Financial pressures can still influence artistic choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Becoming Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming-rich/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Working actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-actor/) ## Related quotes > [What it takes just to earn a living - working two or three jobs - is driving a wedge in families that shouldn't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-t-nelson/what-it-takes-just-to-earn-a-living-working-two-or-three-jobs-is/) [Craig T. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-t-nelson/) > [I don't see much difference between living and working. I think living is a part of my work. People often say, 'How can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-wilson/i-don-t-see-much-difference-between-living-and-working-i-think-living/) [Robert Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-wilson/) > [Life is for living and working at. If you find anything or anybody a bore, the fault is in yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-for-living-and-working-at-if-you-find-anything-or-anybody-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I knew I could make a good living working in the mills, ... I decided I didn't want to fuss with the rest of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-knox/i-knew-i-could-make-a-good-living-working-in-the-mills-i-decided-i/) [Chuck Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-knox/) > [I eat for a living, so working out is definitely part of my job, the same way that the eating, tasting, and drinking is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simmons/i-eat-for-a-living-so-working-out-is-definitely-part-of-my-job-the-2/) [Gail Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simmons/) > [I eat for a living, so working out is definitely part of my job, the same way that the eating, tasting, and drinking is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-simmons/i-eat-for-a-living-so-working-out-is-definitely-part-of-my-job-the/) [Gail Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-simmons/) > [I don't think most people understand that when I wasn't running for president, I was working. Because I have to earn income. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-santorum/i-don-t-think-most-people-understand-that-when-i-wasn-t-running-for/) [Rick Santorum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-santorum/) > [I think it's easier to identify with guys who are just trying to make a living and working day to day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connor-paolo/i-think-it-s-easier-to-identify-with-guys-who-are-just-trying-to-make/) Connor Paolo > [For me, to make a living off of working out is a dream for me. I don't know, I really can't be in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cain-velasquez/for-me-to-make-a-living-off-of-working-out-is-a-dream-for-me-i-don-t/) [Cain Velasquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cain-velasquez/) > [We are accustomed to live in hopes of good weather, a good harvest, a nice love-affair, hopes of becoming rich or getting the office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/we-are-accustomed-to-live-in-hopes-of-good-weather-a-good-harvest-a/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [Modernity needs to understand that being rich and becoming rich are not mathematically, personally, socially, and ethically the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/modernity-needs-to-understand-that-being-rich-and-becoming-rich-are/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Don't forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-edwards/don-t-forget-that-most-men-with-nothing-would-rather-protect-the/) Sherman Edwards > [Men are a thousand times more intent on becoming rich than on acquiring culture, though it is quite certain that what a man IS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/men-are-a-thousand-times-more-intent-on-becoming-rich-than-on/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/most-men-with-nothing-would-rather-protect-the-possibility-of/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Fail is a verb not a noun, most people think that when they fail, they become a noun and call themselves failures. People have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/fail-is-a-verb-not-a-noun-most-people-think-that-when-they-fail-they/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) ## 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 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/) > [I have a new appreciation for how fit martial artists are. There is so much energy being exerted when you fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-have-a-new-appreciation-for-how-fit-martial-artists-are-there-is-so/) [Tom Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) [Explore all 61 Tom Payne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-payne/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Payne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becoming-rich-i-just-wanted-to-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becoming-rich-i-just-wanted-to-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/410/tom-payne-11262_actor_i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becomi_249749.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wasn't thinking about awards or becoming rich. I just wanted to be able to make my living by working as an…” — 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 wasn't thinking about awards or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becoming-rich-i-just-wanted-to-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-payne/i-wasn-t-thinking-about-awards-or-becoming-rich-i-just-wanted-to-be/#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 } } ] } ```