--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm an actor, I'm always looking for…" description: "\"I'm an actor, I'm always looking for work. I was born to do that.\" — Tommy Lee Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/390/tommy-lee-jones-9811_actor_i-m-an-actor-i-m-always-looking-for-work_3022496.jpg" --- # I'm an actor, I'm always looking for work. I was born to… ![“I'm an actor, I'm always looking for work. I was born to do that.” quote by Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/390/tommy-lee-jones-9811_actor_i-m-an-actor-i-m-always-looking-for-work_3022496.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/390/tommy-lee-jones-9811_actor_i-m-an-actor-i-m-always-looking-for-work_3022496.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/390/tommy-lee-jones-9811_actor_i-m-an-actor-i-m-always-looking-for-work_3022496.jpg) > “I'm an actor, I'm always looking for work. I was born to do that.” [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting is a lifelong vocation; work is a constant pursuit. **In simple terms:** Acting is a perpetual job hunt. Key Takeaway Treat your craft as a continuous quest. Themes career passion persistence Mood motivational realistic Type career psychological When to use this quote - audition preparation - networking - self‑branding Key Concepts artistic identity job market Questions to Reflect On - How do you sustain motivation in a volatile field? - What defines success beyond constant work? A Different Perspective Industry instability can cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Looking for work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking-for-work/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [As a struggling actor, you're not looking for parts that define you; you're just looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-damon/as-a-struggling-actor-you-re-not-looking-for-parts-that-define-you/) [Matt Damon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-damon/) > [If I'm in L.A. for longer than 20 days, I'm looking for work, because I don't do vacations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-i-m-in-l-a-for-longer-than-20-days-i-m-looking-for-work-because-i/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I'm taking my own time but I don't want to just relax either. Also, when you're looking for work, everybody approaches you, but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-khan/i-m-taking-my-own-time-but-i-don-t-want-to-just-relax-either-also/) [Sana Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-khan/) > [We have to create jobs but also make sure that those who are looking for work aren't just left without any assistance whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sander-levin/we-have-to-create-jobs-but-also-make-sure-that-those-who-are-looking/) [Sander Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sander-levin/) > [It had always been a dream of mine to come to New York to work. Coming to New York and looking for work is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karine-vanasse/it-had-always-been-a-dream-of-mine-to-come-to-new-york-to-work-coming/) [Karine Vanasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karine-vanasse/) > [Well, I've always just - I've never really gone out looking for work. I always waited for it to sort of hit me on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/well-i-ve-always-just-i-ve-never-really-gone-out-looking-for-work-i/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [My hands are full. I am a workaholic. So, I am always looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satish-kaushik/my-hands-are-full-i-am-a-workaholic-so-i-am-always-looking-for-work/) [Satish Kaushik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satish-kaushik/) > [There are Universes begging for Gods, yet he hangs around this one looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-jose-farmer/there-are-universes-begging-for-gods-yet-he-hangs-around-this-one/) [Philip Jose Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-jose-farmer/) > [I'm OK with being the Old Spice Guy because before I was the Old Spice Guy I was the guy looking for work on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-mustafa/i-m-ok-with-being-the-old-spice-guy-because-before-i-was-the-old/) [Isaiah Mustafa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-mustafa/) > [“Looking for work sounds almost as bad as finding it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-black/looking-for-work-sounds-almost-as-bad-as-finding-it/) [Bob Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-black/) > [Nobody is looking for work who doesn't need work. That's why we look for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-adams/nobody-is-looking-for-work-who-doesn-t-need-work-that-s-why-we-look/) [Neal Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-adams/) > [I'm always looking for work. There are only two states of being an actor, so if I'm not working, I'm looking for employment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-o-quinn/i-m-always-looking-for-work-there-are-only-two-states-of-being-an/) [Terry O'Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-o-quinn/) > [In the afterlife you don't have to worry about looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-wood/in-the-afterlife-you-don-t-have-to-worry-about-looking-for-work/) [Ed Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-wood/) > [Every month, we get the reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that say even more people have given up looking for work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/every-month-we-get-the-reports-from-the-bureau-of-labor-statistics/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/a-lot-of-people-quit-looking-for-work-as-soon-as-they-find-a-job/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) ## More by Tommy Lee Jones > [The world's not a very comfortable place if you have a nightmare to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/the-world-s-not-a-very-comfortable-place-if-you-have-a-nightmare-to/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I'm always happy to have a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-m-always-happy-to-have-a-job/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I don't see people as groups, I see them as individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-don-t-see-people-as-groups-i-see-them-as-individuals/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I personally don't live a nihilistic life, I don't have any use for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-personally-don-t-live-a-nihilistic-life-i-don-t-have-any-use-for-it/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I think that no matter how much you don't like yourself or the drama of your life you can still find some comedy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-think-that-no-matter-how-much-you-don-t-like-yourself-or-the-drama/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [No director wants to be directed, but no good director... would shy away from the good ideas of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/no-director-wants-to-be-directed-but-no-good-director-would-shy-away/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I fear other actors who are not prepared. And I fear directors who are afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-fear-other-actors-who-are-not-prepared-and-i-fear-directors-who-are/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I don't play just villains. I like to have parts that are not simply villains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-don-t-play-just-villains-i-like-to-have-parts-that-are-not-simply/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [If you don't hurt anybody or try to steal anything, you'll be fine in the South.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/if-you-don-t-hurt-anybody-or-try-to-steal-anything-you-ll-be-fine-in/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [I try as hard as I can for everything to be different from one movie to the next.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/i-try-as-hard-as-i-can-for-everything-to-be-different-from-one-movie/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [As an actor I want to do as many takes as I can. I wanna shoot the scene... or shoot the shot 'til they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/as-an-actor-i-want-to-do-as-many-takes-as-i-can-i-wanna-shoot-the/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [Partnerships are good engines for narrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/partnerships-are-good-engines-for-narrative/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [Ethnic stereotypes are boring and stressful and sometimes criminal. It's just not a good way to think. It's non-thinking. It's stupid and destructive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/ethnic-stereotypes-are-boring-and-stressful-and-sometimes-criminal-it/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [As a child of West Texas, I identify with Hispanic culture every bit as much as I do North American culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/as-a-child-of-west-texas-i-identify-with-hispanic-culture-every-bit/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) > [If you want to know about my politics, the only way to do that is to look at my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-lee-jones/if-you-want-to-know-about-my-politics-the-only-way-to-do-that-is-to/) [Tommy Lee Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) [Explore all 70 Tommy Lee Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-lee-jones/) ## 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'm an actor, I'm always looking for work. 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