--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, you're not working every day…" description: "\"As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes not for long periods of time.\" — Van Heflin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png" --- # As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes… ![“As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes not for long periods of time.” quote by Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png) > “As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes not for long periods of time.” [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting work is irregular, requiring adaptability and patience during downtime. **In simple terms:** Acting is irregular work. Key Takeaway Embrace flexibility and patience. Themes career uncertainty adaptability Mood pragmatic realistic Type advice motivational When to use this quote - Job searching - skill maintenance - financial planning Key Concepts Labor economics creative professions Questions to Reflect On - How do you sustain yourself between gigs? - What strategies keep your craft sharp during idle periods? A Different Perspective Inconsistent work can cause financial strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-working/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Day Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-long/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-periods/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) [Working Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-day-752515/) ## Related quotes > [I'm working out every day. I'm in very good shape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-garner/i-m-working-out-every-day-i-m-in-very-good-shape/) [James Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-garner/) > [I was never really a child actor. I was working sporadically in indie films in Pennsylvania, but I was still living at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-mcdermott/i-was-never-really-a-child-actor-i-was-working-sporadically-in-indie/) [Charlie McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-mcdermott/) > [I look forward to working out every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarence-clemons/i-look-forward-to-working-out-every-day/) [Clarence Clemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarence-clemons/) > [For me, the most important thing is that I feel comfortable with the actor that I'm working with and I'm able to talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/for-me-the-most-important-thing-is-that-i-feel-comfortable-with-the/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [For an actor to be working at all is a kind of miracle, because most actors aren't. So it's just silly for a working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-chamberlain/for-an-actor-to-be-working-at-all-is-a-kind-of-miracle-because-most/) [Richard Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-chamberlain/) > [I think L.A.'s terrific. You fly an hour and a half and you're in the mountains in three feet of powder. I also think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-patterson/i-think-l-a-s-terrific-you-fly-an-hour-and-a-half-and-you-re-in-the/) [Scott Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-patterson/) > [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/) > [As a working-class actor, leaving school with no qualifications, being a printer and then becoming an actor and then working with people who to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-marsan/as-a-working-class-actor-leaving-school-with-no-qualifications-being/) [Eddie Marsan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-marsan/) > [Sometimes, you run into trouble as an actor when you're not working with someone who is collaborative or doesn't bring themselves to the piece,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-peck/sometimes-you-run-into-trouble-as-an-actor-when-you-re-not-working/) [Josh Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-peck/) > [It's hard because there's a little bit of PTSD from when you're a struggling actor, working at a restaurant or living in a garage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-powell/it-s-hard-because-there-s-a-little-bit-of-ptsd-from-when-you-re-a/) [Glen Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-powell/) > [When people are bothering you constantly when you're trying to do just a simple thing that humans do every day but they won't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bob-thornton/when-people-are-bothering-you-constantly-when-you-re-trying-to-do/) [Billy Bob Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bob-thornton/) > [The biggest challenge to being an actor is, when you're not working, just being unemployed: the downtime and not having anything to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/the-biggest-challenge-to-being-an-actor-is-when-you-re-not-working/) [Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/) > [You have to love, without judgment, every actor that you're working with to make beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/you-have-to-love-without-judgment-every-actor-that-you-re-working/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [There's a level of confidence in the actor you're working with that really helps a lot. It makes all the difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-bale/there-s-a-level-of-confidence-in-the-actor-you-re-working-with-that/) [Christian Bale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-bale/) > [There's a perception in the industry that if the actor is not working or has taken a timeout, he or she has left the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshaye-khanna/there-s-a-perception-in-the-industry-that-if-the-actor-is-not-working/) [Akshaye Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshaye-khanna/) ## More by Van Heflin > [An actor doesn't have a regular job. He is dependent upon the roles which are given him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/an-actor-doesn-t-have-a-regular-job-he-is-dependent-upon-the-roles/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [You must remember that I won an Oscar for my role Johnny Eager. Then I went into the Army. But before I did, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/you-must-remember-that-i-won-an-oscar-for-my-role-johnny-eager-then-i/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I have enough money for myself and my children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-have-enough-money-for-myself-and-my-children/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I don't want to work too hard any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-don-t-want-to-work-too-hard-any-more/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [When I was a very young actor, I made a wise move. I invested in the stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/when-i-was-a-very-young-actor-i-made-a-wise-move-i-invested-in-the/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [What I like about the independent field is that an actor can pick his roles and his stories and do them without anyone always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/what-i-like-about-the-independent-field-is-that-an-actor-can-pick-his/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [Being under contract gives you financial and emotional security. But you lose the sense of accomplishment that goes hand in hand with being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/being-under-contract-gives-you-financial-and-emotional-security-but/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [Most fellows learned something about dressing in college. But my fraternity made me stay in the basement whenever we gave a dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/most-fellows-learned-something-about-dressing-in-college-but-my/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I can sit on a boat or a river bank and problems that seemed insurmountable just don't seem that important anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-can-sit-on-a-boat-or-a-river-bank-and-problems-that-seemed/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I certainly don't approve of American actors who go to Europe and run down Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-certainly-don-t-approve-of-american-actors-who-go-to-europe-and-run/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [Every film is a comeback, no matter what I did the last time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/every-film-is-a-comeback-no-matter-what-i-did-the-last-time/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I don't think it's fair to a family to uproot them simply because it's profitable for you to do so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-don-t-think-it-s-fair-to-a-family-to-uproot-them-simply-because-it/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [I believe all conscientious actors feel the same way - that there is too much hurry-scurry in TV to permit a sufficient amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/i-believe-all-conscientious-actors-feel-the-same-way-that-there-is/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [You have to be careful of the pictures you make. You should ask, Will it have universal appeal, will it have an appeal at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/you-have-to-be-careful-of-the-pictures-you-make-you-should-ask-will/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) > [Let's face it. I'm not a personality or the handsome actor type. When you have those God-given assets, you don't have to worry if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/let-s-face-it-i-m-not-a-personality-or-the-handsome-actor-type-when/) [Van Heflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) [Explore all 87 Van Heflin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/) ## 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": "As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes not for long periods of time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Van Heflin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day-and-sometimes-not-for-long/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day-and-sometimes-not-for-long/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1da/van-heflin-7784_actor_as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day_2849084.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As an actor, you're not working every day and sometimes not for long periods of time.” — Van Heflin", "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": "Van Heflin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-heflin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As an actor, you're not working...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day-and-sometimes-not-for-long/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-heflin/as-an-actor-you-re-not-working-every-day-and-sometimes-not-for-long/#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 } } ] } ```