--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Acting is trying to be absolutely…" description: "\"Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually, not only are you not the dean, but if you ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg" --- # Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get… ![“Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually, not only are you not the dean, but if you walked into the building they'd probably throw you out. That's very hard.” quote by Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg) > “Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually, not only are you not the dean, but if you walked into the building they'd probably throw you out. That's very hard.” [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Acting demands complete honesty, convincing audiences of a false identity, which is extremely challenging. **In simple terms:** Acting needs total believability despite deception. Key Takeaway Embrace vulnerability to create truth. Themes performance deception truth challenge Mood anxious determined Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - theatre - film auditions - role preparation - public speaking Key Concepts method acting identity audience perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with character? - What risks arise from over‑identifying with a role? A Different Perspective Audience may reject inauthentic portrayals, limiting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-trying-915256/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-dean-1904683/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dean/) [Dean Actually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dean-actually-1904682/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Truthful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truthful/) [Truthful Audiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truthful-audiences-1904684/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) ## Related quotes > [I believe in Dean Ambrose places I need a Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i-love-dean-amborse/i-believe-in-dean-ambrose-places-i-need-a-believer/) [I LOVE DEAN AMBORSE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/i-love-dean-amborse/) > [I started doing roles and working with people that I really respected and became passionate about the art form of acting. And I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-lerman/i-started-doing-roles-and-working-with-people-that-i-really-respected/) [Logan Lerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-lerman/) > [Well every moment, every project is different. I took a very slow approach to acting, trying to really work with people I could learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-wahlberg/well-every-moment-every-project-is-different-i-took-a-very-slow/) [Mark Wahlberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-wahlberg/) > [It was difficult for me to feel my feelings, so I just buried them. Then I found that acting was a way for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adelaide-kane/it-was-difficult-for-me-to-feel-my-feelings-so-i-just-buried-them/) [Adelaide Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adelaide-kane/) > [When I first started training to be a wrestler I was also trying my hand at acting. I was trying to get into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-daniels/when-i-first-started-training-to-be-a-wrestler-i-was-also-trying-my/) [Christopher Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-daniels/) > [To stay interested in acting, I have to keep trying stuff I've never done before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-lange/to-stay-interested-in-acting-i-have-to-keep-trying-stuff-i-ve-never/) [Jessica Lange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-lange/) > [If I wasn't acting, I would be trying to break into acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colletti/if-i-wasn-t-acting-i-would-be-trying-to-break-into-acting/) [Stephen Colletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colletti/) > [Acting is never done. We're trying to keep it real and make sure that you're entertained and it seems unrehearsed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sizemore/acting-is-never-done-we-re-trying-to-keep-it-real-and-make-sure-that/) [Tom Sizemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sizemore/) > [One of the fun things for me, about acting, is trying to transform. Transformational acting was the reason why I became an actor, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-ross/one-of-the-fun-things-for-me-about-acting-is-trying-to-transform/) [Matt Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-ross/) > [The music I make and the process of acting, for me, are both about trying to understand people and get inside what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riz-ahmed/the-music-i-make-and-the-process-of-acting-for-me-are-both-about/) [Riz Ahmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riz-ahmed/) > [On some level in acting, what you're trying to find is truth, because when it's true is when it's also funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hyde-pierce/on-some-level-in-acting-what-you-re-trying-to-find-is-truth-because/) [David Hyde Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hyde-pierce/) > [I never think about awards or anything like that when I do a job. I was first named a best actor when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-never-think-about-awards-or-anything-like-that-when-i-do-a-job-i/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [When I got out of college, I booked a movie called 'Go for It!' with Lionsgate, came out here, and I've been acting ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-rodriguez/when-i-got-out-of-college-i-booked-a-movie-called-go-for-it-with/) [Gina Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-rodriguez/) > [I'm trying to write truthfully about life, and naturalism, or the way people normally talk in movies, is a convention. The way I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-m-trying-to-write-truthfully-about-life-and-naturalism-or-the-way/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I knew Jimmy Dean. He tested for 'Battle Cry'. Paul Newman tested for 'Battle Cry'. I did nine tests to finally get that role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/i-knew-jimmy-dean-he-tested-for-battle-cry-paul-newman-tested-for/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) ## More by Wallace Shawn > [Acting is an escape from the boring person that I am in real life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-an-escape-from-the-boring-person-that-i-am-in-real-life/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [You can go to a play that is enjoyable because it's funny, and then on the next night you can go to a play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/you-can-go-to-a-play-that-is-enjoyable-because-it-s-funny-and-then-on/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [The actor's role in the community is quite unlike anyone else's. Businessmen, for example, don't take their clothes off or cry in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/the-actor-s-role-in-the-community-is-quite-unlike-anyone-else-s/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [From being a writer of plays, it was not that surprising that somebody thought of giving me a job as an actor. After I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/from-being-a-writer-of-plays-it-was-not-that-surprising-that-somebody/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I have more free time than a lot of individuals, so, instead of talking, I sometimes write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-have-more-free-time-than-a-lot-of-individuals-so-instead-of-talking/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [My personal life is lived as 'me,' but my professional life is lived as other people. In other words, when I go to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/my-personal-life-is-lived-as-me-but-my-professional-life-is-lived-as/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [There's nothing regular about my life at all, really. I don't keep a regular schedule and every day is different. It's all rather chaotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/there-s-nothing-regular-about-my-life-at-all-really-i-don-t-keep-a/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I am recognized a lot for 'Clueless,' but I am recognized a great deal for 'The Princess Bride.' I don't know... maybe everybody who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-am-recognized-a-lot-for-clueless-but-i-am-recognized-a-great-deal/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [Sleep: a poor substitute for caffeine!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/sleep-a-poor-substitute-for-caffeine/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I'm a very lucky man. It's a beautiful thing for a writer, to see people allowing your words to enter their own unconscious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-m-a-very-lucky-man-it-s-a-beautiful-thing-for-a-writer-to-see/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [And my singing, I don't think I could sing Wagner or opera, but I could probably carry a tune. I was in a musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/and-my-singing-i-don-t-think-i-could-sing-wagner-or-opera-but-i-could/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I think I'm trying to write truthfully about life, and naturalism, or the way people normally talk in movies, is a convention. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-think-i-m-trying-to-write-truthfully-about-life-and-naturalism-or/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [I'm trying to write truthfully about life, and naturalism, or the way people normally talk in movies, is a convention. The way I write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/i-m-trying-to-write-truthfully-about-life-and-naturalism-or-the-way/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [When I was first starting to write plays, I quite literally had never heard of the idea of studying playwriting. I wouldn't have studied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/when-i-was-first-starting-to-write-plays-i-quite-literally-had-never/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [When I was a child, I did always feel that people were hiding things, and that they weren't expressing their true feelings. When adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/when-i-was-a-child-i-did-always-feel-that-people-were-hiding-things/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) [Explore all 91 Wallace Shawn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) ## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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": "Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually, not only are you not the dean, but if you walked into the building they'd probably throw you out. That's very hard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wallace Shawn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthful-to-get-audiences-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthful-to-get-audiences-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e4/wallace-shawn-7437_acting_acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthf_975971.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Acting is trying to be absolutely truthful; to get audiences to believe that you are a dean, when, actually…” — Wallace Shawn", "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": "Wallace Shawn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Acting is trying to be absolutely...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthful-to-get-audiences-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/acting-is-trying-to-be-absolutely-truthful-to-get-audiences-to/#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 } } ] } ```