--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The actor has the advantage - or the…" description: "\"The actor has the advantage - or the liability - of knowing, \"It's going to be my face up there on the frickin' screen, so I better keep my wits about ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/william-h-macy-3931_actor_the-actor-has-the-advantage-or-the-liabi_706408.jpg" --- # The actor has the advantage - or the liability - of… ![“The actor has the advantage - or the liability - of knowing, "It's going to be my face up there on the frickin' screen, so I better keep my wits about me. Nobody's going to care that I was bad because I was not happy. They're only going to know I'm bad."” quote by William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/william-h-macy-3931_actor_the-actor-has-the-advantage-or-the-liabi_706408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/william-h-macy-3931_actor_the-actor-has-the-advantage-or-the-liabi_706408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a6c/william-h-macy-3931_actor_the-actor-has-the-advantage-or-the-liabi_706408.jpg) > “The actor has the advantage - or the liability - of knowing, "It's going to be my face up there on the frickin' screen, so I better keep my wits about me. Nobody's going to care that I was bad because I was not happy. They're only going to know I'm bad."” [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor must stay alert and authentic, knowing public perception hinges on performance, not personal happiness. **In simple terms:** Stay sharp; performance matters more than personal feelings. Key Takeaway Maintain professionalism on set. Themes performance authenticity public image Mood intense determined Type professional motivational When to use this quote - audition preparation - live performance - media interviews - career planning Key Concepts psychology self-awareness career management Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate personal joy from professional critique? - What strategies keep you grounded under pressure? A Different Perspective Public scrutiny can amplify insecurities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-advantage-5581606/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Face Frickin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-frickin-5581607/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Going Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-face-1390122/) [Know Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-bad/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Liability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liability/) [Not happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-happy/) [Screen Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screen-better-3637863/) [Screens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screens/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/) ## Related quotes > [If you can figure out my success on the screen, you're a better man than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-ladd/if-you-can-figure-out-my-success-on-the-screen-you-re-a-better-man/) [Alan Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-ladd/) > [Hiding behind your phone screen...Better run the other way you playing for the wrong team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludacris/hiding-behind-your-phone-screen-better-run-the-other-way-you-playing/) [Ludacris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludacris/) > [I feel, it is essential to see oneself on-screen so as to be a better judge of one's performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koel-mallick/i-feel-it-is-essential-to-see-oneself-on-screen-so-as-to-be-a-better/) [Koel Mallick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koel-mallick/) > [“A blanket could be used as a TV screen. How? No—why? Even better—why not? Why not wrap yourself up in your favorite TV shows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-as-a-tv-screen-how-no-why-even-better-why-not/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'm not necessarily the guy that's going to get in your face and scream at you or anything like that. I'll say what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dalton/i-m-not-necessarily-the-guy-that-s-going-to-get-in-your-face-and/) [Andy Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dalton/) > [In boxing, you never know who you're going to face in the ring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/in-boxing-you-never-know-who-you-re-going-to-face-in-the-ring/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [Chong said, 'Do yourself a favor, Morg. Next time you're staring at a girl's boobs, look up. You'll be shocked to learn it, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-maberry/chong-said-do-yourself-a-favor-morg-next-time-you-re-staring-at-a-2/) [Jonathan Maberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-maberry/) > [You're going to face adversity. 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I'll be proud of you no matter what today brings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joelle-charbonneau/you-re-going-to-get-up-and-face-whatever-comes-i-ll-be-proud-of-you/) [Joelle Charbonneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joelle-charbonneau/) > [I just believe that whatever you put into your system you're going to see on your face and your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joely-fisher/i-just-believe-that-whatever-you-put-into-your-system-you-re-going-to/) [Joely Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joely-fisher/) ## More by William H. Macy > [Here are the good things about independent films: They do the more interesting, chancy scripts. They're run by love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/here-are-the-good-things-about-independent-films-they-do-the-more/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [Another mistake a director can make is not to be prepared, so you get there on the day to shoot the scene, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/another-mistake-a-director-can-make-is-not-to-be-prepared-so-you-get/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [I don't know if it's fair to say that it's a bad time for movies. It seems to me that throughout the entire history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-fair-to-say-that-it-s-a-bad-time-for-movies-it/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [I do want to do TV, but I'm looking to be a creator, writer, and producer, and perhaps I could be a recurring character.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-do-want-to-do-tv-but-i-m-looking-to-be-a-creator-writer-and/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [We all want to be 20 again and have that first sense of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/we-all-want-to-be-20-again-and-have-that-first-sense-of-love/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [It’s a shame...you just don’t see young people doing anything outside these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/it-s-a-shame-you-just-don-t-see-young-people-doing-anything-outside/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [Talk about putting your money where your mouth is. It's not right. Someone's gotta say it. They said it. I applaud them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/talk-about-putting-your-money-where-your-mouth-is-it-s-not-right/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [I think what all actors share is that, somewhere down in your solar plexus, there's this fear that you're not going to be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-think-what-all-actors-share-is-that-somewhere-down-in-your-solar/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [I don't watch rushes. My whole thing is to try to stay in the moment with the other actor, and to let it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/i-don-t-watch-rushes-my-whole-thing-is-to-try-to-stay-in-the-moment/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [One of the things I did early on in film was over-enunciate and talk too loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/one-of-the-things-i-did-early-on-in-film-was-over-enunciate-and-talk/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [If I like the story and it's well written, and it's a character I want to play and they'll pay me, then I decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/if-i-like-the-story-and-it-s-well-written-and-it-s-a-character-i-want/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [The emotions will take care of themselves. You don't have to prod them along. As a matter of fact, you get in trouble when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/the-emotions-will-take-care-of-themselves-you-don-t-have-to-prod-them/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [Ninety percent of the preparation we do as actors is just jive. It doesn't do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/ninety-percent-of-the-preparation-we-do-as-actors-is-just-jive-it/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [When Fargo came out, I hired a publicist for the first time in my life. I thought, if ever I was going to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/when-fargo-came-out-i-hired-a-publicist-for-the-first-time-in-my-life/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) > [That's pretty much what every scene is about, getting people to see your point of view. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-macy/that-s-pretty-much-what-every-scene-is-about-getting-people-to-see/) [William H. Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) [Explore all 119 William H. Macy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-macy/) ## 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. 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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. 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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": "The actor has the advantage - or the liability - of knowing, \"It's going to be my face up there on the frickin' screen, so I better keep my wits about me. Nobody's going to care that I was bad because I was not happy. They're only going to know I'm bad.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William H. 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