--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to prove a point. That point is…" description: "\"I want to prove a point. That point is, actors are artists, not narcissists necessarily\" — William Hurt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/william-hurt-15668_actors_i-want-to-prove-a-point-that-point-is-ac_1391264.jpg" --- # I want to prove a point. That point is, actors are… ![“I want to prove a point. That point is, actors are artists, not narcissists necessarily” quote by William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/william-hurt-15668_actors_i-want-to-prove-a-point-that-point-is-ac_1391264.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/william-hurt-15668_actors_i-want-to-prove-a-point-that-point-is-ac_1391264.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f1/william-hurt-15668_actors_i-want-to-prove-a-point-that-point-is-ac_1391264.jpg) > “I want to prove a point. That point is, actors are artists, not narcissists necessarily” [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors create art, not merely feed ego; their work reflects genuine expression. **In simple terms:** Actors are artists, not narcissists. Key Takeaway Respect the craft over the ego. Themes art ego identity Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre - film - creative professions Key Concepts performance self-perception Questions to Reflect On - Do you separate the artist from the art? - How does ego influence creative work? A Different Perspective Some may still act out of self‑interest despite artistic intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Narcissist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/narcissist/) ## Related quotes > [People accuse artists of being narcissists - of course we are! If we don't like ourselves, who's going to like us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoko-ono/people-accuse-artists-of-being-narcissists-of-course-we-are-if-we-don/) [Yoko Ono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoko-ono/) > [A lot of artists are such narcissists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/a-lot-of-artists-are-such-narcissists/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [I think at a certain point actors need to start taking responsibility for the kinds of stories they want to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ritter/i-think-at-a-certain-point-actors-need-to-start-taking-responsibility/) [Jason Ritter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ritter/) > [David Cronenberg knows what we actors do as artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/david-cronenberg-knows-what-we-actors-do-as-artists/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [The reason actors, artists, writers have agents is because we'll do it for nothing. That's a basic fact - you gotta do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/the-reason-actors-artists-writers-have-agents-is-because-we-ll-do-it/) [Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/) > [I think that some of the writing, directing, and the content is better than a lot of movies sometimes. Actors, well artists in general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-di-novi/i-think-that-some-of-the-writing-directing-and-the-content-is-better/) [Denise Di Novi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-di-novi/) > [A lot of actors, and artists in general, never feel secure in love. They always feel everything's going to be taken away from them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvester-stallone/a-lot-of-actors-and-artists-in-general-never-feel-secure-in-love-they/) [Sylvester Stallone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvester-stallone/) > [I admire actors and artists who devote just as much time to their life as they do to their work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-gyllenhaal/i-admire-actors-and-artists-who-devote-just-as-much-time-to-their/) [Jake Gyllenhaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-gyllenhaal/) > [When you're actually talented, and you have something to offer, people start to look at you for you as opposed to who you're the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-cassidy/when-you-re-actually-talented-and-you-have-something-to-offer-people/) [Katie Cassidy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-cassidy/) > [Authors and actors and artists and such - Never know nothing, and never know much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/authors-and-actors-and-artists-and-such-never-know-nothing-and-never/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [People are very uncomfortable when you call actors artists because there are a lot of actors out there that aren't artists - there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-gavaris/people-are-very-uncomfortable-when-you-call-actors-artists-because/) [Jordan Gavaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-gavaris/) > [“The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is the reference manual used by mental health professionals to diagnose psychological problems, defines the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/the-diagnostic-and-statistical-manual-of-mental-disorders-which-is/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [The other theory of the case - and it's not just one that people opposed to him politically believe, but also people who share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/the-other-theory-of-the-case-and-it-s-not-just-one-that-people/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [I don't know if my mother was a narcissist - or bi-polar or borderline. Those were words she tossed around over the years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ariel-gore/i-don-t-know-if-my-mother-was-a-narcissist-or-bi-polar-or-borderline/) [Ariel Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ariel-gore/) > [Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) cannot be medicated. It is treatable only through therapy. The problem is therapy is rarely sought by the afflicted. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-dunn/narcissistic-personality-disorder-npd-cannot-be-medicated-it-is/) [Andy Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-dunn/) ## More by William Hurt > [Not to be offensive, not to be capricious, not to be arbitrary, not to be neurotic, not to be an actor outer, you're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/not-to-be-offensive-not-to-be-capricious-not-to-be-arbitrary-not-to/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [The perfection in theater is that it's over the second it's done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/the-perfection-in-theater-is-that-it-s-over-the-second-it-s-done/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [Great risks come in long term, tremendously assiduous, very courageous study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/great-risks-come-in-long-term-tremendously-assiduous-very-courageous/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I very much prefer the balance in a scene to standing out and so you have to make a decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/i-very-much-prefer-the-balance-in-a-scene-to-standing-out-and-so-you/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [David Cronenberg knows what we actors do as artists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/david-cronenberg-knows-what-we-actors-do-as-artists/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [It was the moment I learned acting is not acting out. After that light went on, I spent the rest of my life trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/it-was-the-moment-i-learned-acting-is-not-acting-out-after-that-light/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I was a science fiction junkie for a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/i-was-a-science-fiction-junkie-for-a-long-time/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [Also CSPAN is really the great treasure of the media as far as getting information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/also-cspan-is-really-the-great-treasure-of-the-media-as-far-as/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I was held hostage and almost executed by a man who was robbing us in the middle of the night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/i-was-held-hostage-and-almost-executed-by-a-man-who-was-robbing-us-in/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [If you're lucky, and not a lot of actors are these days, you get the chance to create a character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/if-you-re-lucky-and-not-a-lot-of-actors-are-these-days-you-get-the/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [The thing is David is also aware of everything and it's not like you're going somewhere the director is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/the-thing-is-david-is-also-aware-of-everything-and-it-s-not-like-you/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [What's really frustrating with movies is the lack of improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/what-s-really-frustrating-with-movies-is-the-lack-of-improvement/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [The thing is, I don't believe in most of what's done. The amount of financial and imaginative energy that's put into mediocrity is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/the-thing-is-i-don-t-believe-in-most-of-what-s-done-the-amount-of/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [I listen to XM radio because I can get so many overseas news stations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/i-listen-to-xm-radio-because-i-can-get-so-many-overseas-news-stations/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) > [You don't look at it as the size of the role. Quantity is not the point. You can be as thorough in 30 seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hurt/you-don-t-look-at-it-as-the-size-of-the-role-quantity-is-not-the/) [William Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) [Explore all 42 William Hurt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hurt/) ## 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 want to prove a point. 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