I have a theory about that, if you have to say something, if you have encourage for one second a prospective acting student – he should not go in to acting.

Meaning of the quote

The quote suggests that if someone is considering becoming an actor, it's best not to encourage them. The speaker believes that if you have to say anything to convince a potential acting student to pursue that career, then they probably shouldn't become an actor. The idea is that acting may not be the right choice for everyone, and it's better to be honest about that rather than try to persuade someone to take up acting.

About Dabney Coleman

Dabney Coleman was an acclaimed American actor known for portraying egomaniacal and unlikeable characters in comedies. He had an extensive career, appearing in over 175 films and TV shows, and winning awards for both comedic and dramatic performances. Some of his most notable roles were in movies like 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, and Tootsie, as well as TV shows like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Boardwalk Empire.

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More quotes from Dabney Coleman

When I go to where I was getting excellent parts in movies I may have taken a few too soon, too anxious to go back to work and to anxious to make another film and to succeed more.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

But it is a hard, it’s a hard profession teaching acting.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I have a theory about that, if you have to say something, if you have encourage for one second a prospective acting student – he should not go in to acting.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

And it just made me realize again because I have know it for some time, that you never get comfortable in this. No matter who you are. No matter who… how successful you are.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

The career doesn’t get any easier. A career stays tough.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

But it was this tough little character part that I was playing, a very funny little guy that I invented over a weekend, because I realized I was not contributing to the humor of this thing. And I had to do something.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

Well Sid Pollack was… He was I would say probably, probably the most influential on me.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

It takes a lot of energy to teach.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

To tell you the truth I am hard put to think of anyone who’s career was affected significantly by making all those phone calls and I must be wrong. I must be wrong! Because it has just got to pay off!

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

But movies as much as anything developed what I thought was right and wrong, what was honorable, what wasn’t, what was funny what wasn’t… what had some depth to it, what didn’t.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I work with Sally and I can see Sally doing that. She is very aggressive. Very fun loving and charming… and pushy in a very competitive way and a very healthy way and a very good actress.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I didn’t have any extra money. But I can’t say that I had a hard early career.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

No not pigeon holed me as an actor, or as a character, or as to what I could do – but what I would do… and the fact is the things you don’t do are almost as important as as the things that you do.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I did two or three plays every summer.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

There is something about New York City that in and of itself is so theatrical hat I use to think… I use to feel when I walked out of my apartment on the way to school or anywhere that I was walking out on stage.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

The next night I got on an airplane, and flew to New York and looked into acting schools. Four or five acting schools. One of which was the Neighborhood Playhouse, which I started at six months there after.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I was very lucky in as much as I played a lot of tennis.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I think that you get something for your acting from almost anything you do.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I think is very beneficial to relax yourself so that when you are doing it you are not staggering for lines and your concentration is not on what I am going to say – but the scene itself, the character that you are talking to.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I’m convinced that the place, if you have your druthers, to go to have that experience is New York City.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

But I did make some money doing commercials. I did fourteen in one year.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)

I have worked with some great directors.

Dabney Coleman

American actor (1932-2024)