My problem was I let myself become known before I knew myself.
Meaning of the quote
The quote means that Elliott Gould became famous and people knew a lot about him before he fully understood himself. He became well-known too quickly, before he had the chance to figure out who he really was. This led to problems for him, because he didn't have a clear sense of his own identity when others already knew so much about him.
About Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor best known for his breakthrough role in the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination. He continued his acclaimed work with director Robert Altman in MASH and other films. Gould has maintained a successful acting career across film, television, and theater for over 50 years.
More quotes from Elliott Gould
I find it so easy to get distracted – I try not to do more than one thing at any one time.
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I was changing a light bulb over Groucho Marx’s bed, so I took my shoes off, got on his bed and changed the bulb. When I got off the bed he said: ‘That’s the best acting you’ve ever done.’
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There’s nothing more arrogant or conceited than youth, and there’s nothing other than machinery that can replace youth.
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My problem was I let myself become known before I knew myself.
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My greatest fear is to be misunderstood.
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