That first year at Universal was a big blur and, naturally, I thought they were wasting me. I didn’t realize at the time that I was learning my craft and acting more easily in front of the camera.

Meaning of the quote

When Kent McCord started working at Universal Studios, he felt like he wasn't doing much and thought they were not using him well. But later, he realized that he was actually learning how to be a better actor and getting more comfortable performing in front of the camera, even though he didn't notice it at the time.

About Kent McCord

Kent McCord, born in 1942, is a retired American actor best known for his role as Officer Jim Reed on the TV series Adam-12. Despite his fame as an actor, he is often referred to by his stage name rather than his birth name, Kent Franklin McWhirter.

More about the author

More quotes from Kent McCord

I think children learn from example. I don’t believe in raising them in an authoritative atmosphere.

Kent McCord

actor

A policeman, as you discover, has to put up with a hell of a lot of abuse. A man in any other line of work would nail a guy who laid that kind of abuse on him. I know I would.

Kent McCord

actor

That first year at Universal was a big blur and, naturally, I thought they were wasting me. I didn’t realize at the time that I was learning my craft and acting more easily in front of the camera.

Kent McCord

actor

Not only that – college doesn’t particularly qualify you for the outside world. he world is changing so fast, and college is not. It should strive to be more in tune with the world.

Kent McCord

actor

Friends, near or far, are important to us. All of ours have an awareness of other persons’ feelings, a courtesy that’s inevitable. When I find that consideration in a fan, I’m immediately impressed.

Kent McCord

actor

A person who cares deeply about what people need in their lives is someone I’ll never forget.

Kent McCord

actor

Instead, most colleges are studies in obsolescence.

Kent McCord

actor

I’ve been lucky – I’ve been an actor for eight years and I’ve never been out of work.

Kent McCord

actor

I noticed that almost everyone I went to college with has worked at something other than the subject they majored in. I guess that’ s one of the reasons for campus unrest.

Kent McCord

actor

Frequently parents forget that children are people. I don’t try to treat Kristen as an adult, but I do try to treat her as a person, with a child’s sensibilities.

Kent McCord

actor

Cynthia and I are very alike in our tastes.

Kent McCord

actor

Some of the greatest writers in our industry can’t get work.

Kent McCord

actor

I’m interested in raw land and trees and fresh air and rivers and lots of animals around them.

Kent McCord

actor

I’ll admit I wanted to be a pilot, originally.

Kent McCord

actor

True friendships don’t fade in Hollywood, as so many myths about show business would have you insist.

Kent McCord

actor

I want my children to live in the country, to be a part of nature.

Kent McCord

actor

Whenever I get a free day, I drive up to some part of California that looks promising on the map.

Kent McCord

actor

If I find what I like, maybe in about five years we’ll be able to afford to build a home in the country.

Kent McCord

actor

I feel that education needs an overhaul – courses are obsolete and grades are on the way out.

Kent McCord

actor

I answer a fan with a hearing heart first.

Kent McCord

actor

I think the most important thing my wife Cynthia and I can do for Kristen is to teach her how to grow up to be a woman and make her own decisions. Meanwhile, we sometimes have to guide her.

Kent McCord

actor

Meanwhile, Cynthia and I are busy fixing up a real old house that we just bought in Hollywood. With two children now, we just couldn’t live in our small rented home any longer.

Kent McCord

actor

I longed to fly. I was paid in flying lessons and, by the time I was 13, I’d logged 100 hours at the controls.

Kent McCord

actor

Well, I grew up in a tough neighborhood.

Kent McCord

actor

I met Cynthia when I was 12, proposed at 16, became engaged at 17, married her at 19 and we had a baby when I was 20. If extra work could pay for a lot of diapers, that was for me.

Kent McCord

actor