"I just feel like if I do good work, then people should respect me for the work I do"
About this Quote
The intent is straightforward: separate craft from celebrity. But the subtext is a quiet frustration with the way actors are evaluated on everything but craft. "I just feel like" softens the demand, signaling self-awareness: he knows the world doesn't actually run on fair exchanges. The phrase "people should" is the tell - it's a normative claim, not a description of reality. He's sketching the society he'd prefer, where the audience isn't a jury of vibes.
Context matters, too. Caan sits in a particular cultural lane: recognizable, working, often in ensemble projects, carrying the kind of fame that invites constant comparison and sideways commentary. The quote reads like a boundary: judge the performance, not the brand. It works because it's both modest and loaded, a plea for professionalism that doubles as a critique of a culture that treats respect as something you win through visibility, not competence.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Caan, Scott. (2026, January 16). I just feel like if I do good work, then people should respect me for the work I do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-feel-like-if-i-do-good-work-then-people-103009/
Chicago Style
Caan, Scott. "I just feel like if I do good work, then people should respect me for the work I do." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-feel-like-if-i-do-good-work-then-people-103009/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I just feel like if I do good work, then people should respect me for the work I do." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-just-feel-like-if-i-do-good-work-then-people-103009/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.








