"I respect people who can do both careers, like Will Smith and a couple of other people who have done it, but I just don't know when they sleep"
About this Quote
Dropped with Will Smith as the marquee example, the quote quietly acknowledges a particular 90s and early-2000s phenomenon: the star as a cross-platform empire, before “content” became a job title. Smith is shorthand for an entertainer engineered to be everywhere at once, backed by teams, timing, and an industry eager to monetize charisma across formats. Kilmer’s respect feels real, but it’s also a wry boundary-setting move. He’s signaling that the cost of doing “both careers” isn’t merely creative; it’s bodily. There’s an implicit skepticism toward the cultural pressure to diversify endlessly, as if choosing one lane is a lack of imagination rather than a sane decision.
The subtext is almost protective: don’t confuse omnipresence with freedom. Behind the admiration is a seasoned actor’s awareness that the most glamorous hustle still runs on exhaustion, and that the audience rarely sees the invoice.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Kilmer, Val. (2026, January 15). I respect people who can do both careers, like Will Smith and a couple of other people who have done it, but I just don't know when they sleep. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-respect-people-who-can-do-both-careers-like-151557/
Chicago Style
Kilmer, Val. "I respect people who can do both careers, like Will Smith and a couple of other people who have done it, but I just don't know when they sleep." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-respect-people-who-can-do-both-careers-like-151557/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I respect people who can do both careers, like Will Smith and a couple of other people who have done it, but I just don't know when they sleep." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-respect-people-who-can-do-both-careers-like-151557/. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.



