"My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you"
About this Quote
The mom detail matters. It softens the hard-edged action-star persona and reframes his origin story as something handed down, almost like a family tool kit. In celebrity storytelling, that move is shrewd: it makes ambition feel grounded, even wholesome, while keeping the focus on work, not privilege. The casual diction - “a guy named,” “I gotta credit,” “cuz” - is doing cultural work too. Diesel positions himself as someone who learned by doing and talking, not by theory or pedigree.
When he says the advice is “practical,” he’s also throwing a small punch at the mystique of Hollywood: the idea that success is about waiting for discovery, the right network, the right room. “It empowers you” is the key phrase, because empowerment here isn’t self-care language; it’s autonomy. It’s the promise that with a camera, a plan, and enough nerve, you can build your own on-ramp to the industry. That’s the subtext: you don’t audition for agency - you manufacture it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Book |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Diesel, Vin. (2026, January 16). My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-gave-me-this-book-called-feature-films-113933/
Chicago Style
Diesel, Vin. "My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-gave-me-this-book-called-feature-films-113933/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My mother gave me this book called Feature Films at Used Car Prices by a guy named Rick Schmidt. I gotta credit the guy, cuz he gave me the most practical advice. It empowers you." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-mother-gave-me-this-book-called-feature-films-113933/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.





