"So we were doing this scene, and the kids get 20 minutes a day, um, so, all I had to do was pick him up out of the incubator and take him out, and that was the whole shot"
About this Quote
The “um” and the plain syntax matter. Burton isn’t performing gravitas; he’s letting the mechanics speak. The subtext is partly humility (this isn’t some Method ordeal, it’s logistics), partly a quiet flex of competence: acting, in this context, means hitting marks while handling a fragile prop that isn’t a prop. The incubator detail spikes the stakes. It suggests a storyline involving illness or prematurity, but Burton frames it as a technical requirement: a single action that has to land cleanly because time is scarce and the baby can’t be pushed for coverage.
Culturally, it’s a peek behind soap-and-daytime craftsmanship, where speed is a badge of honor and emotion is engineered under pressure. The intent isn’t to mythologize acting; it’s to demystify it, and in doing so, it makes the finished scene feel more human, not less.
Quote Details
| Topic | New Dad |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Burton, Steve. (2026, January 15). So we were doing this scene, and the kids get 20 minutes a day, um, so, all I had to do was pick him up out of the incubator and take him out, and that was the whole shot. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-we-were-doing-this-scene-and-the-kids-get-20-168525/
Chicago Style
Burton, Steve. "So we were doing this scene, and the kids get 20 minutes a day, um, so, all I had to do was pick him up out of the incubator and take him out, and that was the whole shot." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-we-were-doing-this-scene-and-the-kids-get-20-168525/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"So we were doing this scene, and the kids get 20 minutes a day, um, so, all I had to do was pick him up out of the incubator and take him out, and that was the whole shot." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/so-we-were-doing-this-scene-and-the-kids-get-20-168525/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
