"The more you are in this business, the more humbled by it you become"
About this Quote
Show business sells the fantasy of mastery: land enough roles, win enough awards, and you’ll finally feel in control. Meryl Streep flips that script. Her line isn’t faux-modesty; it’s a veteran’s report from inside a machine that rewards confidence while quietly punishing certainty.
“The more you are in this business” points to duration as a solvent. Time doesn’t simply accumulate skills; it strips away comforting myths about talent as destiny. In acting, every job resets the scoreboard. Your “instrument” is your own nervous system, vulnerable to age, mood, public taste, and the unpredictable chemistry of a set. Streep’s subtext: the longer you work, the clearer it becomes that the craft is never conquered, only negotiated - with directors, scripts, editing rooms, and the invisible hand of timing.
“Humbled by it” also carries an institutional critique. Hollywood runs on hierarchies and glamour, yet the work itself is collaborative and contingent. Even the most celebrated performer depends on lighting, writing, camera angles, and a crew whose names rarely travel. Humility here isn’t self-effacement; it’s accuracy. It’s recognizing how many variables make any “great performance” possible, and how easily they can fail.
Coming from Streep, the sentiment lands with extra bite. If the most decorated actor of her era still feels the business towering over her, the message isn’t to despair. It’s to respect the scale of the thing - and keep showing up with beginner’s mind, because the job refuses to let anyone stay a legend for long.
“The more you are in this business” points to duration as a solvent. Time doesn’t simply accumulate skills; it strips away comforting myths about talent as destiny. In acting, every job resets the scoreboard. Your “instrument” is your own nervous system, vulnerable to age, mood, public taste, and the unpredictable chemistry of a set. Streep’s subtext: the longer you work, the clearer it becomes that the craft is never conquered, only negotiated - with directors, scripts, editing rooms, and the invisible hand of timing.
“Humbled by it” also carries an institutional critique. Hollywood runs on hierarchies and glamour, yet the work itself is collaborative and contingent. Even the most celebrated performer depends on lighting, writing, camera angles, and a crew whose names rarely travel. Humility here isn’t self-effacement; it’s accuracy. It’s recognizing how many variables make any “great performance” possible, and how easily they can fail.
Coming from Streep, the sentiment lands with extra bite. If the most decorated actor of her era still feels the business towering over her, the message isn’t to despair. It’s to respect the scale of the thing - and keep showing up with beginner’s mind, because the job refuses to let anyone stay a legend for long.
Quote Details
| Topic | Humility |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
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