"There was no entertainment industry at all in Spokane, Washington, where I was raised. When I was 12, this movie came to town randomly, and I begged my parents to let me audition"
About this Quote
The line works because it’s doing two things at once: mythmaking and accountability. “Randomly” signals fate, but “I begged my parents” brings it back to gritty reality. A 12-year-old doesn’t have an agent, a network, a car, or even permission. The subtext is that talent is never the only gate; family buy-in and logistical support are part of the price of entry. Sweeney’s choice to spotlight her parents isn’t just gratitude - it’s a subtle reminder that many would-be actors never get past that first locked door.
Contextually, it’s also a smart move in a culture that’s skeptical of neatly packaged celebrity backstories. This isn’t “I always knew”; it’s “I saw a crack in the wall and forced it open.” The intent is to claim legitimacy through distance: she didn’t come from the machine, she found the machine by accident, then fought to step inside it.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sweeney, Sydney. (2026, January 11). There was no entertainment industry at all in Spokane, Washington, where I was raised. When I was 12, this movie came to town randomly, and I begged my parents to let me audition. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-no-entertainment-industry-at-all-in-183757/
Chicago Style
Sweeney, Sydney. "There was no entertainment industry at all in Spokane, Washington, where I was raised. When I was 12, this movie came to town randomly, and I begged my parents to let me audition." FixQuotes. January 11, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-no-entertainment-industry-at-all-in-183757/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There was no entertainment industry at all in Spokane, Washington, where I was raised. When I was 12, this movie came to town randomly, and I begged my parents to let me audition." FixQuotes, 11 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-no-entertainment-industry-at-all-in-183757/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







