"You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself"
About this Quote
The line works because it's less about craft than about permission. "Reach in" suggests an inner life that the public might not grant a model by default. Welling isn't describing technique; he's describing the relief of being read as someone with depth. The contrast between "your picture taken" and "show a little bit more of yourself" is almost comically blunt, but that bluntness is the point. He's translating a career pivot into moral narrative: passive object vs. active subject.
The context matters: Welling's fame is inseparable from his looks, especially in the early-2000s star-making machine of TV and teen magazines. In that era, acting credibility was something you had to earn loudly if you started as a face. His phrasing is modest ("a little bit more"), but the subtext is big: let me be more than an image you consume.
Quote Details
| Topic | Career |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Welling, Tom. (2026, January 16). You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-one-of-the-things-about-going-from-119733/
Chicago Style
Welling, Tom. "You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-one-of-the-things-about-going-from-119733/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"You know one of the things about going from modeling to acting is it's so much more fulfilling. With modeling, you get your picture taken, which is great, good for you, you know? But in acting, you're able to reach in and show a little bit more of yourself." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/you-know-one-of-the-things-about-going-from-119733/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.






