Sometimes, the hardest hurdle an actor can overcome is stepping out of their own way. An inflated ego can be detrimental to an actor’s career, both artistically and professionally.

As a star with experience on the stage and screen, Darren McGavin knew just how deadly a big head could be.

On stage, McGavin starred in Broadway productions like My Three Angels. In film, he appeared in Summertime (1955) and A Christmas Story (1983). However, McGavin is perhaps best known as Carl Kolchak, the protagonist of films like The Night Strangler (1973) and the hit television series, The Night Stalker.

With so many incredible productions under his belt, McGavin didn’t just understand how to survive in Hollywood; he knew how to thrive.

According to an interview with the Associated Press, McGavin argued that it didn’t matter how many auditions an actor submitted for, or even how many roles he booked. What truly mattered was whether an actor could separate himself from his ego.

“If an actor can remove himself from that ego necessary to be an actor,” said McGavin, “he can look to the primary responsibility to attend to the intent of the script.”

By freeing themselves of any conceited nature, McGavin argued that an actor’s energy would be freed up to focus on what really mattered: the story. “Some actors can work with other actors, but they can’t help a script because they don’t have a sense of text,” said McGavin. “Each scene is like a building block working toward the resolution of the play. If it is not done right, it destroys the intent.”