--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My background is on the stage, so when…" description: "\"My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.\" — Alan Alda" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png" --- # My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies… ![“My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.” quote by Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png) > “My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.” [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. His theatrical background shapes his screenwriting, making films resemble stage plays in structure and dialogue. **In simple terms:** Stage experience influences his movie scripts. Key Takeaway Leverage your unique background in new mediums. Themes creativity cross‑disciplinary storytelling Mood reflective inspired Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - writing scripts - directing actors - adapting plays for screen Key Concepts theatre film dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How does stage training affect film pacing? - What can film gain from theatrical techniques? A Different Perspective May limit cinematic visual storytelling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Background](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background/) [Background Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background-stage-5855525/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-plays-1584891/) [Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lot/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plays/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Stage Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage-write-2295892/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-movies-400820/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I always like to do serious plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-rae/i-always-like-to-do-serious-plays/) [Charlotte Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-rae/) > [Writing is like acting on stage because when you write you have to make sure that your readers or audiences will really be entertained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/writing-is-like-acting-on-stage-because-when-you-write-you-have-to/) [Christine Mae Sajo Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-mae-sajo-gallego/) > [Film writing and concert writing are two very different things. In film writing I am serving the film and it tells you what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-zigman/film-writing-and-concert-writing-are-two-very-different-things-in/) [Aaron Zigman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-zigman/) > [It's hard to explain why exactly, but I think that when I began writing plays, it was from an actor's point of view more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/it-s-hard-to-explain-why-exactly-but-i-think-that-when-i-began/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [Believe it or not, I write on stage. I can't write anywhere else; I have to be in a moment. I also have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-smoove/believe-it-or-not-i-write-on-stage-i-can-t-write-anywhere-else-i-have/) [J. B. Smoove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-smoove/) > [I can only develop a stand-up show by being on stage. I can't write it. Whenever I see comedy written down, it very rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bishop/i-can-only-develop-a-stand-up-show-by-being-on-stage-i-can-t-write-it/) [John Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bishop/) > [To be really honest, I do not mind whether it is offense or defense. I just like being in on plays and doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-edelman/to-be-really-honest-i-do-not-mind-whether-it-is-offense-or-defense-i/) [Julian Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-edelman/) > [Some people would see a person like me who plays football and be star-struck. From my perspective, I'm just a person, but I'm able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sony-michel/some-people-would-see-a-person-like-me-who-plays-football-and-be-star/) [Sony Michel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sony-michel/) > [I'd like to have one of my plays on Broadway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-shores/i-d-like-to-have-one-of-my-plays-on-broadway/) [Del Shores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/del-shores/) > [I like plays where people talk a lot. Conversation is sustained. Argument is sustained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/i-like-plays-where-people-talk-a-lot-conversation-is-sustained/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I like musicals that look more like plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-timbers/i-like-musicals-that-look-more-like-plays/) [Alex Timbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-timbers/) > [I wrote a lot when I was younger, though never anything like plays or scripts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merritt-wever/i-wrote-a-lot-when-i-was-younger-though-never-anything-like-plays-or/) [Merritt Wever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merritt-wever/) > [I like plays, movies, everything. It doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dorn/i-like-plays-movies-everything-it-doesn-t-matter/) [Michael Dorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dorn/) > [There is no better indication of what the people of any period are like than the plays they go to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-hamilton/there-is-no-better-indication-of-what-the-people-of-any-period-are/) [Edith Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-hamilton/) > [I'd like to do plays, maybe a one man show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-reno/i-d-like-to-do-plays-maybe-a-one-man-show/) [Jean Reno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-reno/) ## More by Alan Alda > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We need to be more conversant with it because science is in our lives. It's in everything. It's in the food we eat. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/we-need-to-be-more-conversant-with-it-because-science-is-in-our-lives/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/when-i-studied-how-to-think-in-school-i-was-taught-that-the-first/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I was brought up as a Catholic, and I'm no longer a Catholic. I don't talk about my beliefs too much in public probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-was-brought-up-as-a-catholic-and-i-m-no-longer-a-catholic-i-don-t/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-mother-didn-t-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe - you can't take a taxi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/originality-is-unexplored-territory-you-get-there-by-carrying-a-canoe/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [M\*A\*S\*H' was a collection of people, in front of and behind the cameras, that really clicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/m-a-s-h-was-a-collection-of-people-in-front-of-and-behind-the-cameras/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively-the-creative-is-the-place-where-no/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [To do a musical takes a tremendous amount of energy because you have to act and sing at the same time. And everything has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/to-do-a-musical-takes-a-tremendous-amount-of-energy-because-you-have/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Be brave enough to live creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/you-can-t-get-there-by-bus-only-by-hard-work-risking-and-by-not-quite/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I used to read science fiction a lot, and I still like science fiction when it is a model of how we really are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-used-to-read-science-fiction-a-lot-and-i-still-like-science-fiction/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Explore all 203 Alan Alda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## More Background quotes > [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [When I was playing piano, it was like, 'I'm going to write a song using all the white keys.' My music director, who knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tesh/when-i-was-playing-piano-it-was-like-i-m-going-to-write-a-song-using/) [John Tesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tesh/) > [I grew up with a religious background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-caruso/i-grew-up-with-a-religious-background/) [Alex Caruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-caruso/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [The way I look at it is, cancer research is absolutely nonpartisan. Cancer is very democratic in the sense that it attacks people regardless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-koch/the-way-i-look-at-it-is-cancer-research-is-absolutely-nonpartisan/) [David H. Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-koch/) > [My first album, 'Get Lifted,' was a hip-hop soul album that had some of its roots in the church, as far as the sonic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/my-first-album-get-lifted-was-a-hip-hop-soul-album-that-had-some-of/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Mark Zuckerberg is a rich white dude from a really privileged background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-sunde/mark-zuckerberg-is-a-rich-white-dude-from-a-really-privileged/) [Peter Sunde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-sunde/) > [Once you know the background of an individual, you can connect better with his or her music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/badshah/once-you-know-the-background-of-an-individual-you-can-connect-better/) [Badshah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/badshah/) > [Al Jazeera is a representation of, you know, diversity in the Arab world. In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [I have no filmi background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wamiqa-gabbi/i-have-no-filmi-background/) [Wamiqa Gabbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wamiqa-gabbi/) > [I have a crazy background in music, both as a performer and writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-itzler/i-have-a-crazy-background-in-music-both-as-a-performer-and-writer/) [Jesse Itzler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-itzler/) > [Maybe it's just my improv and sketch background, but I'm a lot more comfortable in a group. I like sharing focus and populating an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mantzoukas/maybe-it-s-just-my-improv-and-sketch-background-but-i-m-a-lot-more/) [Jason Mantzoukas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mantzoukas/) > [I started my cycling academy to try and get more people from a BAME background into cycling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadeena-cox/i-started-my-cycling-academy-to-try-and-get-more-people-from-a-bame/) [Kadeena Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadeena-cox/) > [A coach's role, effectively speaking, is to stay in the background and let the onus be on the players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shastri/a-coach-s-role-effectively-speaking-is-to-stay-in-the-background-and/) [Ravi Shastri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shastri/) > ['Billy Elliot' embodies the idea that anyone can achieve anything regardless of their socio-economic background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-fellner/billy-elliot-embodies-the-idea-that-anyone-can-achieve-anything/) [Eric Fellner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-fellner/) [Browse all 698 Background quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/background/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Alda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i-d-write-movies-they-d-be-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Background" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i-d-write-movies-they-d-be-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e4b/alan-alda-1859_background_my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i_3185711.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My background is on the stage, so when I'd write movies, they'd be a lot like plays.” — Alan Alda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Alda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My background is on the stage,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i-d-write-movies-they-d-be-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-background-is-on-the-stage-so-when-i-d-write-movies-they-d-be-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```