--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To direct actors is difficult. To direct…" description: "\"To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another language is more difficult, but directing non-actors in another language is one of the crazi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg" --- # To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another… ![“To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another language is more difficult, but directing non-actors in another language is one of the craziest things that I have done and one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.” quote by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg) > “To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another language is more difficult, but directing non-actors in another language is one of the craziest things that I have done and one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.” [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directing actors is hard; doing so in a foreign language with non‑actors is extremely challenging yet highly rewarding. **In simple terms:** Directing non‑actors in another language is tough but fulfilling. Key Takeaway Embrace difficulty for greater creative reward. Themes film direction language challenge reward Mood intense fulfilling reflective Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - foreign film sets - multilingual theater - workshops with non‑actors - training sessions - team building Key Concepts cross‑cultural communication leadership creative risk empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you build trust with non‑actors quickly? - What techniques help bridge language gaps in direction? A Different Perspective Success depends on clear communication and patience, not just language skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-language-4056243/) [Another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/another/) [Craziest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/craziest/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Directing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-directing-4056242/) [Direct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct/) [Direct Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direct-actors-601516/) [Directing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing/) [Directing Non](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing-non-4056244/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiences/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/most/) [Rewarding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewarding/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) ## Related quotes > [Directing non-actors is difficult. Directing actors in a foreign language is even more difficult. Directing non-actors in a language that you yourself don't understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/directing-non-actors-is-difficult-directing-actors-in-a-foreign/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Sometimes it's difficult directing yourself on film because you can't quite separate yourself from the subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/sometimes-it-s-difficult-directing-yourself-on-film-because-you-can-t/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [People think that the directors direct actors. No. Really, what the director's doing is directing the audience's eye through the film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/people-think-that-the-directors-direct-actors-no-really-what-the/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Truthfully, most directors don't direct actors. Every actor is different, so when you're asked, "How do you approach an actor?," it depends on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landis/truthfully-most-directors-don-t-direct-actors-every-actor-is/) [John Landis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landis/) > [As an actor, I had noticed very vividly that very few directors know how to direct actors because they haven't done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-wright/as-an-actor-i-had-noticed-very-vividly-that-very-few-directors-know/) [Robin Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-wright/) > [Directing myself definitely made me a better actor. And, you know, I think actors have the best track record when they turn to directing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-dillon/directing-myself-definitely-made-me-a-better-actor-and-you-know-i/) [Matt Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-dillon/) > [I would love to be able to get behind the camera and direct actors. I think that would be a lot of fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hanks/i-would-love-to-be-able-to-get-behind-the-camera-and-direct-actors-i/) [Colin Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hanks/) > [If you're working with a director you trust, you can turn that part of you off that wants to direct other actors in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cera/if-you-re-working-with-a-director-you-trust-you-can-turn-that-part-of/) [Michael Cera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cera/) > [I thought I'd make a really great director because I'm an actor. Like, I thought I could really direct actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-morgan/i-thought-i-d-make-a-really-great-director-because-i-m-an-actor-like/) [Joseph Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-morgan/) > [I like to work with actors that have varied experiences. But I don't choose them because of their experience, I choose them because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jarmusch/i-like-to-work-with-actors-that-have-varied-experiences-but-i-don-t/) [Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jarmusch/) > [I like to direct landscapes just as I like to direct actors and animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/i-like-to-direct-landscapes-just-as-i-like-to-direct-actors-and/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [I don't like to direct the actors by telling them what to do. If anything, it's reminding them where they are in the movie,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake-doremus/i-don-t-like-to-direct-the-actors-by-telling-them-what-to-do-if/) [Drake Doremus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake-doremus/) > [I try to direct myself the way I direct the other actors who come on my show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-adlon/i-try-to-direct-myself-the-way-i-direct-the-other-actors-who-come-on/) [Pamela Adlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-adlon/) > [I don't usually direct actors in the classic sense of that word. Instead, I try to remind the characters before the shoot what's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-don-t-usually-direct-actors-in-the-classic-sense-of-that-word/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [Fly-fishing for wild trout on quiet waters must be one of the toughest and craziest ways to catch fish ever invented by man, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-voelker/fly-fishing-for-wild-trout-on-quiet-waters-must-be-one-of-the/) [John D. Voelker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-voelker/) ## More by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Life and death are illusions. We are in a constant state of transformation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/life-and-death-are-illusions-we-are-in-a-constant-state-of/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I think the most experimental way to a film is to tell the story the traditional way, because everyone is doing the other thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-think-the-most-experimental-way-to-a-film-is-to-tell-the-story-the/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [Time starts out as a notion. But after you turn fifty, time is not a notion anymore but a fact that you start feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/time-starts-out-as-a-notion-but-after-you-turn-fifty-time-is-not-a/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I think bad movies are made around the world, not just in Hollywood. There are as many bad art films in the whole world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-think-bad-movies-are-made-around-the-world-not-just-in-hollywood/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [ How can \[actors\] learn their lines and be honest in front of 30 people and all the lights? It makes me cry sometimes. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/how-can-actors-learn-their-lines-and-be-honest-in-front-of-30-people/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I love the three-act theory. It works and works beautifully. But you don't necessarily have to structure a story that way: Cortazar and Borges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-love-the-three-act-theory-it-works-and-works-beautifully-but-you/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [3D is the way we experience life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/3d-is-the-way-we-experience-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I made commercials for corporations like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola, but I was always the one to write them, too, which was a very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-made-commercials-for-corporations-like-volkswagen-and-coca-cola-but/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I like to make films, but the only reason I do is because I'm a very bad musician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-like-to-make-films-but-the-only-reason-i-do-is-because-i-m-a-very/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [It's very healthy to be aware of your ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/it-s-very-healthy-to-be-aware-of-your-ego/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I personally can't handle frivolous violence. I overreact to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-personally-can-t-handle-frivolous-violence-i-overreact-to-it/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [ I saw what I could \[in Mexico City\], but we rarely got anything other than big, mainstream American films. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-saw-what-i-could-in-mexico-city-but-we-rarely-got-anything-other/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [For the actors, the talent is to serve the demands that I ask of them, to do it with naturality and truth, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/for-the-actors-the-talent-is-to-serve-the-demands-that-i-ask-of-them/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) [Explore all 262 Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another language is more difficult, but directing non-actors in another language is one of the craziest things that I have done and one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct-actors-in-another-language-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct-actors-in-another-language-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1b/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_actor_to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct_1268214.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To direct actors is difficult. To direct actors in another language is more difficult, but directing…” — Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu", "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": "Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To direct actors is difficult. To...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct-actors-in-another-language-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/to-direct-actors-is-difficult-to-direct-actors-in-another-language-is/#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 } } ] } ```