--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actors have either got to play something…" description: "\"Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.\" — Andrew Dominik" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg" --- # Actors have either got to play something that's close to… ![“Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.” quote by Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg) > “Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.” [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors must choose roles that reflect personal truth or challenge it dramatically. **In simple terms:** Pick roles that mirror or contrast yourself. Key Takeaway Select parts that expand your range. Themes authenticity challenge artistic growth Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - audition preparation - career pivot - creative experimentation Key Concepts method acting character immersion Questions to Reflect On - Do you prefer familiar or opposing roles? - How does contrast affect performance? A Different Perspective Risk of typecasting if always opposite. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I'm nothing more than what you actually see, but I am also the complete opposite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keren-ann/i-m-nothing-more-than-what-you-actually-see-but-i-am-also-the/) [Keren Ann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keren-ann/) > [I'd been told I was going to be the next big thing. But in actual fact, the complete opposite happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-riley/i-d-been-told-i-was-going-to-be-the-next-big-thing-but-in-actual-fact/) [Sam Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-riley/) > [A Horcrux is the complete opposite of a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-horcrux-is-the-complete-opposite-of-a-human-being/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People think that I am very innocent and elegant, but I am the complete opposite of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/athiya-shetty/people-think-that-i-am-very-innocent-and-elegant-but-i-am-the/) [Athiya Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/athiya-shetty/) > [In World War II all these countries were completely against each other, complete opposite. Now we're getting them all together, through the idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimi-hendrix/in-world-war-ii-all-these-countries-were-completely-against-each/) [Jimi Hendrix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimi-hendrix/) > [People have this idea of me being some kind of monster, and that's the complete opposite of who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pj-harvey/people-have-this-idea-of-me-being-some-kind-of-monster-and-that-s-the/) [PJ Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pj-harvey/) > [Everyone in this room knows that Venus is probably one of the greatest people on the tour. She's really great. She's super professional. Complete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serena-williams/everyone-in-this-room-knows-that-venus-is-probably-one-of-the/) [Serena Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/serena-williams/) > [No, I tell you what I like is having the play close after a decent run and looking back on it and saying, yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-tyler-moore/no-i-tell-you-what-i-like-is-having-the-play-close-after-a-decent-run/) [Mary Tyler Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-tyler-moore/) > [You don't have to be a superhero and pull off shots you've never hit before. Your goal should be to put yourself in position…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-schauffele/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-superhero-and-pull-off-shots-you-ve-never-hit/) [Xander Schauffele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-schauffele/) > [When the ball is swinging, you really need to play close to your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shikhar-dhawan/when-the-ball-is-swinging-you-really-need-to-play-close-to-your-body/) [Shikhar Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shikhar-dhawan/) > [One of my great loves is golf. When I am in L.A., I like to play with a few close friends: no phones, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobu-matsuhisa/one-of-my-great-loves-is-golf-when-i-am-in-l-a-i-like-to-play-with-a/) [Nobu Matsuhisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobu-matsuhisa/) > [The hardest thing in the world to play is something close to myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bauer/the-hardest-thing-in-the-world-to-play-is-something-close-to-myself/) [Chris Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bauer/) > [The play is so close to the reality. . . . It comes out of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-williams/the-play-is-so-close-to-the-reality-it-comes-out-of-the-heart/) Barbara Williams > [I usually only play with very close friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emanuel-ax/i-usually-only-play-with-very-close-friends/) [Emanuel Ax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emanuel-ax/) > [The scenery in the play was beautiful, but the actors got in front of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-woollcott/the-scenery-in-the-play-was-beautiful-but-the-actors-got-in-front-of/) [Alexander Woollcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-woollcott/) ## More by Andrew Dominik > [I imagine that in a closed, hermetic society like the mob, where everybody knows each other, it must be really, really unpleasant to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/i-imagine-that-in-a-closed-hermetic-society-like-the-mob-where/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [I always feel that crime films are about capitalism because it is a genre where it is perfectly acceptable for all the characters to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/i-always-feel-that-crime-films-are-about-capitalism-because-it-is-a/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [There's been about 75 movies about Jesse James, and I've seen about four of them. He's usually portrayed as this plucky rebel who's got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/there-s-been-about-75-movies-about-jesse-james-and-i-ve-seen-about/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [Anything that's memorable about a movie is often what a test audience will object to because they're being asked to be experts. They just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/anything-that-s-memorable-about-a-movie-is-often-what-a-test-audience/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [When you ask a bunch of people to see a film, and then invite them to comment on it and tell them it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/when-you-ask-a-bunch-of-people-to-see-a-film-and-then-invite-them-to/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [Obviously, a power player in a criminal organization doesn't have to persuade anyone. He can just do what he wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/obviously-a-power-player-in-a-criminal-organization-doesn-t-have-to/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [A lot of writing's going down dead ends that don't go anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/a-lot-of-writing-s-going-down-dead-ends-that-don-t-go-anywhere/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [When men organize themselves into groups, and they make rules based on common or self-interest, it's always tangled and political.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/when-men-organize-themselves-into-groups-and-they-make-rules-based-on/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [For me, the movie's always evolving as I'm doing it. I throw things in as we shoot, and I take things out as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/for-me-the-movie-s-always-evolving-as-i-m-doing-it-i-throw-things-in/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [As a filmmaker, it's important to sit there and feel embarrassed. If you feel embarrassed by something, you cut it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/as-a-filmmaker-it-s-important-to-sit-there-and-feel-embarrassed-if/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [Masculine ideals have become very confused in the modern world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/masculine-ideals-have-become-very-confused-in-the-modern-world/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [Crime is a job and it's boring. It's also unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/crime-is-a-job-and-it-s-boring-it-s-also-unpleasant/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [I think the film gives you a picture of a person. It gives you a complete picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/i-think-the-film-gives-you-a-picture-of-a-person-it-gives-you-a/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [I don't know whether crime is dictating business or business is dictating crime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/i-don-t-know-whether-crime-is-dictating-business-or-business-is/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) > [Once you do something violent in a film, you don't have to do too much. You do it once and the feeling of violence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/once-you-do-something-violent-in-a-film-you-don-t-have-to-do-too-much/) [Andrew Dominik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) [Explore all 46 Andrew Dominik quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/) ## 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": "Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Andrew Dominik" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/actors-have-either-got-to-play-something-that-s-close-to-them-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/actors-have-either-got-to-play-something-that-s-close-to-them-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb4/andrew-dominik-14430_actor_actors-have-either-got-to-play-something_1965658.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Actors have either got to play something that's close to them, or something that's the complete opposite.” — Andrew Dominik", "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": "Andrew Dominik", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dominik/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Actors have either got to play...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/actors-have-either-got-to-play-something-that-s-close-to-them-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dominik/actors-have-either-got-to-play-something-that-s-close-to-them-or/#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 } } ] } ```