--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I mean, if you are directing actors to do…" description: "\"I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely because the one thing you wanted them to do m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png" --- # I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and… ![“I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely because the one thing you wanted them to do may not work, then you are just shattering their confidence in the project.” quote by Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png) > “I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely because the one thing you wanted them to do may not work, then you are just shattering their confidence in the project.” [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Changing direction mid‑project erodes trust and confidence among collaborators. **In simple terms:** Switching plans hurts team confidence. Key Takeaway Maintain clear, consistent direction. Themes leadership trust communication Mood cautious reflective Type advisory instructional When to use this quote - film production - team meetings - creative workshops Key Concepts confidence project management direction Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance flexibility with stability? - What signals reassure a team during pivots? A Different Perspective Frequent changes can stall progress and cause confusion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Confidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confidence/) [Directing actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directing-actors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [At the moment, my trajectory isn't to think about acting. I'm absolutely devoted to The Imaginarium, our projects and directing. And watching and enabling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/at-the-moment-my-trajectory-isn-t-to-think-about-acting-i-m/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [And I realized that directing actors is really important because that's what ends up on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-delpy/and-i-realized-that-directing-actors-is-really-important-because-that/) [Julie Delpy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-delpy/) > [In general, the few directors that I've worked with that I really respect have taught me a lot about who I am and they've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/in-general-the-few-directors-that-i-ve-worked-with-that-i-really/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [For me, all you want from your actor is for them to engage on a deeply emotional level with the material. If you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-haigh/for-me-all-you-want-from-your-actor-is-for-them-to-engage-on-a-deeply/) [Andrew Haigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-haigh/) > [If I'm directing actors, I learn about acting that way. If I'm acting, I learn about directing that way. Producing is just something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/if-i-m-directing-actors-i-learn-about-acting-that-way-if-i-m-acting-i/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [I worked with many directors in my life, but Tim Miller is definitely my favorite. He not only has a beautiful sense of directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-kapicic/i-worked-with-many-directors-in-my-life-but-tim-miller-is-definitely/) [Stefan Kapicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-kapicic/) > [I've always had an easy time directing actors because I always hire ones that are great before I get my hands on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-ve-always-had-an-easy-time-directing-actors-because-i-always-hire/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [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/) > [I think that for the actors, the last thing that they want is a director that's not watching, a director that goes 'Okay, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/i-think-that-for-the-actors-the-last-thing-that-they-want-is-a/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [What I love in working on film is just working with actors. It's one thing to write scenes alone over a keyboard and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/what-i-love-in-working-on-film-is-just-working-with-actors-it-s-one/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [When I'm traveling to promote my book, I feel like an artful impostor. What I really am is when I'm in my (painter's) studio…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-vanderbilt/when-i-m-traveling-to-promote-my-book-i-feel-like-an-artful-impostor/) [Gloria Vanderbilt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-vanderbilt/) > [I love that process in which there is no safety net. Then the actor also can allow mistakes, because there's no such a thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-love-that-process-in-which-there-is-no-safety-net-then-the-actor/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [I like to have the actors do their thing. And then brief them what to do differently in take two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/i-like-to-have-the-actors-do-their-thing-and-then-brief-them-what-to/) [Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/) > [As actors, the thing we have to fight, more than even the business part of making movies, is boredom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-fiorentino/as-actors-the-thing-we-have-to-fight-more-than-even-the-business-part/) [Linda Fiorentino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-fiorentino/) > [When I got into the movie business, working with actors was the one thing I was really weak at. I didn't know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carpenter/when-i-got-into-the-movie-business-working-with-actors-was-the-one/) [John Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carpenter/) ## More by Atom Egoyan > [I think the situation in Toronto is such that there are funding organizations which make it easy for a film to raise more money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-think-the-situation-in-toronto-is-such-that-there-are-funding/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [The fathers greatest folly is that he believes he can be a much more simple person than he is; he is not really able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/the-fathers-greatest-folly-is-that-he-believes-he-can-be-a-much-more/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [The programme has ended, something has finished, and he has a sense of something having finished its course, and then all of a sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/the-programme-has-ended-something-has-finished-and-he-has-a-sense-of/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [It was very important that it be done in such a way that it be executed with complete conviction. If I had done it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/it-was-very-important-that-it-be-done-in-such-a-way-that-it-be/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [The film camera's ability to physically move through space, not zoom through space - every time we have a video camera the movement is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/the-film-camera-s-ability-to-physically-move-through-space-not-zoom/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [I have always felt that this story is universal. When I began to understand the details of the history, I felt that the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-have-always-felt-that-this-story-is-universal-when-i-began-to/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [I've just been very, very lucky with the film having been introduced in the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-ve-just-been-very-very-lucky-with-the-film-having-been-introduced/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [Every actor has a different temperament. Part of my job is to know what those boundaries are. The actor has to know you'll be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/every-actor-has-a-different-temperament-part-of-my-job-is-to-know/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [People make decisions that may have one intent and yet are somehow perverted into something else. And sometimes it's because of design. Sometimes it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/people-make-decisions-that-may-have-one-intent-and-yet-are-somehow/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [These sorts of things can happen, identities can be switched, the emotional implications are something that he has not been trained to feel. His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/these-sorts-of-things-can-happen-identities-can-be-switched-the/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [Working on the themes I was interested in, through the context of a particular family, was a very economical way of dealing with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/working-on-the-themes-i-was-interested-in-through-the-context-of-a/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [I just think I love the process of making films. It's not tortuous for me at all. I love being with my crew. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-just-think-i-love-the-process-of-making-films-it-s-not-tortuous-for/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [The whole film is about people being convinced that they can reduce themselves to their archetypes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/the-whole-film-is-about-people-being-convinced-that-they-can-reduce/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [I believe my signal of maturity as a filmmaker iswhen I'll actually acknowledge the fact that the first take is usuallythe best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-believe-my-signal-of-maturity-as-a-filmmaker-iswhen-i-ll-actually/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) > [We're still staring at TV screens, right? They're still monitors. But the way information is delivered is different. So it creates an interesting way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/we-re-still-staring-at-tv-screens-right-they-re-still-monitors-but/) [Atom Egoyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) [Explore all 52 Atom Egoyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely because the one thing you wanted them to do may not work, then you are just shattering their confidence in the project.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Atom Egoyan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do-one-thing-and-then-directing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do-one-thing-and-then-directing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/atom-egoyan-13048_actors_i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do_2473102.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I mean, if you are directing actors to do one thing and then directing them to do something else entirely…” — Atom Egoyan", "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": "Atom Egoyan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atom-egoyan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I mean, if you are directing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do-one-thing-and-then-directing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atom-egoyan/i-mean-if-you-are-directing-actors-to-do-one-thing-and-then-directing/#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 } } ] } ```