--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there's a good screenplay, there's a…" description: "\"If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png" --- # If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that… ![“If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the page, or an interesting director who has enough faith in the project that they…” quote by Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png) > “If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the page, or an interesting director who has enough faith in the project that they can carry it through and get it somewhere.” [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A strong script sets the foundation for success, but talented actors or a visionary director can elevate a weaker script. **In simple terms:** Good scripts help; great talent can rescue weak ones. Key Takeaway Invest in strong writing or rely on talent to compensate. Themes filmmaking collaboration creativity Mood optimistic reflective Type advice observational. When to use this quote - film production - indie projects - studio pitches - actor workshops - director showcases Key Concepts scriptwriting acting directing Questions to Reflect On - Can talent fully compensate for a weak script? - What balance of script vs. talent yields the best result? A Different Perspective Even with talent, a poor script may limit a film's impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing/) [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Brilliant Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant-screenplay-2189985/) [Carry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carry/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Either](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/either/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Give](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/give/) [Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-screenplay-342557/) [Happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen/) [Improve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improve/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/page/) [Project](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/project/) [Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay/) [Screenplay Amazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay-amazing-2189986/) [Screenplay Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay-chance-5784037/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Somewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/somewhere/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Whatever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whatever/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-you-don-t-have-a-brilliant-screenplay-then-you-either-have-amazing/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [If I get lucky and I can choose, I would always choose a really good story and screenplay, even if I don't know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-i-get-lucky-and-i-can-choose-i-would-always-choose-a-really-good/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I would say, A, you can't really teach anyone how to write good characters, because it's something you have to teach yourself or already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ben-garant/i-would-say-a-you-can-t-really-teach-anyone-how-to-write-good/) [Robert Ben Garant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ben-garant/) > [There are a lot of bad screenplays so if you write a good screenplay people are going to respond to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/there-are-a-lot-of-bad-screenplays-so-if-you-write-a-good-screenplay/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I don't want to write any more screenplays, I'll tell you that right now. It's a waste of time. You've got too many people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/i-don-t-want-to-write-any-more-screenplays-i-ll-tell-you-that-right/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [I like writing dialog but don't think I'd be much good at a screenplay. I once had to write a treatment for a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/i-like-writing-dialog-but-don-t-think-i-d-be-much-good-at-a/) [Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/) > [We mystify the art of moviemaking, but it's not amystical science. You take a good screenplay, put a group togetherand you hammer it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-paxton/we-mystify-the-art-of-moviemaking-but-it-s-not-amystical-science-you/) [Bill Paxton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-paxton/) > [I knew I had to write a good screenplay to be taken seriously, and I knew I needed to present Mississippi on visuals instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tate-taylor/i-knew-i-had-to-write-a-good-screenplay-to-be-taken-seriously-and-i/) [Tate Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tate-taylor/) > [If you have a good script, that's what gets you involved. It's harder to write a good screenplay than to find something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-murray/if-you-have-a-good-script-that-s-what-gets-you-involved-it-s-harder/) [Bill Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-murray/) > [Writing a really good screenplay is not easy. It can be a very punishing form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hedges/writing-a-really-good-screenplay-is-not-easy-it-can-be-a-very/) [Peter Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hedges/) > [So on my screenplay, on the left-hand side of the page, I will put all the ideas that refer to the scene next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lyne/so-on-my-screenplay-on-the-left-hand-side-of-the-page-i-will-put-all/) [Adrian Lyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lyne/) > [Writing a screenplay needs to be more than words on a page - and by the way, I think the words on the page…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/writing-a-screenplay-needs-to-be-more-than-words-on-a-page-and-by-the/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Taking a comic strip character is very hard to write. Because comics are meant to work in one page, to work in frames with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/taking-a-comic-strip-character-is-very-hard-to-write-because-comics/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/) [Deon Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deon-taylor/) > [If I could find the right kind of property, get tied in with the right movie, I'd love to be involved, but I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/if-i-could-find-the-right-kind-of-property-get-tied-in-with-the-right/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) ## More by Ayelet Zurer > [The age of 20 was all about stupid things. I did crazy things but never lost it. I was, you know, a little crazy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/the-age-of-20-was-all-about-stupid-things-i-did-crazy-things-but/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I did an episode on the TV show 'Awake,' and I thought, 'Wow, that's really hard.' To do that so fast and to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-did-an-episode-on-the-tv-show-awake-and-i-thought-wow-that-s-really/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I think in Israel there is so much talent in the TV world because there's less movies done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-think-in-israel-there-is-so-much-talent-in-the-tv-world-because/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-you-don-t-have-a-brilliant-screenplay-then-you-either-have-amazing/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [There are so many directors that I want to work with, but I can't tell you that there's one role. If I knew it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/there-are-so-many-directors-that-i-want-to-work-with-but-i-can-t-tell/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [Even if the dramatic scenes are really hard, if you're happy with what you have and it's been creative and you had a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/even-if-the-dramatic-scenes-are-really-hard-if-you-re-happy-with-what/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [TV is the place that writers want to be. When you don't have a very strong indie market going on, talented writers want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/tv-is-the-place-that-writers-want-to-be-when-you-don-t-have-a-very/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [There's no such thing as too late. There are different roles for different ages, assuming an actress has something to offer. There aren't many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/there-s-no-such-thing-as-too-late-there-are-different-roles-for/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I'm an actress. In this sense, my profession is less complex than that of a model. True, they're into beauty in Hollywood, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-m-an-actress-in-this-sense-my-profession-is-less-complex-than-that/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I grew up watching a lot of Italian and French movies, so I want to have that '70s look, in my dream movie. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-grew-up-watching-a-lot-of-italian-and-french-movies-so-i-want-to/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I've always had questions about how things work and why it was that way. From all kinds of perspectives, from the physical to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-ve-always-had-questions-about-how-things-work-and-why-it-was-that/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [Even in the big movies, if the scenes are very big, I'm not fond of them as much as I'm fond of small actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/even-in-the-big-movies-if-the-scenes-are-very-big-i-m-not-fond-of/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [You really want to make sure that you have fun, at the end of the day. If it's not fun, what's the point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/you-really-want-to-make-sure-that-you-have-fun-at-the-end-of-the-day/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I do tend to like movies that challenge me professionally. That's mostly on a smaller scale, when you have one or two or five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-do-tend-to-like-movies-that-challenge-me-professionally-that-s/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [I never see myself as the famous person. It never was a part of my life, and I hope this doesn't become the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-never-see-myself-as-the-famous-person-it-never-was-a-part-of-my/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) [Explore all 21 Ayelet Zurer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) ## 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": "If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a brilliant screenplay, then you either have amazing actors who give you the chance to improve whatever is on the page, or an interesting director who has enough faith in the project that they can carry it through and get it somewhere.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ayelet Zurer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-chance-that-something-good-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-chance-that-something-good-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db2/ayelet-zurer-26983_actor_if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-c_799822.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If there's a good screenplay, there's a chance that something good is going to happen. If you don't have a…” — Ayelet Zurer", "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": "Ayelet Zurer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If there's a good screenplay, there's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-chance-that-something-good-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/if-there-s-a-good-screenplay-there-s-a-chance-that-something-good-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 } } ] } ```