--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like acting for myself as a director. I…" description: "\"I like acting for myself as a director. I act and I know that I'll have a chance to have some say in what gets used and that I'll be able to give mysel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/ben-affleck-2043_able_i-like-acting-for-myself-as-a-director-i_1522780.jpg" --- # I like acting for myself as a director. I act and I know… ![“I like acting for myself as a director. I act and I know that I'll have a chance to have some say in what gets used and that I'll be able to give myself enough takes and be on the same page as myself about how the scene should play.” quote by Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/ben-affleck-2043_able_i-like-acting-for-myself-as-a-director-i_1522780.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/ben-affleck-2043_able_i-like-acting-for-myself-as-a-director-i_1522780.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/ben-affleck-2043_able_i-like-acting-for-myself-as-a-director-i_1522780.jpg) > “I like acting for myself as a director. I act and I know that I'll have a chance to have some say in what gets used and that I'll be able to give myself enough takes and be on the same page as myself about how the scene should play.” [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taking control of one's creative process by directing oneself ensures personal agency and alignment with one's vision. **In simple terms:** Directing yourself gives creative control. Key Takeaway Seek agency in your creative work. Themes creativity selfdirection agency authenticity Mood introspective empowering Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - film making - writing - personal projects Key Concepts selfdirected art creative control Questions to Reflect On - How does self‑direction affect teamwork? - When is external input valuable? A Different Perspective Self‑direction can limit collaborative growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Acting Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting-director-847977/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Like Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-acting/) [Pages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pages/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Scene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene/) [Scene Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scene-play-1088582/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [When I'm acting, I'm in the director's hands. I'm very happy to be. I like to be focused on what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-branagh/when-i-m-acting-i-m-in-the-director-s-hands-i-m-very-happy-to-be-i/) [Kenneth Branagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-branagh/) > [I believe acting is a director's medium completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harshvardhan-kapoor/i-believe-acting-is-a-director-s-medium-completely/) [Harshvardhan Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harshvardhan-kapoor/) > [You don't really think about 3D when you're acting. As a director, you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/you-don-t-really-think-about-3d-when-you-re-acting-as-a-director-you/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [When I write a story or think of a scene, I always play some song in the background. Sometimes when I don't add a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thiagarajan-kumararaja/when-i-write-a-story-or-think-of-a-scene-i-always-play-some-song-in/) [Thiagarajan Kumararaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thiagarajan-kumararaja/) > [He has all those different aspects to him, so I can more or less decide as a performer how I'm going to deliver a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-darrow/he-has-all-those-different-aspects-to-him-so-i-can-more-or-less/) [Paul Darrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-darrow/) > [In films you do a scene, you play around with it and unless you're doing a lot of reshooting, which no one has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willem-dafoe/in-films-you-do-a-scene-you-play-around-with-it-and-unless-you-re/) [Willem Dafoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willem-dafoe/) > [A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/a-new-chapter-in-a-novel-is-something-like-a-new-scene-in-a-play/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [Sometimes I get insecure about being a real director because I look at the great directors, and they have such command. But maybe that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/sometimes-i-get-insecure-about-being-a-real-director-because-i-look/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [When you work with a great director, you can have a great partnership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/when-you-work-with-a-great-director-you-can-have-a-great-partnership/) [Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/) > [First of all the criteria that I have that goes into any career decision is whether or not I have the life experience, emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/first-of-all-the-criteria-that-i-have-that-goes-into-any-career/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [Sometimes you can't even find the director on a movie set. Sometimes you don't want to find the director on a movie set.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-tucci/sometimes-you-can-t-even-find-the-director-on-a-movie-set-sometimes/) [Stanley Tucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-tucci/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) > [There was always a part of me that wanted to be an old-time director. But I couldn't do that. I'm not a pro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/there-was-always-a-part-of-me-that-wanted-to-be-an-old-time-director/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) > [A successful director is someone who has the combination of skills that you can learn, but there's also an intuitive sensibility that they bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-heinrichs/a-successful-director-is-someone-who-has-the-combination-of-skills/) [Rick Heinrichs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-heinrichs/) ## More by Ben Affleck > [School plays are fine. Theater in school is fine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/school-plays-are-fine-theater-in-school-is-fine/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. You go to a movie, you only go once. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/what-happens-is-this-sort-of-bleed-over-from-the-tabloids-across-your/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [Never film yourself having sex. You think you'll look powerful and vital, but you don't. You look like a sick, shivering polar bear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/never-film-yourself-having-sex-you-think-you-ll-look-powerful-and/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [No matter how much you change, you still got to pay the price for the things you’ve done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/no-matter-how-much-you-change-you-still-got-to-pay-the-price-for-the/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [All I do, really, is go to work and try to be professional, be on time and be prepared.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/all-i-do-really-is-go-to-work-and-try-to-be-professional-be-on-time/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [On the night of the awards, I carried the Oscar around waist-high. I never had so many women ask me 'Can I touch it?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/on-the-night-of-the-awards-i-carried-the-oscar-around-waist-high-i/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [Not that it entirely matters: There is a perception that all actors make their movies. A lot of people assume you're responsible. George Clooney…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/not-that-it-entirely-matters-there-is-a-perception-that-all-actors/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I just feel like sometimes I'm a force to be dealt with. My talents are sometimes overused and also sometimes underused. It's not easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-just-feel-like-sometimes-i-m-a-force-to-be-dealt-with-my-talents/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/affleck-was-the-bomb-in-phantoms/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [Sometimes the people we meet change us forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/sometimes-the-people-we-meet-change-us-forever/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [To answer the question, though: I didn't always want to direct. I just liked the idea of it. If a friend was making a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/to-answer-the-question-though-i-didn-t-always-want-to-direct-i-just/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [But when I felt like I had something to prove? Then I got up early every morning and worked all day long. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/but-when-i-felt-like-i-had-something-to-prove-then-i-got-up-early/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I feel things more deeply... anything to do with kids. It just makes a big difference in my life... Having a child is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-feel-things-more-deeply-anything-to-do-with-kids-it-just-makes-a/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I've learned to think, I may succeed or fail, but I'm going to do so on the merit of my own instincts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-ve-learned-to-think-i-may-succeed-or-fail-but-i-m-going-to-do-so-on/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I flew back just in time to pick up a toilet seat for my girlfriend. It didn't go over that well. I thought, 'It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-flew-back-just-in-time-to-pick-up-a-toilet-seat-for-my-girlfriend/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) [Explore all 189 Ben Affleck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. 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This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I like acting for myself as a director. 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