--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For working with non-professional actors…" description: "\"For working with non-professional actors, you have to have this particular desire to work with people who are reluctant to play in a movie. I like this..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/bruno-dumont-16688_actor_for-working-with-non-professional-actors_2613392.png" --- # For working with non-professional actors, you have to have… ![“For working with non-professional actors, you have to have this particular desire to work with people who are reluctant to play in a movie. I like this relationship. I'm like a recruiter, an employment agency giving someone employment.” quote by Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/bruno-dumont-16688_actor_for-working-with-non-professional-actors_2613392.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/bruno-dumont-16688_actor_for-working-with-non-professional-actors_2613392.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/bruno-dumont-16688_actor_for-working-with-non-professional-actors_2613392.png) > “For working with non-professional actors, you have to have this particular desire to work with people who are reluctant to play in a movie. I like this relationship. I'm like a recruiter, an employment agency giving someone employment.” [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Working with non‑professional actors requires a recruiter‑like mindset, valuing reluctant participants as talent. **In simple terms:** Non‑pros need actors need encouragement and opportunity. Key Takeaway Embrace unconventional talent sources. Themes film casting collaboration creativity Mood inspirational practical Type artistic educational When to use this quote - independent film - community theater - educational workshops - casting calls Key Concepts recruitment humanism Questions to Reflect On - How to balance authenticity with skill? - What support helps reluctant actors thrive? A Different Perspective Reliance on untrained actors can risk quality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Actors Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-particular-2046659/) [Agency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agency/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Recruiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-recruiter-2046661/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Non Professional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/non-professional-2046660/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Professional Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professional-actors-481597/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Reluctant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reluctant/) [Someone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/someone/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Directors like Satyajit Ray, Rossellini, Bresson, Buñuel, Forman, Scorsese, and Spike Lee have used non-professional actors precisely in order that the people we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/directors-like-satyajit-ray-rossellini-bresson-bu-uel-forman-scorsese/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [I thought that choosing a non-professional was a condition for me, because it would allow Juliette to have a less-professional way of acting. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-thought-that-choosing-a-non-professional-was-a-condition-for-me/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Every film requires a different process. You learn about these particular actors and the particular chemistry between these actors. Recognizing when you don't need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-miller/every-film-requires-a-different-process-you-learn-about-these/) [Bennett Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-miller/) > [We all have aspects of ourselves that we my not be aware of. Actors in particular - they have multiple personality disorder. They get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-anderson/we-all-have-aspects-of-ourselves-that-we-my-not-be-aware-of-actors-in/) [Brad Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-anderson/) > [More than a non-acting director, I think I notice when an actor is not believing in themselves. Chicago actors in particular, they work very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-lennix/more-than-a-non-acting-director-i-think-i-notice-when-an-actor-is-not/) [Harry Lennix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-lennix/) > [People think that the Italians invented neorealism, but actually, Humphrey Jennings did. He was revolutionary in using non-professional actors in his films, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/people-think-that-the-italians-invented-neorealism-but-actually/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [When I first came to America, I went into William Morris Endeavor for a meeting and I was like, "Yeah, I'm from Australia and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/when-i-first-came-to-america-i-went-into-william-morris-endeavor-for/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [Both my parents were professional actors, so I grew up in a household that had no real financial stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bettany-hughes/both-my-parents-were-professional-actors-so-i-grew-up-in-a-household/) [Bettany Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bettany-hughes/) > [I've worked with non-professional actors, I've worked with movie stars, I've worked with kids, I've worked with older people, and I've found my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ira-sachs/i-ve-worked-with-non-professional-actors-i-ve-worked-with-movie-stars/) [Ira Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ira-sachs/) > [I don't want to take shots at professional actors, because obviously the great ones are great. But I do think that given the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bujalski/i-don-t-want-to-take-shots-at-professional-actors-because-obviously/) [Andrew Bujalski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bujalski/) > [I think there are enough professional actors to fill in for me in my absence. I enjoyed it, but I can't imagine a role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-dobbs/i-think-there-are-enough-professional-actors-to-fill-in-for-me-in-my/) [Lou Dobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-dobbs/) > [Professional 'actors' tend to overact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuthirakani/professional-actors-tend-to-overact/) [Samuthirakani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuthirakani/) > [To see professional actors do my work, to take it seriously - that was the thing that made me think playwriting could actually be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-karam/to-see-professional-actors-do-my-work-to-take-it-seriously-that-was/) [Stephen Karam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-karam/) > [When I was 13 years old, a professional theater company in my town needed a kid actor. I auditioned, and I got the part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/when-i-was-13-years-old-a-professional-theater-company-in-my-town/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [Even in the early '90s, I was already starting to mix professional actors with non-actors. I always enjoyed working with non-professionals, because their performances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsai-ming-liang/even-in-the-early-90s-i-was-already-starting-to-mix-professional/) [Tsai Ming-liang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsai-ming-liang/) ## More by Bruno Dumont > [My thinking was that today's spectator is so well-versed in film language that all theories about suspense, as argued by Dreyer and Hitchcock, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/my-thinking-was-that-today-s-spectator-is-so-well-versed-in-film/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [Cinema is my religion. It is a way to make people sensitive, through emotions. To make them feel, experience empathy. People are touched and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/cinema-is-my-religion-it-is-a-way-to-make-people-sensitive-through/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [Cinema is made to film material: the body. By filming the material, the mechanical, the worker, we arrive at the spiritual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/cinema-is-made-to-film-material-the-body-by-filming-the-material-the/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [ There's a longstanding myth about the United States that is still very prevalent in Europe \[despite recent developments\]. Historically the "America" of this myth… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/there-s-a-longstanding-myth-about-the-united-states-that-is-still/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [The people follow what the media say. So if you said that Bruno Dumont is fantastic, it follows that more people would go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/the-people-follow-what-the-media-say-so-if-you-said-that-bruno-dumont/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [When you make movies, you have to be preoccupied with the social problems, otherwise there is no point in making a movie. To have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/when-you-make-movies-you-have-to-be-preoccupied-with-the-social/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [The actor already comes with emotions to the scene: fear, the fear of being in front of the camera. It is this fear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/the-actor-already-comes-with-emotions-to-the-scene-fear-the-fear-of/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [At the root of the Noble Savage myth is this basic truth: the savage is good, but he's also violent. This is why Rousseau…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/at-the-root-of-the-noble-savage-myth-is-this-basic-truth-the-savage/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [I'm not Catholic. I don't believe in God. But at the same time, I'm obsessed by the sacred, by spirituality. The question of redemption…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/i-m-not-catholic-i-don-t-believe-in-god-but-at-the-same-time-i-m/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [Matching character and actor is what a good director does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/matching-character-and-actor-is-what-a-good-director-does/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [I don't watch my own past films: when I watch them, I find they don't work very well, because I have changed. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/i-don-t-watch-my-own-past-films-when-i-watch-them-i-find-they-don-t/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [The landscape is a reflection of the inner life. Since I can't shoot the inner life, all I can shoot is the exterior but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/the-landscape-is-a-reflection-of-the-inner-life-since-i-can-t-shoot/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [Hollywood films are alienating to the spectator because they use too much dialogue, too much explication and leave no space for the viewer. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/hollywood-films-are-alienating-to-the-spectator-because-they-use-too/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [To retain his dignity, an artist must live in opposition. He must be critical of his country. If not, then he is worthless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/to-retain-his-dignity-an-artist-must-live-in-opposition-he-must-be/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) > [I feel I have a political duty to reach out to the general public. I want to make films that the people want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-dumont/i-feel-i-have-a-political-duty-to-reach-out-to-the-general-public-i/) [Bruno Dumont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) [Explore all 39 Bruno Dumont quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-dumont/) ## 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": "For working with non-professional actors, you have to have this particular desire to work with people who are reluctant to play in a movie. I like this relationship. 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