--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I believe that as a writer and a…" description: "\"I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're hiring actors to fill it out.\" — Christopher M..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg" --- # I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only… ![“I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're hiring actors to fill it out.” quote by Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg) > “I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're hiring actors to fill it out.” [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director outlines the character as a framework, leaving actors to flesh out depth and nuance. **In simple terms:** Directors set the base; actors add detail. Key Takeaway Collaborate closely with actors to enrich characters. Themes filmmaking collaboration character development directing Mood analytical creative Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - casting - rehearsals - script workshops - character workshops Key Concepts story structure actor methodology creative process Questions to Reflect On - How much freedom should actors have? - What defines a character’s core? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on actors may dilute original vision. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I wasn't born to be a skeleton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/panic-at-the-disco-2/i-wasn-t-born-to-be-a-skeleton/) Panic! At The Disco > [I love rewriting because that is where and how you discover the story. Its like you have this skeleton, and you get to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-leavitt/i-love-rewriting-because-that-is-where-and-how-you-discover-the-story/) [Caroline Leavitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-leavitt/) > [The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/the-more-work-you-put-in-on-your-outline-and-getting-the-skeleton-of/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [Many women have asked me if it is possible to have a well-built wardrobe on a limited budget. 'Money,' I tell them, 'is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-head/many-women-have-asked-me-if-it-is-possible-to-have-a-well-built/) [Edith Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-head/) > [“a picked-clean skeleton sitting there in one of ‘em with its seatbelt still on like it might crank the engine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/a-picked-clean-skeleton-sitting-there-in-one-of-em-with-its-seatbelt/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [It's not good for you to be barred from traveling to certain places in your head because some skeleton is in the closet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-orzabal/it-s-not-good-for-you-to-be-barred-from-traveling-to-certain-places/) [Roland Orzabal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-orzabal/) > [I was a skeleton compared to what I used to be, but it didn't matter. Nothing really mattered except remaining unbroken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-sands/i-was-a-skeleton-compared-to-what-i-used-to-be-but-it-didn-t-matter/) [Bobby Sands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-sands/) > [The cat which isn't let out of the bag often becomes a skeleton in the cupboard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-madan/the-cat-which-isn-t-let-out-of-the-bag-often-becomes-a-skeleton-in/) [Geoffrey Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-madan/) > [A weathered skeleton in windy fields of memory, piercing like a knife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/a-weathered-skeleton-in-windy-fields-of-memory-piercing-like-a-knife/) [Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/) > [America forms the longest and straightest bone in the earth's skeleton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellsworth-huntington/america-forms-the-longest-and-straightest-bone-in-the-earth-s-skeleton/) [Ellsworth Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellsworth-huntington/) > [“I see my skeleton walking down the street now. 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You could hear it pebbling against the large glass windows, you could see it swirling wildly through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/outside-the-sleet-had-gotten-thicker-you-could-hear-it-pebbling/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [You can't improv off of bad writing. Then you have to actually create your objective, which is really hard to do in an element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-coupe/you-can-t-improv-off-of-bad-writing-then-you-have-to-actually-create/) [Eliza Coupe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-coupe/) ## More by Christopher McQuarrie > [I love traveling around promoting different movies because I'm always looking at different places, and I always walk around to see the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-love-traveling-around-promoting-different-movies-because-i-m-always/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [I used to be a die-hard defender of physical film, which I still am. I love shooting on physical film and I think it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-used-to-be-a-die-hard-defender-of-physical-film-which-i-still-am-i/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [The challenge in most car chases is you're trying to hide the fact that it's not the actor driving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/the-challenge-in-most-car-chases-is-you-re-trying-to-hide-the-fact/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Directing has completely changed the way I write and watch films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/directing-has-completely-changed-the-way-i-write-and-watch-films/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [A lot of books, if you take them at face value, they're just not gonna work as films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/a-lot-of-books-if-you-take-them-at-face-value-they-re-just-not-gonna/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [“Well I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Söze.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/well-i-believe-in-god-and-the-only-thing-that-scares-me-is-keyser-s-ze/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [I always feel like an outsider. I'll always feel like the nerd at the party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-always-feel-like-an-outsider-i-ll-always-feel-like-the-nerd-at-the/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [To me, the ultimate crime in an adaptation is the crime of reverence. A novel is one form of media, a screenplay is another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/to-me-the-ultimate-crime-in-an-adaptation-is-the-crime-of-reverence-a/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [If you're surrounded by good people and you're really honest with yourself, you'll be delivered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/if-you-re-surrounded-by-good-people-and-you-re-really-honest-with/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Evil is a really tough concept for me. The idea of a villain that is bad for bad's sake seems kind of absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/evil-is-a-really-tough-concept-for-me-the-idea-of-a-villain-that-is/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [With 'Rubicon,' Mark Long and Dan Capel have created the perfect environment for an intense action franchise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/with-rubicon-mark-long-and-dan-capel-have-created-the-perfect/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [You know that certain things that you use in the film are going to be shown to audiences five hundred times before they ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/you-know-that-certain-things-that-you-use-in-the-film-are-going-to-be/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [The truth of the matter is movies are a reflection of life and violence is a real part of life. I don't think you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/the-truth-of-the-matter-is-movies-are-a-reflection-of-life-and/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [There is no 'Top Gun 2' in which Maverick is not the starring role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/there-is-no-top-gun-2-in-which-maverick-is-not-the-starring-role/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) > [Knowledge is death in my experience. The more I know about film, the harder it is to create freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/knowledge-is-death-in-my-experience-the-more-i-know-about-film-the/) [Christopher McQuarrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) [Explore all 47 Christopher McQuarrie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/) ## 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! 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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": "I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're hiring actors to fill it out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher McQuarrie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-director-you-re-only-providing-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-director-you-re-only-providing-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/823/christopher-mcquarrie-14283_actor_i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-directo_2948878.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I believe that as a writer and a director, you're only providing the skeleton of a character, and you're…” — Christopher McQuarrie", "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": "Christopher McQuarrie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-mcquarrie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I believe that as a writer...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-director-you-re-only-providing-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-mcquarrie/i-believe-that-as-a-writer-and-a-director-you-re-only-providing-the/#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 } } ] } ```