--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's nothing wrong with an actor that…" description: "\"There's nothing wrong with an actor that can't improvise, but if you're going to improvise, you gotta make sure you got people that can play the game.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/denis-leary-1350_actor_there-s-nothing-wrong-with-an-actor-that_969453.png" --- # There's nothing wrong with an actor that can't improvise… ![“There's nothing wrong with an actor that can't improvise, but if you're going to improvise, you gotta make sure you got people that can play the game.” quote by Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/denis-leary-1350_actor_there-s-nothing-wrong-with-an-actor-that_969453.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/denis-leary-1350_actor_there-s-nothing-wrong-with-an-actor-that_969453.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62e/denis-leary-1350_actor_there-s-nothing-wrong-with-an-actor-that_969453.png) > “There's nothing wrong with an actor that can't improvise, but if you're going to improvise, you gotta make sure you got people that can play the game.” [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Improvisation works only if all participants understand and respect the collaborative rules of the game. **In simple terms:** Improvisation needs skilled, cooperative participants. Key Takeaway Choose collaborators who respect the improv process. Themes collaboration improvisation teamwork Mood cautious playful Type advice observational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsal - live comedy - team projects Key Concepts creative spontaneity group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Are you willing to set clear boundaries in collaborative work? - How do you identify reliable improvisers? A Different Perspective Not all actors can improvise effectively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I also think if you're an actor and you can improvise, when you go on an audition and you can improvise you're just a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-poehler/i-also-think-if-you-re-an-actor-and-you-can-improvise-when-you-go-on/) [Amy Poehler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-poehler/) > [If somebody says, "Oh, we're going to improvise!," I'm like, Oh, get me out of here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-richardson/if-somebody-says-oh-we-re-going-to-improvise-i-m-like-oh-get-me-out/) [Miranda Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-richardson/) > [She realises that if she is to save the show she is going to have to improvise a rousing speech, one of the many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/she-realises-that-if-she-is-to-save-the-show-she-is-going-to-have-to/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [You can actually improvise a lot as a voice actor. It's not that entirely different than shooting a live action movie; the characters mouths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-rogen/you-can-actually-improvise-a-lot-as-a-voice-actor-it-s-not-that/) [Seth Rogen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-rogen/) > [“Research tells us that brainstorming becomes more productive when it’s focused. As jazz great Charles Mingus famously said, “You can’t improvise on nothing, man;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/research-tells-us-that-brainstorming-becomes-more-productive-when-it/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [When people know the desired destination, they’re free to improvise, as needed, in arriving there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/when-people-know-the-desired-destination-they-re-free-to-improvise-as/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) > [“Don’t think, react. Adapt. Improvise. Overcome.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-cross/don-t-think-react-adapt-improvise-overcome/) [Ethan Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-cross/) > [My character has to be alive. It can't be a mere prop, and it has to have a life of its own. I need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-khan/my-character-has-to-be-alive-it-can-t-be-a-mere-prop-and-it-has-to/) [Fawad Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-khan/) > [Improvise when obstacles present themselves. Happy accidents are magic! Have an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bonifacio/improvise-when-obstacles-present-themselves-happy-accidents-are-magic/) [Matthew Bonifacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bonifacio/) > [We play melodic music, we play songs, we play all kinds of things and when you improvise you don't just shut out different languages,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-frith/we-play-melodic-music-we-play-songs-we-play-all-kinds-of-things-and/) [Fred Frith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-frith/) > [So that's the challenge, you have a big technical aspect of what you're doing whilst you're creatively trying to improvise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-henson/so-that-s-the-challenge-you-have-a-big-technical-aspect-of-what-you/) [Brian Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-henson/) > [Improvisation, it is a mystery. You can write a book about it, but by the end no one still knows what it is. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephane-grappelli/improvisation-it-is-a-mystery-you-can-write-a-book-about-it-but-by/) Stephane Grappelli > [When you're at a concert and you hear someone improvise well, that's special; it puts you in the moment and takes you someplace. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-popper/when-you-re-at-a-concert-and-you-hear-someone-improvise-well-that-s/) [John Popper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-popper/) > [My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-sami/my-roots-are-in-classical-music-and-jazz-and-i-want-the-freedom-of/) [Adnan Sami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-sami/) > [When you listen to someone improvise, the notes that are played are only half the story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-laws/when-you-listen-to-someone-improvise-the-notes-that-are-played-are/) Hubert Laws ## More by Denis Leary > [I'm sick and tired of our generation being called the TV generation. What do you expect? 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I believe in feeling better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/i-believe-in-prescription-drugs-i-believe-in-feeling-better/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [You really want to have a back-up plan, so when you don't feel like acting, or you're getting older and settling down, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/you-really-want-to-have-a-back-up-plan-so-when-you-don-t-feel-like/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [You try to - you want to fly on both sides of the political fence because that's where the - where the comedy is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/you-try-to-you-want-to-fly-on-both-sides-of-the-political-fence/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) > [I'm not really a Spider-Man fan. I'm more of a Batman guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-leary/i-m-not-really-a-spider-man-fan-i-m-more-of-a-batman-guy/) [Denis Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) [Explore all 252 Denis Leary quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-leary/) ## 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. 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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. 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