--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We don't have that much time left to do…" description: "\"We don't have that much time left to do it. I'm 80. I wanted to be Walter Huston to his John Huston. I wanted him to direct me, not in The Treasure of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/donald-sutherland-14225_direct_we-don-t-have-that-much-time-left-to-do_3088540.png" --- # We don't have that much time left to do it. I'm 80. I… ![“We don't have that much time left to do it. I'm 80. I wanted to be Walter Huston to his John Huston. I wanted him to direct me, not in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but something. We'll see. We can't predict anything.” quote by Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/donald-sutherland-14225_direct_we-don-t-have-that-much-time-left-to-do_3088540.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/donald-sutherland-14225_direct_we-don-t-have-that-much-time-left-to-do_3088540.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/918/donald-sutherland-14225_direct_we-don-t-have-that-much-time-left-to-do_3088540.png) > “We don't have that much time left to do it. I'm 80. I wanted to be Walter Huston to his John Huston. I wanted him to direct me, not in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but something. We'll see. We can't predict anything.” [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A reflection on limited time and unfulfilled artistic aspirations, acknowledging mortality and the desire for creative collaboration. **In simple terms:** Time is short; I wish for artistic partnership. Key Takeaway Seek meaningful collaborations now. Themes mortality artistic ambition unfulfilled dreams Mood reflective melancholic Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - career reflection - film projects - personal goals Key Concepts legacy creative partnership age Questions to Reflect On - What artistic partnership would you pursue today? - How does age influence creative desire? A Different Perspective Time constraints may limit opportunities for new collaborations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-left/) [Treasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasure/) ## Related quotes > [“Nixon “didn’t give a damn” about the finer points of domestic policy, said aide Tom Huston. “All he wanted to do was to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-farrell/nixon-didn-t-give-a-damn-about-the-finer-points-of-domestic-policy/) [John A. Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-farrell/) > [Look at Walter Huston in The Devil and Daniel Webster: It's an incredible performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/look-at-walter-huston-in-the-devil-and-daniel-webster-it-s-an/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) > [I'm a big fan of all the great movie devils, from Walter Huston to Ray Walston to Al Pacino to Jack Nicholson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-wise/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-great-movie-devils-from-walter-huston-to-ray/) [Ray Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-wise/) > [John Huston was the kind of director that totally left you alone. Not every actor always does it right, every time, but most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-bikel/john-huston-was-the-kind-of-director-that-totally-left-you-alone-not/) [Theodore Bikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-bikel/) > [From John Huston to Fred Zinnemann and Richard Fleischer and all those great American directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/from-john-huston-to-fred-zinnemann-and-richard-fleischer-and-all/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Because Dad was famous, I was so used to being identified as 'John Huston's daughter' that I couldn't think of myself as anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/because-dad-was-famous-i-was-so-used-to-being-identified-as-john/) [Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/) > [John Huston is more of a creative director than most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-loggia/john-huston-is-more-of-a-creative-director-than-most/) [Robert Loggia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-loggia/) > [I've worked with people from Fred Zinnemann, John Huston, through to Richard Fleischer, all of those boys from Hollywood and so on, and Sam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/i-ve-worked-with-people-from-fred-zinnemann-john-huston-through-to/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [John Huston was a superb master. He knew how to make good films. I did three things with him. One is called Independence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-wallach/john-huston-was-a-superb-master-he-knew-how-to-make-good-films-i-did/) [Eli Wallach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-wallach/) > [I fell in love with Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone and Hitchcock and Orson Welles and John Huston.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-logan/i-fell-in-love-with-errol-flynn-and-tyrone-power-and-basil-rathbone/) [John Logan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-logan/) > [My father, John Marcellus Huston, was a director renowned for his adventurous style and audacious nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjelica-huston/my-father-john-marcellus-huston-was-a-director-renowned-for-his/) [Anjelica Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjelica-huston/) > [He is scary as the butcher, but you will not meet a lovelier, more interesting guy than Danny Huston. His stories leave me spellbound.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dean-morgan/he-is-scary-as-the-butcher-but-you-will-not-meet-a-lovelier-more/) [Jeffrey Dean Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dean-morgan/) > [Mr. Huston (directed Marilyn in Asphalt Jungle and The Misfits) was an exciting looking man. He was tall, long-faced, and his hair was mussed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn/mr-huston-directed-marilyn-in-asphalt-jungle-and-the-misfits-was-an/) [Marilyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn/) > [I was hired because I am Zsa Zsa Gabor, but when I go to work, directors try to force their methods on me. John…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zsa-zsa-gabor/i-was-hired-because-i-am-zsa-zsa-gabor-but-when-i-go-to-work/) [Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zsa-zsa-gabor/) > [Harry Dean Stanton, Anjelica Huston - a lot of people have studied with me. It's paying my dues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/harry-dean-stanton-anjelica-huston-a-lot-of-people-have-studied-with/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) ## More by Donald Sutherland > [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I come from Nova Scotia, and I'd never seen a theater or been inside of a theater. When I was 17, my dad asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-come-from-nova-scotia-and-i-d-never-seen-a-theater-or-been-inside/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [Everything was my fault. I was so dumb. But if I hadn't made the mistakes I made, I wouldn't have met the wonderful woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/everything-was-my-fault-i-was-so-dumb-but-if-i-hadn-t-made-the/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [ I think we're \[me and my son\] different. He plans, organizes and intellectualizes more than I do. It wasn't until I worked with Federico… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-think-we-re-me-and-my-son-different-he-plans-organizes-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [One measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/one-measurement-is-worth-a-thousand-expert-opinions/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [But no, I love acting, it's a wonderful job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/but-no-i-love-acting-it-s-a-wonderful-job/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [When you look in the eyes of someone and that's what you look into, I knew him with my blood. It's not something you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/when-you-look-in-the-eyes-of-someone-and-that-s-what-you-look-into-i/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I have no idea. I get involved because I think there's value in the project and because I love the character that is presented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-have-no-idea-i-get-involved-because-i-think-there-s-value-in-the/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I was obsessed with not knowing what happened after you were dead. And I sat or kneeled for a whole day with my head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-was-obsessed-with-not-knowing-what-happened-after-you-were-dead-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [ It's a very serious endeavor for me \[to play in the same movie with my son\]. It's not for a lot of people. It… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/it-s-a-very-serious-endeavor-for-me-to-play-in-the-same-movie-with-my/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I have been able to play a lot of guys and they have kept me working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-have-been-able-to-play-a-lot-of-guys-and-they-have-kept-me-working/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [No, I'm not rich. I had a tax problem in this country, curiously enough, and my accountant said the British government was patently wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/no-i-m-not-rich-i-had-a-tax-problem-in-this-country-curiously-enough/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [But even with no money you could still go to places like the Scotch Club and, you know, John Lennon might be sitting right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/but-even-with-no-money-you-could-still-go-to-places-like-the-scotch/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [To them though, not to us, we were just a catalyst for their imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/to-them-though-not-to-us-we-were-just-a-catalyst-for-their-imagination/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [I have never planned anything. I have been doing this job for over 50 years. I have been paid to work with some wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/i-have-never-planned-anything-i-have-been-doing-this-job-for-over-50/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) [Explore all 47 Donald Sutherland quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) ## More Direct quotes > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/) [John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/) > [The method of magnitude estimation provided a direct measure of sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-smith-stevens/the-method-of-magnitude-estimation-provided-a-direct-measure-of/) Stanley Smith Stevens > [A place has almost the shyness of a person, with strangers; and its secret is not to be surprised by a too direct interrogation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-symons/a-place-has-almost-the-shyness-of-a-person-with-strangers-and-its/) [Arthur Symons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-symons/) > [The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-prediction-of-nuclear-winter-is-drawn-not-of-course-from-any/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [I'm currently trying to direct my own material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-skerritt/i-m-currently-trying-to-direct-my-own-material/) [Tom Skerritt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-skerritt/) > [By the time you get into other kinds of music - R&B, country, or whatever - it becomes something that's romantic. It becomes something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/by-the-time-you-get-into-other-kinds-of-music-r-b-country-or-whatever/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/) [Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/) > [They are the gateway for our modern esthetic development, the prophets of the new time. They are most of all, the primitives of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/they-are-the-gateway-for-our-modern-esthetic-development-the-prophets/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [I'm too direct and too unsparingly impatient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-m-too-direct-and-too-unsparingly-impatient/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [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/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It's attractive because it's simple, it's direct, it's almost always available as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-s-a-corey/violence-is-what-people-do-when-they-run-out-of-good-ideas-it-s/) [James S.A. Corey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-s-a-corey/) Browse all 3,391 Direct quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We don't have that much time left to do it. I'm 80. I wanted to be Walter Huston to his John Huston. I wanted him to direct me, not in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but something. We'll see. 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