Actor Quote by Gena Rowlands
“Of course I would change anything if John Cassavetes said so - it's his script. But he was very easy about that.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Film Quarterly, 1975
An actor’s willingness to follow a director’s vision shows humility and collaboration.
In simple terms: Following a director’s guidance reflects teamwork.
Key Takeaway
Respect artistic direction while staying authentic.
Themes
collaboration
humility
artistic vision
Mood
thoughtful
professional
Type
cinematic
inspirational
When to use this quote
- directed performances
- creative negotiations
- script revisions
Key Concepts
film theory
acting technique
Questions to Reflect On
- When should an actor assert their own interpretation?
- How does collaboration enhance or limit creativity?
A Different Perspective
Blind obedience can stifle personal expression.
![“He[John Cassavetes] was just being an actor. A very successful actor, especially in live TV. He did many wonderful performances.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d83/gena-rowlands-15239_actors_he-john-cassavetes-was-just-being-an-act_2407874.jpg)
![“John [Cassavetes] had shot a great deal of Shadows and I had to go fulfill my contract in California, so he and all the rest of the Shadows cast came out to California and they finished it off and he cut it. He turned the garage into an editing room and he was by then a director of Shadows. That's…” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ac3/gena-rowlands-15239_california_john-cassavetes-had-shot-a-great-deal-of_2280824.jpg)
![“It was more freedom than I think most people get when they're starting out - or even when they're not starting out. He [John Cassavetes] did his thing and I did whatever I thought.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fb7/gena-rowlands-15239_freedom_it-was-more-freedom-than-i-think-most-pe_2110721.jpg)
![“John [Cassavetes] loved actors. He gave them a lot of freedom. So if something came up that a certain actor just felt at the moment and said - that kind of improvisation he would accept. He gave very little direction.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd6/gena-rowlands-15239_accepting_john-cassavetes-loved-actors-he-gave-the_1891504.jpg)
![“It was a very hard play [Woman Under the Influence] to do every night. And John Cassavetes said, "Don't worry. Don't even think about it, you're right. I hadn't thought of that." He said, "Just forget it."” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d9a/gena-rowlands-15239_every-night_it-was-a-very-hard-play-woman-under-the_196187.jpg)
![“So many people mistakenly think that the rest of his [John Cassavetes] pictures and the ones we did were improvised, which isn't true. He wrote all the rest of them.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/78b/gena-rowlands-15239_people_so-many-people-mistakenly-think-that-the_896716.jpg)
![“John Cassavetes was there at night while I was working. After they [with his friends] discussed as much live TV as they felt they needed to, they started improvising scenes just for the fun of it and one of those scenes everybody got very interested in and it turned into Shadows [1959]. That movie…” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8fc/gena-rowlands-15239_felt_john-cassavetes-was-there-at-night-while_425534.jpg)
![“I'd wanted to be [an actress] all my life.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/82a/gena-rowlands-15239_actor_i-d-wanted-to-be-an-actress-all-my-life_375002.jpg)
![“I read the script of [Woman Under the Influence ] 50 times. And I thought about it. And then I did it.” quote by Gena Rowlands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d2c/gena-rowlands-15239_books_i-read-the-script-of-woman-under-the-inf_1224929.jpg)
