---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes I take a movie that I know is…"
description: "\"Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's not great on the page, but I need to work. Sometimes I need to make the money. I need dough. I ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg"
---

#  Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's…

![“Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's not great on the page, but I need to work. Sometimes I need to make the money. I need dough. I want to work, and so I'll take something that is compromised in some arena. But it's like, actors gotta act.” quote by Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg)

> “Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's not great on the page, but I need to work. Sometimes I need to make the money. I need dough. I want to work, and so I'll take something that is compromised in some arena. But it's like, actors gotta act.”

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Actors sometimes accept subpar projects for financial needs, acknowledging the tension between artistic desire and practical necessity.

**In simple terms:** Take work even if not ideal for money.

Key Takeaway

Accept imperfect roles when finances demand.

Themes

finance artistic compromise career pragmatism

Mood

pragmatic conflicted

Type

advice industry commentary

When to use this quote

- budget constraints
- career sustainability
- project selection
- financial planning

Key Concepts

economic pressure creative integrity industry reality

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it acceptable to compromise?
- What long‑term effects can this have?

A Different Perspective

Choosing lower quality work can erode reputation over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actors Gotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-gotta-4251595/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Like Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-actors/) [Make Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-money/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Need Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-work/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Want Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-work/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [Script comes first, then the actors, then you gotta be lucky enough to get the right time slot. Then people have to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-burrows/script-comes-first-then-the-actors-then-you-gotta-be-lucky-enough-to/)

[James Burrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-burrows/)

> [Women have to make a living. We don't live in a wealthy world where we even have a choice. We're losing our choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/women-have-to-make-a-living-we-don-t-live-in-a-wealthy-world-where-we/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [If you want to make money and have action, you need to work from like, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Those are the hours.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-moneymaker/if-you-want-to-make-money-and-have-action-you-need-to-work-from-like/)

[Chris Moneymaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-moneymaker/)

> [I don't want to work to make money. I want to work to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-prather/i-don-t-want-to-work-to-make-money-i-want-to-work-to-work/)

[Hugh Prather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-prather/)

> [People have a different idea of how movies are made than they really are. On a certain level, everyone throws ideas into the hopper.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/people-have-a-different-idea-of-how-movies-are-made-than-they-really/)

[Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/)

> [I don't want to be in somebody else's movie, and then they make all the money. I've gotten offers to do the movies, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eazy-e/i-don-t-want-to-be-in-somebody-else-s-movie-and-then-they-make-all/)

[Eazy-E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eazy-e/)

> [I have great admiration for athletes. They are just like actors in a lot of ways. They have tremendous pressures and conflicts. They have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-cross/i-have-great-admiration-for-athletes-they-are-just-like-actors-in-a/)

[Ben Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-cross/)

> [I like to have the actors do their thing. And then brief them what to do differently in take two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikramaditya-motwane/i-like-to-have-the-actors-do-their-thing-and-then-brief-them-what-to/)

[Vikramaditya Motwane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikramaditya-motwane/)

> [I like actors who, when you see them on screen, you sense a person, not just an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-payne/i-like-actors-who-when-you-see-them-on-screen-you-sense-a-person-not/)

[Alexander Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-payne/)

> [What I learned about acting, from my experiences directing, is why so many producers and directors don't like actors. You go through all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/what-i-learned-about-acting-from-my-experiences-directing-is-why-so/)

[Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/)

> [When I was trying to find work after drama school in London, it felt like the same actors always got the plum roles, especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-bamber/when-i-was-trying-to-find-work-after-drama-school-in-london-it-felt/)

[Jamie Bamber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-bamber/)

> [I love having the control over the end result and not having to go through some committee to get something approved. I feel sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-shattuck/i-love-having-the-control-over-the-end-result-and-not-having-to-go/)

[Kim Shattuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-shattuck/)

> [Any actor I admire and enjoy working with - Sergi Lopez as the bad guy in 'Pan's Labyrinth,' or the little girl who played…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/any-actor-i-admire-and-enjoy-working-with-sergi-lopez-as-the-bad-guy/)

[Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/)

> [“We live like actors in a play who are given only one line at a time, going through the motions without understanding the full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/we-live-like-actors-in-a-play-who-are-given-only-one-line-at-a-time/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Personally, I like all actors who are mysterious and don't have social media.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-soni/personally-i-like-all-actors-who-are-mysterious-and-don-t-have-social/)

[Karan Soni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-soni/)

## More by Holly Hunter

> [Giving up something personal to the public, you are surrendering something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/giving-up-something-personal-to-the-public-you-are-surrendering/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [In storytelling you kind of put your nightmares up there, you put your dreams up there and people can see them better because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/in-storytelling-you-kind-of-put-your-nightmares-up-there-you-put-your/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I'm a practicing Catholic. And faith is very, very important to me. It was pounded in my head as a kid, and I hated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-m-a-practicing-catholic-and-faith-is-very-very-important-to-me-it/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [The unknown makes people uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/the-unknown-makes-people-uncomfortable/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [It's not like television is now for women who have been put out to pasture. Television is for everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/it-s-not-like-television-is-now-for-women-who-have-been-put-out-to/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I act probably a lot more than you see. I happen to choose movies that don't have much of a life, or I choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-act-probably-a-lot-more-than-you-see-i-happen-to-choose-movies-that/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [Being somebody who's like a theater geek that I am, I can just go right back to Aeschylus and Euripides and Sophocles: they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/being-somebody-who-s-like-a-theater-geek-that-i-am-i-can-just-go/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I don't mind at all venturing off to do a television movie if it's gonna give me something new to mess around in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-don-t-mind-at-all-venturing-off-to-do-a-television-movie-if-it-s/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [Do I believe in God? I don't know what that really means. I don't know what my personal connections with G-o-d are. But spirituality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/do-i-believe-in-god-i-don-t-know-what-that-really-means-i-don-t-know/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I reveal all of myself. I bring all of myself to my roles. You only see me. You don't see anything else but me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-reveal-all-of-myself-i-bring-all-of-myself-to-my-roles-you-only-see/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [Each project, I can almost feel like I'm like a different person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/each-project-i-can-almost-feel-like-i-m-like-a-different-person/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [It's great to go to the cinema and have a conversation about something that is almost taboo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/it-s-great-to-go-to-the-cinema-and-have-a-conversation-about/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I think that my looks through the years have served me well because I was never a great beauty and I was never cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-think-that-my-looks-through-the-years-have-served-me-well-because-i/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I never thought about moving to L.A.; I always wanted to be in New York. I moved there, and now I still have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-never-thought-about-moving-to-l-a-i-always-wanted-to-be-in-new-york/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [I really would love to take a big break and not be photographed, not perform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/i-really-would-love-to-take-a-big-break-and-not-be-photographed-not/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

[Explore all 167 Holly Hunter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

## More Film quotes

> [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/)

[Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/)

> [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/)

[Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/)

> [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/)

> [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/)

[David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/)

> [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/)

[Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/)

[Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [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/)

> [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/)

[Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/)

[Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/)

> [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [Pakistan now is like a horror film franchise. You know, it's 'Friday the 13th, Episode 63: The Terrorist from Pakistan.' And each time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/pakistan-now-is-like-a-horror-film-franchise-you-know-it-s-friday-the/)

[Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/)

[Browse all 32,254 Film quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's not great on the page, but I need to work. Sometimes I need to make the money. I need dough. I want to work, and so I'll take something that is compromised in some arena. But it's like, actors gotta act.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Holly Hunter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is-not-great-it-s-not-great-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Film"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is-not-great-it-s-not-great-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/146/holly-hunter-2424_film_sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is_586274.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sometimes I take a movie that I know is not great; it's not great on the page, but I need to work. Sometimes…” — Holly Hunter",
                "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": "Holly Hunter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Sometimes I take a movie that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is-not-great-it-s-not-great-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/sometimes-i-take-a-movie-that-i-know-is-not-great-it-s-not-great-on/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
