--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A good actor is someone who knows how to…" description: "\"A good actor is someone who knows how to take the part and make it real and make it honest and be effective in it. If it's in a funny movie and, as lon..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/ivan-reitman-15779_appropriate_a-good-actor-is-someone-who-knows-how-to_2197218.jpg" --- # A good actor is someone who knows how to take the part and… ![“A good actor is someone who knows how to take the part and make it real and make it honest and be effective in it. If it's in a funny movie and, as long as they are cast in an appropriate way, humor will come from it.” quote by Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/ivan-reitman-15779_appropriate_a-good-actor-is-someone-who-knows-how-to_2197218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/ivan-reitman-15779_appropriate_a-good-actor-is-someone-who-knows-how-to_2197218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/ivan-reitman-15779_appropriate_a-good-actor-is-someone-who-knows-how-to_2197218.jpg) > “A good actor is someone who knows how to take the part and make it real and make it honest and be effective in it. If it's in a funny movie and, as long as they are cast in an appropriate way, humor will come from it.” [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor must fully embody a role with honesty, adapting tone to genre while maintaining authenticity. **In simple terms:** Acting needs honesty and adaptability. Key Takeaway Be true to the character. Themes acting authenticity genre adaptation Mood thoughtful inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - theatre - film - comedy - drama Key Concepts performance theory character study Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay authentic in different genres? - What techniques help you inhabit a role? A Different Perspective Humor must arise naturally, not be forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-knows-1264415/) [Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appropriate/) [Cast Appropriate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cast-appropriate-4810591/) [Effective Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effective-funny-4810592/) [Funny Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-movie/) [Good actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-actor/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [The only direction I can give to an actor, a good actor who knows his skills, is, 'Here are those words. They're yours. Make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raoul-peck/the-only-direction-i-can-give-to-an-actor-a-good-actor-who-knows-his/) [Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raoul-peck/) > [A good actor knows exactly what the camera wants, what the sound wants, where to find the light and how to tell a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-barnard/a-good-actor-knows-exactly-what-the-camera-wants-what-the-sound-wants/) [Aneurin Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-barnard/) > [If an actor knows how to milk a cow, I always know it will not be difficult to be in business with him,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/if-an-actor-knows-how-to-milk-a-cow-i-always-know-it-will-not-be/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [To portray a real-life character is the toughest job for an actor because one never knows which direction to flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angad-bedi/to-portray-a-real-life-character-is-the-toughest-job-for-an-actor/) [Angad Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angad-bedi/) > [Any decent actor knows you can't judge the character you're playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-lynch/any-decent-actor-knows-you-can-t-judge-the-character-you-re-playing/) [Ross Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-lynch/) > [You have to trust your instincts. There is a moment when an actor has it, and he knows it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/you-have-to-trust-your-instincts-there-is-a-moment-when-an-actor-has/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [Every actor knows what unemployment is like, and knows what long periods of unemployment are like, unless you're spectacularly lucky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bonnar/every-actor-knows-what-unemployment-is-like-and-knows-what-long/) [Mark Bonnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bonnar/) > [One of my favourite sorts of actors...the rat actor. The rat actor knows his job and gets it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/one-of-my-favourite-sorts-of-actors-the-rat-actor-the-rat-actor-knows/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [We are not what we seem. We are more than what we seem. The actor knows that. And because the actor knows that hidden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/we-are-not-what-we-seem-we-are-more-than-what-we-seem-the-actor-knows/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [All actors do that. Should do that and do that. For the most part. I say all actors. I'm exaggerating, but you know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-keitel/all-actors-do-that-should-do-that-and-do-that-for-the-most-part-i-say/) [Harvey Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-keitel/) > [Acting can be a very cruel mistress. It's not a meritocracy. In other walks of life, by being good at what you do, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/acting-can-be-a-very-cruel-mistress-it-s-not-a-meritocracy-in-other/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [ Denzel \[Washington\] just knows the actor. He knows the process, and you don't often get that. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/denzel-washington-just-knows-the-actor-he-knows-the-process-and-you/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [By the time an actor knows how to act any sort of part he is often too old to act any but a few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/by-the-time-an-actor-knows-how-to-act-any-sort-of-part-he-is-often/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [An actor knows much more about a character than the character knows about himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/an-actor-knows-much-more-about-a-character-than-the-character-knows/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [An actor who knows his business ought to be able to make the London telephone directory sound enthralling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sinden/an-actor-who-knows-his-business-ought-to-be-able-to-make-the-london/) [Donald Sinden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sinden/) ## More by Ivan Reitman > [I remember when first, Stripes, and then Animal House came out - which I was really proud of, even though it was kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-remember-when-first-stripes-and-then-animal-house-came-out-which-i/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [It's sort of the most important thing for acting, is to listen to the person you're dealing with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/it-s-sort-of-the-most-important-thing-for-acting-is-to-listen-to-the/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [Much of romantic relationships today have to do when the people are not in the same room. Whether it’s texting or emailing or Facebooking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/much-of-romantic-relationships-today-have-to-do-when-the-people-are/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [My sense is, I think it's okay for directors to do movies that speak to other work in their career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/my-sense-is-i-think-it-s-okay-for-directors-to-do-movies-that-speak/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [We watch movies about all sorts of things that we don't know anything about, but we do get caught up in the human drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/we-watch-movies-about-all-sorts-of-things-that-we-don-t-know-anything/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [We got some devastating reviews on Animal House at the start.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/we-got-some-devastating-reviews-on-animal-house-at-the-start/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I don't think there will be another Ghostbusters. I think we're all too old to do it. I think we've done it a couple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-don-t-think-there-will-be-another-ghostbusters-i-think-we-re-all/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [The hardest thing for everyone, for the writer, for the director and certainly for the actors, is not to panic when they're doing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/the-hardest-thing-for-everyone-for-the-writer-for-the-director-and/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I don't think my sense of humor has changed at all; I was born with this, for better or for worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-don-t-think-my-sense-of-humor-has-changed-at-all-i-was-born-with/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [Movies either work or they don't work and they're either funny or they're not and we work very hard. To achieve that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/movies-either-work-or-they-don-t-work-and-they-re-either-funny-or/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I'd always been a science fiction enthusiast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-d-always-been-a-science-fiction-enthusiast/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [My first student film was Orientation, which was basically the set-up for Animal House. There are a couple of scenes that we later borrowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/my-first-student-film-was-orientation-which-was-basically-the-set-up/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I believe that improvisation is really just a directorial tool. It's a writing tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-believe-that-improvisation-is-really-just-a-directorial-tool-it-s-a/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I never like to do parodies. I never do. It's just not my style of comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-never-like-to-do-parodies-i-never-do-it-s-just-not-my-style-of/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) > [I'm not sure I agree with the thesis, because I think that even though something grotesque or gross has been part of film since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-reitman/i-m-not-sure-i-agree-with-the-thesis-because-i-think-that-even-though/) [Ivan Reitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) [Explore all 42 Ivan Reitman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-reitman/) ## 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! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. 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": "A good actor is someone who knows how to take the part and make it real and make it honest and be effective in it. 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