--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I come up against a director who has…" description: "\"When I come up against a director who has a concept that I don't agree with, or maybe I just haven't thought of it or whatever, I'd be more prone to go..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg" --- # When I come up against a director who has a concept that I… ![“When I come up against a director who has a concept that I don't agree with, or maybe I just haven't thought of it or whatever, I'd be more prone to go with them than my own because I want to be out of control as an actor, I want them to have the control, otherwise it's going to become predictably…” quote by Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg) > “When I come up against a director who has a concept that I don't agree with, or maybe I just haven't thought of it or whatever, I'd be more prone to go with them than my own because I want to be out of control as an actor, I want them to have the control, otherwise it's going to become predictably my work, and that's not fun.” [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors may surrender creative control to avoid predictability, seeking freedom through collaboration. **In simple terms:** Giving up control can keep work fresh. Key Takeaway Balance personal vision with collaborative input. Themes creativity control collaboration Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - film set - theatre production - team projects - creative writing Key Concepts artistic integrity power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - When should you assert your own ideas? - How to maintain authenticity while collaborating? A Different Perspective Too much surrender can dilute personal voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Come Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-director-1103421/) [Come up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Control Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-actor-1898025/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Director Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-concept-1898022/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Going Predictably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-predictably-1898024/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Thought Prone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-prone-1898023/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [creative thought seems prone to flower in symbols before it ripens to fruit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maude-meagher/creative-thought-seems-prone-to-flower-in-symbols-before-it-ripens-to/) [Maude Meagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maude-meagher/) > [You have total control of it, and when you're an actor, you're subject to production design and costumes and directors and studio choices and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainn-wilson/you-have-total-control-of-it-and-when-you-re-an-actor-you-re-subject/) [Rainn Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainn-wilson/) > [It is one of the few elements in the process that a director really, really can't control: an actor's performance. If you have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-bateman/it-is-one-of-the-few-elements-in-the-process-that-a-director-really/) [Jason Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-bateman/) > [You try to pick good stories, and that's pretty much all the control you have as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cera/you-try-to-pick-good-stories-and-that-s-pretty-much-all-the-control/) [Michael Cera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cera/) > [Sometimes people come in as a director, and they just want the result, and they barely want that to tell you the truth. Sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/sometimes-people-come-in-as-a-director-and-they-just-want-the-result/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [What happens is things come to you - director, script - and if you respond to it, it's because it's tapping into some part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/what-happens-is-things-come-to-you-director-script-and-if-you-respond/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [When I began to direct, I began to understand and realise that everything that I'd learnt, both in music and dance and in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ogilvie/when-i-began-to-direct-i-began-to-understand-and-realise-that/) [George Ogilvie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ogilvie/) > [I guess I'm just the kind of person who likes to do it all. It's fun to put on the writer's hat and go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-goddard/i-guess-i-m-just-the-kind-of-person-who-likes-to-do-it-all-it-s-fun/) [Drew Goddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-goddard/) > [I find that in the process of making a film you're constantly discovering things that you never even imagined would work at the beginning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/i-find-that-in-the-process-of-making-a-film-you-re-constantly/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [The magic doesn't come from within the director's mind, it comes from within the hearts of the actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/the-magic-doesn-t-come-from-within-the-director-s-mind-it-comes-from/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [The respect for a musical score must come from the director... If the director has no power and has to surrender to budgetary constraints,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ennio-morricone/the-respect-for-a-musical-score-must-come-from-the-director-if-the/) [Ennio Morricone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ennio-morricone/) > [Collaboration is just, really, a group of people getting in a room with their eye on a very similar prize and wanting to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/collaboration-is-just-really-a-group-of-people-getting-in-a-room-with/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [As a producer, the most important call you can get is on Saturday morning, when the Friday-night grosses come in. As a director, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-winkler/as-a-producer-the-most-important-call-you-can-get-is-on-saturday/) [Irwin Winkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-winkler/) > [Certainly there is a lot of collaboration, but there is also a lot of clarity that has to be had in the vision that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-slade/certainly-there-is-a-lot-of-collaboration-but-there-is-also-a-lot-of/) [David Slade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-slade/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Jack Nicholson > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Women are sort of like motorcycle gangs with me. They get really shy and polite. I don't know why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/women-are-sort-of-like-motorcycle-gangs-with-me-they-get-really-shy/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I love writing, but I stopped because I felt I was more effective approaching filmmaking from a different vantage point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-love-writing-but-i-stopped-because-i-felt-i-was-more-effective/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I've been too many places. I'm like the bad penny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-ve-been-too-many-places-i-m-like-the-bad-penny/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I was invited to join the MGM cartoon department. But if I'd started work in animation I'd have had to take a cut in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-was-invited-to-join-the-mgm-cartoon-department-but-if-i-d-started/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I don't play golf competitively. I tell everybody that I cheat so they won't gamble with me. That's why you can't watch football. Everybody's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-don-t-play-golf-competitively-i-tell-everybody-that-i-cheat-so-they/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I'm such a perfectionist. I always feel overpraised or whatever. In the abstract, I know I'm a good person, a good professional. But it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-m-such-a-perfectionist-i-always-feel-overpraised-or-whatever-in-the/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Men dominate because of physicality, and thus they have mercy where women do not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/men-dominate-because-of-physicality-and-thus-they-have-mercy-where/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I think it's good if a man gives a woman some time to herself because I think we all need that and we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-think-it-s-good-if-a-man-gives-a-woman-some-time-to-herself-because/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [The most difficult thing about being well known? Getting out of a hotel room at 4am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/the-most-difficult-thing-about-being-well-known-getting-out-of-a/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [ He \[Castro\] is a genius. We spoke about everything. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/he-castro-is-a-genius-we-spoke-about-everything/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I've always had an urge to feed my need to have fun and feel free. I don't see any interesting alternatives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/i-ve-always-had-an-urge-to-feed-my-need-to-have-fun-and-feel-free-i/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Take caution in your tone, commander. I'm a fair man, but this -- heat is making me absolutely crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/take-caution-in-your-tone-commander-i-m-a-fair-man-but-this-heat-is/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [The stage has a certain discipline. But the ultimate standard is more exacting in film, because you have to see yourself and you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/the-stage-has-a-certain-discipline-but-the-ultimate-standard-is-more/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Comedy is much harder, it's a lot more exacting. You can't just be real and you can't just use the same kind of techniques…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/comedy-is-much-harder-it-s-a-lot-more-exacting-you-can-t-just-be-real/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) [Explore all 261 Jack Nicholson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) ## 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": "When I come up against a director who has a concept that I don't agree with, or maybe I just haven't thought of it or whatever, I'd be more prone to go with them than my own because I want to be out of control as an actor, I want them to have the control, otherwise it's going to become predictably my work, and that's not fun.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Nicholson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-has-a-concept-that-i-don-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-has-a-concept-that-i-don-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a0c/jack-nicholson-1283_actor_when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-ha_1785321.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I come up against a director who has a concept that I don't agree with, or maybe I just haven't thought…” — Jack Nicholson", "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": "Jack Nicholson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I come up against a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-has-a-concept-that-i-don-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/when-i-come-up-against-a-director-who-has-a-concept-that-i-don-t/#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 } } ] } ```