--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A large part of how an actor works and…" description: "\"A large part of how an actor works and their process is the stimulation of what's around you, and none more so than in a period piece. This is a modern..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/joseph-fiennes-10541_actor_a-large-part-of-how-an-actor-works-and-t_1974462.jpg" --- # A large part of how an actor works and their process is… ![“A large part of how an actor works and their process is the stimulation of what's around you, and none more so than in a period piece. This is a modern piece, as much as it is set in a different time, age and myth. If it wasn't relevant, it wouldn't have been made and we wouldn't be putting our…” quote by Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/joseph-fiennes-10541_actor_a-large-part-of-how-an-actor-works-and-t_1974462.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/joseph-fiennes-10541_actor_a-large-part-of-how-an-actor-works-and-t_1974462.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da4/joseph-fiennes-10541_actor_a-large-part-of-how-an-actor-works-and-t_1974462.jpg) > “A large part of how an actor works and their process is the stimulation of what's around you, and none more so than in a period piece. This is a modern piece, as much as it is set in a different time, age and myth. If it wasn't relevant, it wouldn't have been made and we wouldn't be putting our energy into it. It's relevant for us today because, in some ways, it throws up a mirror to all of us. As an actor, you get stimulus and you're effected by that, whether it's costumes or funny beards or castles.” [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) ## 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 draws inspiration from the surrounding environment, especially in period pieces, to make the story relevant today. **In simple terms:** Actors use surroundings for inspiration. Key Takeaway Leverage context to deepen performance. Themes acting period pieces relevance Mood reflective inspired Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre productions - film sets - historical dramas - creative workshops Key Concepts method acting environmental stimulus Questions to Reflect On - How does setting shape your character? - Can relevance be achieved without period details? A Different Perspective May over-rely on external cues, neglecting internal truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Stimulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-stimulus-3334010/) [Actor Works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-works-1158972/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beard/) [Castles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castles/) [Costumes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/costumes/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-times/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Large Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-actor-3334011/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mirrors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mirrors/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Period Piece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period-piece/) [Periods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/periods/) [Pieces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pieces/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant/) [Stimulation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulation/) [Stimulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stimulus/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [We were always reminded by our teachers that careers take off at different times. They held up Arthur Lowe as a great example of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-dunbar/we-were-always-reminded-by-our-teachers-that-careers-take-off-at/) [Adrian Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-dunbar/) > [An actor works with their soul and their thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/an-actor-works-with-their-soul-and-their-thought/) [Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/) > [Suffice it to say, every actor works differently. Laurence Olivier would put on his costume and when the wardrobe was right, he was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mann/suffice-it-to-say-every-actor-works-differently-laurence-olivier/) [Michael Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mann/) > [I still do a form of sense memory. It honestly depends on the job. 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It's the same for acting, especially for the actor who works unconsciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/they-say-making-laws-is-like-making-sausages-you-shouldn-t-watch-it-s/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [Acting is not that far from mental disease: An actor works on splitting his character into others. It is like a kind of schizophrenia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vittorio-gassman/acting-is-not-that-far-from-mental-disease-an-actor-works-on/) [Vittorio Gassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vittorio-gassman/) > [I'm an actor who works, and a lot of this is luck for me, that I get to be a part of really great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/i-m-an-actor-who-works-and-a-lot-of-this-is-luck-for-me-that-i-get-to/) [Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/) > [I'm sure every actor works as hard as me, if not more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brahmanandam/i-m-sure-every-actor-works-as-hard-as-me-if-not-more/) [Brahmanandam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brahmanandam/) > [I've always been an actor who works in every medium - I've worked in theater and film and television - I've never seen any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cillian-murphy/i-ve-always-been-an-actor-who-works-in-every-medium-i-ve-worked-in/) [Cillian Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cillian-murphy/) > [The great thing about scoring sci-fi shows is that you basically get to make up the rules, because you're creating a self-contained universe; when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-mccreary/the-great-thing-about-scoring-sci-fi-shows-is-that-you-basically-get/) [Bear McCreary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-mccreary/) > [Every period piece is made in the context of the moment, always equally trying to capture something about now through then. 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There's a lot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-graynor/while-i-appreciate-horror-movies-i-d-love-the-opportunity-to-do/) [Ari Graynor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-graynor/) ## More by Joseph Fiennes > [What I love about my work is that I'm forced to look through my character's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/what-i-love-about-my-work-is-that-i-m-forced-to-look-through-my/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [Pretty much all films I've seen that depict the life of Christ end with the Crucifixion, almost like the filmmakers don't know what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/pretty-much-all-films-i-ve-seen-that-depict-the-life-of-christ-end/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) > [I guess there's nothing I don't like about Merlin, in this presentation. 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Theatre is what I was trained for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-fiennes/i-like-language-and-in-film-language-is-diluted-by-the-visuals-and/) [Joseph Fiennes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) [Explore all 65 Joseph Fiennes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-fiennes/) ## 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. 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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. 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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 large part of how an actor works and their process is the stimulation of what's around you, and none more so than in a period piece. This is a modern piece, as much as it is set in a different time, age and myth. If it wasn't relevant, it wouldn't have been made and we wouldn't be putting our energy into it. It's relevant for us today because, in some ways, it throws up a mirror to all of us. 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