--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've been directed by other actors, and…" description: "\"I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor doesn't make you a good director.\" — Laurie Metcalf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg" --- # I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor… ![“I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor doesn't make you a good director.” quote by Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg) > “I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor doesn't make you a good director.” [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Directing requires different skills than acting; experience in one doesn’t guarantee talent in the other. **In simple terms:** Acting ≠ directing skill. Key Takeaway Develop distinct skill sets. Themes career skill development leadership Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - film set - theatre - career change - mentoring Key Concepts Creative transition expertise gap Questions to Reflect On - What new skills must you learn to direct? - How can actors prepare for directing? A Different Perspective Assuming talent transfers can lead to poor outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Doesn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-doesn/) [Actors Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-actor-741837/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directed Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directed-actors-1820738/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-director/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Ve Directed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ve-directed-243963/) ## Related quotes > [I think actors like to be directed. Actors like to know where they're headed and what they want, so I'm very encouraging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mazer/i-think-actors-like-to-be-directed-actors-like-to-know-where-they-re/) [Dan Mazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mazer/) > [I think there are always actor parts, and then there are movie-star parts, and an actors always an actor until he does a movie-star…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-obst/i-think-there-are-always-actor-parts-and-then-there-are-movie-star-2/) [Lynda Obst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-obst/) > [It's really hard for me to meet someone. I don't want to date actors. Been there, done that. Only one actor per household, please.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-coolidge/it-s-really-hard-for-me-to-meet-someone-i-don-t-want-to-date-actors/) [Jennifer Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-coolidge/) > [It's difficult to judge other actors, because as an actor you're looking at different things than what an audience is looking at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cavill/it-s-difficult-to-judge-other-actors-because-as-an-actor-you-re/) [Henry Cavill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cavill/) > [I enjoy the acting, but I didn't plan on that. It fell into my lap, and I'm having a lot of fun with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-labrava/i-enjoy-the-acting-but-i-didn-t-plan-on-that-it-fell-into-my-lap-and/) [David Labrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-labrava/) > [Krishna Vamsi is a very good director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-charan/krishna-vamsi-is-a-very-good-director/) [Ram Charan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-charan/) > [If the project has good writing and is something I get excited about, then I'll do the role. And if it's for TV, I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gbenga-akinnagbe/if-the-project-has-good-writing-and-is-something-i-get-excited-about/) [Gbenga Akinnagbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gbenga-akinnagbe/) > [I didn't know I was a good director, and I mean that sincerely. I had done a film a long time ago called 'Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/i-didn-t-know-i-was-a-good-director-and-i-mean-that-sincerely-i-had/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Good is the director who lets you do what you have to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/good-is-the-director-who-lets-you-do-what-you-have-to-do/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [After all these years, I'm starting to learn what a good director does, and I know what a good one does with actors: help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-geraghty/after-all-these-years-i-m-starting-to-learn-what-a-good-director-does/) [Brian Geraghty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-geraghty/) > [A good director makes a playground and allows you to play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/a-good-director-makes-a-playground-and-allows-you-to-play/) [Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/) > [Directors know nothing. I never had the privilege of working with any good director. Except Satyen Bose and Bimal Roy, no one even knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-kumar/directors-know-nothing-i-never-had-the-privilege-of-working-with-any/) [Kishore Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-kumar/) > [Due to God's grace and a good director, I became successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajinikanth/due-to-god-s-grace-and-a-good-director-i-became-successful/) [Rajinikanth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajinikanth/) > [It is true that I got recognition. But however good the comedies are, nobody will accept a good comedy director as a good director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyadarshan/it-is-true-that-i-got-recognition-but-however-good-the-comedies-are/) [Priyadarshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyadarshan/) > [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/) [Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/) ## More by Laurie Metcalf > ['Three Tall Women' is kind of fascinating. I had never seen it itself, and I imagine the audience will find it very intriguing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/three-tall-women-is-kind-of-fascinating-i-had-never-seen-it-itself/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I'm happy whenever I'm in a rehearsal room. I've always gotten all my energy and creativity in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-m-happy-whenever-i-m-in-a-rehearsal-room-i-ve-always-gotten-all-my/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I'm so thrilled to be here on the set of 'Supergirl!'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-m-so-thrilled-to-be-here-on-the-set-of-supergirl/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [When one thing ends, you put it away and start from scratch on the next thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/when-one-thing-ends-you-put-it-away-and-start-from-scratch-on-the/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I don't like the camera. I get very self-conscious with it and then spend way too much time not looking self-conscious instead of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-don-t-like-the-camera-i-get-very-self-conscious-with-it-and-then/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I gravitated back to theatre again, and when I heard about this little independent movie called 'Lady Bird,' I thought, 'This will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-gravitated-back-to-theatre-again-and-when-i-heard-about-this-little/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I work just as hard and have just as much fun whether in a 50-seat house or in a 1000-seat house. It's a luxury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-work-just-as-hard-and-have-just-as-much-fun-whether-in-a-50-seat/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [Really, I'll go anywhere at any time to continue working in theater - it's a passion that I'm thankful I still have. It keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/really-i-ll-go-anywhere-at-any-time-to-continue-working-in-theater-it/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [My profession is about as far away from growing up in southern Illinois as you can get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/my-profession-is-about-as-far-away-from-growing-up-in-southern/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [When I get a beautifully written piece of material, I immediately start imagining how I would interpret it. I love just daydreaming about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/when-i-get-a-beautifully-written-piece-of-material-i-immediately/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [No matter how many times you've done it, the early stages of getting a show up on its feet is very hit and miss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/no-matter-how-many-times-you-ve-done-it-the-early-stages-of-getting-a/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I was too practical to major in theater. Acting - what was I going to do with acting? There was no future in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-was-too-practical-to-major-in-theater-acting-what-was-i-going-to-do/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I can't even call it work. I'm a creative-a-holic. I love the tearing into new material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-can-t-even-call-it-work-i-m-a-creative-a-holic-i-love-the-tearing/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [When I go to see something I'm in, or my friends are in, it's like a home movie. When I just go to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/when-i-go-to-see-something-i-m-in-or-my-friends-are-in-it-s-like-a/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) > [I don't know if ISU helped me become what I am, but I know that if I hadn't gone there, I wouldn't be what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-don-t-know-if-isu-helped-me-become-what-i-am-but-i-know-that-if-i/) [Laurie Metcalf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) [Explore all 44 Laurie Metcalf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/) ## 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": "I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor doesn't make you a good director.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Laurie Metcalf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-being-an-actor-doesn-t-make/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-being-an-actor-doesn-t-make/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b40/laurie-metcalf-14981_actor_i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-b_2173958.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've been directed by other actors, and being an actor doesn't make you a good director.” — Laurie Metcalf", "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": "Laurie Metcalf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-metcalf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've been directed by other actors,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-being-an-actor-doesn-t-make/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-metcalf/i-ve-been-directed-by-other-actors-and-being-an-actor-doesn-t-make/#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 } } ] } ```