--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Directing a film was something I always…" description: "\"Directing a film was something I always wanted to do, something that seemed an inevitability in my development as an actor.\" — Martin Donovan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg" --- # Directing a film was something I always wanted to do… ![“Directing a film was something I always wanted to do, something that seemed an inevitability in my development as an actor.” quote by Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg) > “Directing a film was something I always wanted to do, something that seemed an inevitability in my development as an actor.” [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects a lifelong aspiration to direct films, viewing it as a natural progression from acting, driven by personal passion. **In simple terms:** Acting led to directing dreams. Key Takeaway Pursue your creative evolution. Themes career growth creativity aspiration identity Mood motivational hopeful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - career planning - acting workshops - film projects - mentorship Key Concepts film studies personal development artistic vision Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take toward directing? - How does your acting experience inform your directing style? A Different Perspective It may overlook practical barriers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Inevitability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitability/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I've done so many jobs because I've had to, not because I've wanted to. And it's honourable to do a job because you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-waltz/i-ve-done-so-many-jobs-because-i-ve-had-to-not-because-i-ve-wanted-to/) [Christoph Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-waltz/) > [As far as writing or directing a film, I've worked with enough people who have done that that I know it's just a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zak-orth/as-far-as-writing-or-directing-a-film-i-ve-worked-with-enough-people/) [Zak Orth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zak-orth/) > [I think that I get different kinds of joy out of directing a film and acting, and it's sort of necessary to just be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-polley/i-think-that-i-get-different-kinds-of-joy-out-of-directing-a-film-and/) [Sarah Polley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-polley/) > [I usually don't prepare for a role. I eat well, go to the gym and show up on the set. But it's different when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuthirakani/i-usually-don-t-prepare-for-a-role-i-eat-well-go-to-the-gym-and-show/) [Samuthirakani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuthirakani/) > [Writing and directing your own film, for me, has been the best experience of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-jarecki/writing-and-directing-your-own-film-for-me-has-been-the-best/) [Nicholas Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-jarecki/) > [Directing a film was a good education. I learned how disgusting actors are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bullock/directing-a-film-was-a-good-education-i-learned-how-disgusting-actors/) [Sandra Bullock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bullock/) > [I'm very manipulative towards directors. My theory is that everyone on the set is directing the film, we're all receiving art messages from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/i-m-very-manipulative-towards-directors-my-theory-is-that-everyone-on/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [I love directing because you get to see your film come to life. You get to work with the actors. There's something magical about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/i-love-directing-because-you-get-to-see-your-film-come-to-life-you/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [Directing a film is a lot of physical work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/directing-a-film-is-a-lot-of-physical-work/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [Directing your first film is like showing up to the field trip in seventh grade, getting on the bus, and making an announcement, 'So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/directing-your-first-film-is-like-showing-up-to-the-field-trip-in/) [Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/) > [The notion of directing a film is the invention of critics - the whole eloquence of cinema is achieved in the editing room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-notion-of-directing-a-film-is-the-invention-of-critics-the-whole/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Directing film is the hardest thing I have ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-corbijn/directing-film-is-the-hardest-thing-i-have-ever-done/) [Anton Corbijn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-corbijn/) > [When I see my movies on the editing table, I do think I could have done them a certain way. The satisfaction is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-nadiadwala/when-i-see-my-movies-on-the-editing-table-i-do-think-i-could-have/) [Sajid Nadiadwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-nadiadwala/) > [ From an outsider's perspective, it's amazing what \[Clint Eastwood\] does. If he's not directing a film, he's acting in it, or rather he's composing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/from-an-outsider-s-perspective-it-s-amazing-what-clint-eastwood-does/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [Honestly, on so many levels, I feel like motherhood has prepared me even better for directing than film school because all it is is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-swanson/honestly-on-so-many-levels-i-feel-like-motherhood-has-prepared-me/) [Christine Swanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-swanson/) ## More by Martin Donovan > [A lot of banging in the head has built up over the decades, and for my own sanity, I needed to write. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/a-lot-of-banging-in-the-head-has-built-up-over-the-decades-and-for-my/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [If you blink, you will miss me, but I am in 'Malcolm X.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/if-you-blink-you-will-miss-me-but-i-am-in-malcolm-x/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [Can we ignore what is going on around us, can we disconnect ourselves, our own material situation, our spiritual selves, who we are, can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/can-we-ignore-what-is-going-on-around-us-can-we-disconnect-ourselves/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [People have different relationships with power. I suppose a large portion of the 'Homeland' audience aligns with the U.S., sort of against the enemies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/people-have-different-relationships-with-power-i-suppose-a-large/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I'm a sucker for entertainment and escapism as much as the next person. I like silly and lowbrow stuff, but I get nervous when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/i-m-a-sucker-for-entertainment-and-escapism-as-much-as-the-next/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [That's the very definition of freedom: to be allowed to develop our own creative potential to the fullest. But it doesn't have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/that-s-the-very-definition-of-freedom-to-be-allowed-to-develop-our/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [When you are raised Catholic, there is one thing that you are confronted with at a young age, and that's death. You're confronted with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/when-you-are-raised-catholic-there-is-one-thing-that-you-are/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I love watching Marty Scorsese's films, but they always make me feel terrible about being a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/i-love-watching-marty-scorsese-s-films-but-they-always-make-me-feel/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I'm always looking for something that tells me a little bit about what it means to be human. That's how I measure the success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/i-m-always-looking-for-something-that-tells-me-a-little-bit-about/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [When I was coming up with the Hal Hartley films, I was cast as a no one. I had no name visibility. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/when-i-was-coming-up-with-the-hal-hartley-films-i-was-cast-as-a-no/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [Name your nation-state, or tribe or party - you have to rationalize what you're doing. You have to go to sleep at night. Does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/name-your-nation-state-or-tribe-or-party-you-have-to-rationalize-what/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I wanted to express myself more fully through writing and directing. It just feels like a package deal. Anytime you create anything, you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/i-wanted-to-express-myself-more-fully-through-writing-and-directing/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > ['Collaborator' is a hostage tragicomedy, but it's also, kind of, everything I know about post-war America. Well, not everything, but it does reference a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/collaborator-is-a-hostage-tragicomedy-but-it-s-also-kind-of/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I actually love 'West Side Story.' I think it's an amazing film to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/i-actually-love-west-side-story-i-think-it-s-an-amazing-film-to-watch/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [My mother was Irish; she had this great sense of humor, and both my parents loved films. There was a very vibrant discourse about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/my-mother-was-irish-she-had-this-great-sense-of-humor-and-both-my/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) [Explore all 17 Martin Donovan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) ## 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. 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": "Directing a film was something I always wanted to do, something that seemed an inevitability in my development as an actor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Donovan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/directing-a-film-was-something-i-always-wanted-to-do-something-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/directing-a-film-was-something-i-always-wanted-to-do-something-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26d/martin-donovan-30825_actor_directing-a-film-was-something-i-always_1575673.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Directing a film was something I always wanted to do, something that seemed an inevitability in my…” — Martin Donovan", "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": "Martin Donovan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Directing a film was something I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/directing-a-film-was-something-i-always-wanted-to-do-something-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/directing-a-film-was-something-i-always-wanted-to-do-something-that/#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 } } ] } ```