---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There have been directors that I did not…"
description: "\"There have been directors that I did not enjoy working with, but for the most part I realize that I have been unbelievably spoiled in my career because..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg"
---

#  There have been directors that I did not enjoy working…

![“There have been directors that I did not enjoy working with, but for the most part I realize that I have been unbelievably spoiled in my career because I have worked with some of the greatest, greatest directors ever.” quote by Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg)

> “There have been directors that I did not enjoy working with, but for the most part I realize that I have been unbelievably spoiled in my career because I have worked with some of the greatest, greatest directors ever.”

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She acknowledges that working with top directors has set high standards, making other collaborations feel less satisfying.

**In simple terms:** Great directors raise expectations.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate and seek high‑quality collaborations.

Themes

career expectations gratitude

Mood

reflective grateful

Type

inspirational career‑reflection

When to use this quote

- film projects
- career decisions
- networking

Key Concepts

professionalism mentor influence industry standards

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain motivation after a less rewarding collaboration?
- What can you learn from working with both great and lesser directors?

A Different Perspective

Even with great mentors, not every partnership will be fulfilling.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Careers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Directors Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-did-1288255/) [Enjoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoy/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Greatest Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatest-directors-999386/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Spoiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoiled/) [Spoiled Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spoiled-career-4335417/) [Unbelievably Spoiled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbelievably-spoiled-4335418/)

## Related quotes

> [It was really executed well, from the art direction to the wardrobe to everyone else. And I have to say, two really exceptional directors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-cole/it-was-really-executed-well-from-the-art-direction-to-the-wardrobe-to/)

[Gary Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-cole/)

> [My first professional audition - god, I've never told anybody about this - was for a test commercial, I think it was for Xbox.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-lloyd-hughes/my-first-professional-audition-god-i-ve-never-told-anybody-about-this/)

[Henry Lloyd-Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-lloyd-hughes/)

> [Occasionally I do movies with other directors. I did 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly' for Julian Schnabel. I did a movie with Jim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-kaminski/occasionally-i-do-movies-with-other-directors-i-did-the-diving-bell/)

[Janusz Kaminski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-kaminski/)

> [After Star Trek, I was with the top agencies, but producers and directors did not know what to do with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/persis-khambatta/after-star-trek-i-was-with-the-top-agencies-but-producers-and/)

[Persis Khambatta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/persis-khambatta/)

> [Arnold and Jamie Lee must have worked over the years with directors that did 50 takes, because I'd get like three takes or so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-spheeris/arnold-and-jamie-lee-must-have-worked-over-the-years-with-directors/)

[Penelope Spheeris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-spheeris/)

> [First time films are hard. Even with some of the greatest directors, you look back at their first film, and you are just going,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-birbiglia/first-time-films-are-hard-even-with-some-of-the-greatest-directors/)

[Mike Birbiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-birbiglia/)

> [It is universally agreed that Jean Renoir was one of the greatest of all directors, and he was also one of the warmest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-universally-agreed-that-jean-renoir-was-one-of-the-greatest-of/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [The greatest directors are the greatest users. They use people's talents to tell the story that they want to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janusz-kaminski/the-greatest-directors-are-the-greatest-users-they-use-people-s/)

[Janusz Kaminski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janusz-kaminski/)

> [Some of the greatest directors never got an Oscar, like Kubrick, or Hitchcock. For me, personally, I think the body of work is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-forster/some-of-the-greatest-directors-never-got-an-oscar-like-kubrick-or/)

[Marc Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-forster/)

> [Oh, I've been ridiculously lucky to work for, I'd say, five of the greatest directors of all time... and a lot of other great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alden-ehrenreich/oh-i-ve-been-ridiculously-lucky-to-work-for-i-d-say-five-of-the/)

[Alden Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alden-ehrenreich/)

> [But if one could go back in time, I'd love to have been directed by Howard Hawks, who's one of my great heroes. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/but-if-one-could-go-back-in-time-i-d-love-to-have-been-directed-by/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [I was really fortunate from the time I arrived in Hollywood to work with some of the greatest directors from the beginning. I worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilmos-zsigmond/i-was-really-fortunate-from-the-time-i-arrived-in-hollywood-to-work/)

[Vilmos Zsigmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilmos-zsigmond/)

> [You can't get spoiled if you do your own ironing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/you-can-t-get-spoiled-if-you-do-your-own-ironing/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [I was spoiled and I was arrogant. I was very demanding, had an overblown image of who I was and got a reputation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judge-reinhold/i-was-spoiled-and-i-was-arrogant-i-was-very-demanding-had-an/)

[Judge Reinhold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judge-reinhold/)

> [I am an only child, and I guess was spoiled by my parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-brown/i-am-an-only-child-and-i-guess-was-spoiled-by-my-parents/)

[Mordecai Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-brown/)

## More by Meryl Streep

> [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [I do honestly think that if women were running the world there would be more investment in peace, because basically as women we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-do-honestly-think-that-if-women-were-running-the-world-there-would/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [My feeling about fears is, if you voice your fears, they may come true. I'm superstitious enough to believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/my-feeling-about-fears-is-if-you-voice-your-fears-they-may-come-true/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [The work itself is the reward, and if I choose challenging work, it'll pay me back with interest. At least I'll be interested, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/the-work-itself-is-the-reward-and-if-i-choose-challenging-work-it-ll/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [This act of empathy, that women go through from the time we're little girls - we read all of literature, all of history, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/this-act-of-empathy-that-women-go-through-from-the-time-we-re-little/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [Some men can maintain cragginess and weary masculinity. Women just get old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/some-men-can-maintain-cragginess-and-weary-masculinity-women-just-get/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [Well, I got better after this, and my entire family really did appreciate it. Usually, they're resentful of movies that I go off and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/well-i-got-better-after-this-and-my-entire-family-really-did/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [Acting is not about being someone different. It's finding the similarity in what is apparently different, then finding myself in there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/acting-is-not-about-being-someone-different-it-s-finding-the/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [I didn't really like opera. I liked cheerleading and boys and, later, smoking. So my opera career was cut short when I was 15.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-didn-t-really-like-opera-i-liked-cheerleading-and-boys-and-later/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [Life is all about making choices and I'm very happy with mine. I have had a wonderful time raising four children and I've also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/life-is-all-about-making-choices-and-i-m-very-happy-with-mine-i-have/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [Leave me to the thing I love. I love acting. But being called 'the greatest living actress' - a designation not even my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/leave-me-to-the-thing-i-love-i-love-acting-but-being-called-the/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [I have a very busy life, and not many people who have a career and four kids go out a lot to the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-have-a-very-busy-life-and-not-many-people-who-have-a-career-and/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [I go to a lot of movies where people are all around me laughing, and I feel like I'm from outer space because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/i-go-to-a-lot-of-movies-where-people-are-all-around-me-laughing-and-i/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [People say, When you have children, everything changes. But maybe things are awakened that were already there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/people-say-when-you-have-children-everything-changes-but-maybe-things/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

> [You have to embrace getting older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/you-have-to-embrace-getting-older/)

[Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

[Explore all 296 Meryl Streep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/)

## More Careers quotes

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/)

[Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/)

> [The only thing I try to watch carefully is that I never lose the love for the instrument. That's also why I decided against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-frahm/the-only-thing-i-try-to-watch-carefully-is-that-i-never-lose-the-love/)

[Nils Frahm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-frahm/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [The truth is I've just never had any kind of plan at all for my career, which is probably not a very flattering thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/the-truth-is-i-ve-just-never-had-any-kind-of-plan-at-all-for-my/)

[Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/)

> [I always knew I wanted to have a good career, so I made it happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chord-overstreet/i-always-knew-i-wanted-to-have-a-good-career-so-i-made-it-happen/)

[Chord Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chord-overstreet/)

> [My non-career. My excuse for a career? Honestly, I never think about the word 'career.' I've had managers, the minute they say it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-verlaine/my-non-career-my-excuse-for-a-career-honestly-i-never-think-about-the/)

[Tom Verlaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-verlaine/)

> [Poetry has, in a way, been my bridge to my acting career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omari-hardwick/poetry-has-in-a-way-been-my-bridge-to-my-acting-career/)

[Omari Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omari-hardwick/)

> [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/)

[Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/)

> [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/)

[Robbin Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbin-crosby/)

> [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/)

[Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/)

> [Everything I've been through, everything I'm about to go through in my career and my life, if my family wasn't with me and didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-malone/everything-i-ve-been-through-everything-i-m-about-to-go-through-in-my/)

[Karl Malone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-malone/)

> [An image has stuck for most of my career and it isn't flattering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-fowler/an-image-has-stuck-for-most-of-my-career-and-it-isn-t-flattering/)

[Robbie Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-fowler/)

[Browse all 6,154 Careers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careers/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There have been directors that I did not enjoy working with, but for the most part I realize that I have been unbelievably spoiled in my career because I have worked with some of the greatest, greatest directors ever.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Meryl Streep"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not-enjoy-working-with-but-for/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Careers"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not-enjoy-working-with-but-for/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7bb/meryl-streep-1078_careers_there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not_2122315.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There have been directors that I did not enjoy working with, but for the most part I realize that I have…” — Meryl Streep",
                "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": "Meryl Streep",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There have been directors that I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not-enjoy-working-with-but-for/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/there-have-been-directors-that-i-did-not-enjoy-working-with-but-for/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
