--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much…" description: "\"People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making documentaries than you were in politics.' So I should be. If you are making a documentary, you a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png" --- # People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making… ![“People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making documentaries than you were in politics.' So I should be. If you are making a documentary, you are having fun. You are not under any pressure, normally.” quote by Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png) > “People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making documentaries than you were in politics.' So I should be. If you are making a documentary, you are having fun. You are not under any pressure, normally.” [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Making documentaries is enjoyable and low‑pressure compared to politics, encouraging creative freedom. **In simple terms:** Documentaries are fun and less stressful. Key Takeaway Enjoy creative work without pressure. Themes creativity career change pressure fulfillment Mood enthusiastic thoughtful Type career inspirational When to use this quote - starting a documentary - leaving politics - creative projects Key Concepts media production career transition work‑life balance Questions to Reflect On - What draws you to creative work? - How do you manage pressure in different fields? A Different Perspective May lack financial stability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) [Having fun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-fun/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) ## Related quotes > [The thing about making a documentary in Las Vegas is there isn't much to film apart from other people making documentaries about Las Vegas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-thing-about-making-a-documentary-in-las-vegas-is-there-isn-t-much/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [There's a wide range today of documentaries on politics. The central mass of it is made by networks, and nothing's changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-drew/there-s-a-wide-range-today-of-documentaries-on-politics-the-central/) [Robert Drew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-drew/) > [I like the boundaries, the kinds of conventions of a documentary and having to work within that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-like-the-boundaries-the-kinds-of-conventions-of-a-documentary-and/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [I learned how to make a documentary by having a good team around me. My editors (and co-writers)Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt and Frédéric Tcheng were very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-immordino-vreeland/i-learned-how-to-make-a-documentary-by-having-a-good-team-around-me/) [Lisa Immordino Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-immordino-vreeland/) > [For someone like me, making a documentary - I don't kid myself. There's no influence at all. What I do is entertainment. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/for-someone-like-me-making-a-documentary-i-don-t-kid-myself-there-s/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Charts and learning the politics behind making a record - it's pretty soulless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-nutini/charts-and-learning-the-politics-behind-making-a-record-it-s-pretty/) [Paolo Nutini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-nutini/) > [You know you have a problem in American politics when they're making 'House of Cards' look normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-kelly/you-know-you-have-a-problem-in-american-politics-when-they-re-making/) [Michael Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-kelly/) > [One of the great things about the sci-fi genre is that you can kind of get away with a bit more when talking politics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/one-of-the-great-things-about-the-sci-fi-genre-is-that-you-can-kind/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [The making of the documentary is an involving and collaborative process where you go deeper unlike in movies where you just borrow someone else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-jaffrey/the-making-of-the-documentary-is-an-involving-and-collaborative/) [Javed Jaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-jaffrey/) > [For me, the making of a documentary to mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain was an intensely personal journey. I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jason/for-me-the-making-of-a-documentary-to-mark-the-70th-anniversary-of/) [David Jason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jason/) > [So much of art-making is about reducing things to the essentials, so I don't feel particularly crippled by this. I don't want it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-holzer/so-much-of-art-making-is-about-reducing-things-to-the-essentials-so-i/) [Jenny Holzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-holzer/) > [Making the documentary was an extraordinary experience and it really hit home to me the quasi-religious nature of this anthropogenic global warming cause. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-minchin/making-the-documentary-was-an-extraordinary-experience-and-it-really/) [Nick Minchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-minchin/) > [I spoke to my father about making a documentary on him. I have been seriously contemplating that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arbaaz-khan/i-spoke-to-my-father-about-making-a-documentary-on-him-i-have-been/) [Arbaaz Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arbaaz-khan/) > [You know, the process of making a documentary is one of discovery, and like writing a story, you follow a lead and that leads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shatner/you-know-the-process-of-making-a-documentary-is-one-of-discovery-and/) [William Shatner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shatner/) > [There's always the question when you're making a documentary if the talking heads will work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heidi-ewing/there-s-always-the-question-when-you-re-making-a-documentary-if-the/) [Heidi Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heidi-ewing/) ## More by Michael Portillo > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/you-never-quite-know-what-you-do-in-life-that-leaves-a-seed-behind/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [If the Tories and Lib Dems fought together, they'd keep their ministerial offices and limousines, and continue to do the right things for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/if-the-tories-and-lib-dems-fought-together-they-d-keep-their/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Were we ever to find ourselves living under a totalitarian regime, place no faith in the mercy of your fellow citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/were-we-ever-to-find-ourselves-living-under-a-totalitarian-regime/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [America, to me, is this enormous contrast between the heady idealism of founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, who said, 'All men are created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/america-to-me-is-this-enormous-contrast-between-the-heady-idealism-of/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [There's only one person who knows me - and that's me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/there-s-only-one-person-who-knows-me-and-that-s-me/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [I think a lot of people of my generation have a certain guilt that, from the Sixties onwards, we started taking package holidays abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/i-think-a-lot-of-people-of-my-generation-have-a-certain-guilt-that/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Television brings with it two dangerous hazards: the worship of celebrity and the blurring of reality and fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/television-brings-with-it-two-dangerous-hazards-the-worship-of/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > ['Bradshaw's' is a lovely device for the time-travelling television presenter. I just hope that people buying it aren't doing so with the intention of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/bradshaw-s-is-a-lovely-device-for-the-time-travelling-television/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [King Edward VIII was forced to abdicate because he was determined to marry a divorced woman. As a result of that decision, the Queen's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/king-edward-viii-was-forced-to-abdicate-because-he-was-determined-to/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Three letters send a chill down the spine of the enemy: SAS. Those letters spell out one clear message. Don't mess with Britain!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/three-letters-send-a-chill-down-the-spine-of-the-enemy-sas-those/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [If life is a soap opera you shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to get to the final credits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/if-life-is-a-soap-opera-you-shouldn-t-be-in-too-much-of-a-hurry-to/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Before my teens, my contemporaries were reading Tolkien and were absorbed by his works, but try as I might, I could not be drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/before-my-teens-my-contemporaries-were-reading-tolkien-and-were/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [I will say what I want to say. I had some homosexual experiences as a young person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/i-will-say-what-i-want-to-say-i-had-some-homosexual-experiences-as-a/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [Again and again, people get more conservative as they get older.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/again-and-again-people-get-more-conservative-as-they-get-older/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) [Explore all 101 Michael Portillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) ## More Fun quotes > [It's really fun and challenging to build things that have never been built before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/it-s-really-fun-and-challenging-to-build-things-that-have-never-been/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [I think taking a hookline of a hit song and making a new song is fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-kumar/i-think-taking-a-hookline-of-a-hit-song-and-making-a-new-song-is-fun/) [Tulsi Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-kumar/) > [I enjoy upsetting the right people. I love poking fun at earnest censors. I want to push the bounds of what can be said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-enjoy-upsetting-the-right-people-i-love-poking-fun-at-earnest/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [I really like John McCain. He's an awesome dude and was a lot of fun when he hosted "SNL." I'd love to see a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-really-like-john-mccain-he-s-an-awesome-dude-and-was-a-lot-of-fun/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [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/) > [I guess I'm attracted to things that are fun. I guess what is fun about this role in 'Suburgatory' is that there's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-tudyk/i-guess-i-m-attracted-to-things-that-are-fun-i-guess-what-is-fun/) [Alan Tudyk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-tudyk/) > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [I can't imagine not working, really. I just think work's more fun than fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-quant/i-can-t-imagine-not-working-really-i-just-think-work-s-more-fun-than/) [Mary Quant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-quant/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [It ain't because lovers are so sensitive that they quarrel so often; it is because there is so much fun n the making up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/it-ain-t-because-lovers-are-so-sensitive-that-they-quarrel-so-often/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [It's great when you can write a meaningful song that touches people, but sometimes you just wanna have fun and sing a silly song…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/it-s-great-when-you-can-write-a-meaningful-song-that-touches-people/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [I loved duping my parents; I liked manipulating them. It was a way for me to stand out. It was fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/i-loved-duping-my-parents-i-liked-manipulating-them-it-was-a-way-for/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) [Browse all 15,947 Fun quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fun/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making documentaries than you were in politics.' So I should be. If you are making a documentary, you are having fun. You are not under any pressure, normally.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Portillo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-nicer-making-documentaries/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fun" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-nicer-making-documentaries/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e11/michael-portillo-5117_fun_people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-n_296327.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“People have said to me, 'Oh, you are much nicer making documentaries than you were in politics.' So I should…” — Michael Portillo", "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": "Michael Portillo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "People have said to me, 'Oh,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-nicer-making-documentaries/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/people-have-said-to-me-oh-you-are-much-nicer-making-documentaries/#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 } } ] } ```