--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The way an actor is trained doesn't…" description: "\"The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much bearing on my work. I'm interested in the actor as artist.\" — Mike Leigh" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/mike-leigh-9087_actor_the-way-an-actor-is-trained-doesn-t-ulti_2206128.png" --- # The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much… ![“The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much bearing on my work. I'm interested in the actor as artist.” quote by Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/mike-leigh-9087_actor_the-way-an-actor-is-trained-doesn-t-ulti_2206128.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/mike-leigh-9087_actor_the-way-an-actor-is-trained-doesn-t-ulti_2206128.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/646/mike-leigh-9087_actor_the-way-an-actor-is-trained-doesn-t-ulti_2206128.png) > “The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much bearing on my work. I'm interested in the actor as artist.” [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prioritizes the actor's creative spirit over formal training methods. **In simple terms:** Creativity matters more than technique. Key Takeaway Cultivate artistic authenticity. Themes creativity authenticity artistry Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type artistic philosophical When to use this quote - theatre productions - film casting - actor workshops Key Concepts acting methodology creative process Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance instinct and skill? - What practices nurture artistic freedom? A Different Perspective Formal training can provide valuable tools. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-artist-872625/) [Actor Trained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-trained-784098/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Interested Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interested-actor-860438/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-actor-353134/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want people to define me. That's the best way for an actor to grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raashi-khanna/i-don-t-want-people-to-define-me-that-s-the-best-way-for-an-actor-to/) [Raashi Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raashi-khanna/) > [A cat actually thinks visibly. If you watch him jump on a shelf, the wish to jump and the action of jumping are one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-heilpern/a-cat-actually-thinks-visibly-if-you-watch-him-jump-on-a-shelf-the/) [John Heilpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-heilpern/) > [I don't want to take shots at professional actors, because obviously the great ones are great. But I do think that given the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-bujalski/i-don-t-want-to-take-shots-at-professional-actors-because-obviously/) [Andrew Bujalski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-bujalski/) > [I wasn't a trained actor, I was trained in musical comedy theater, and when you do that, the audience is completely part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-wasn-t-a-trained-actor-i-was-trained-in-musical-comedy-theater-and/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [The only thing that I know how to do as an actor, as a trained actor, is you can't villainize the character you're playing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/the-only-thing-that-i-know-how-to-do-as-an-actor-as-a-trained-actor/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [I'm the man who sits behind a table and tells true stories from his life. I'm also an actor. I was trained as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spalding-gray/i-m-the-man-who-sits-behind-a-table-and-tells-true-stories-from-his/) [Spalding Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spalding-gray/) > [I'm an actor. I was trained by Stella Adler, one of the greatest teachers of the world. I was 19 years old, and she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-margolis/i-m-an-actor-i-was-trained-by-stella-adler-one-of-the-greatest/) [Mark Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-margolis/) > [I am neither a method actor nor a trained one. So, I don't generally prepare for any role. Becoming the character and being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti-haasan/i-am-neither-a-method-actor-nor-a-trained-one-so-i-don-t-generally/) [Shruti Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti-haasan/) > [As an actor, you're trained to do the right thing, be politically correct, say your lines, say the right thing about the people you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-elba/as-an-actor-you-re-trained-to-do-the-right-thing-be-politically/) [Idris Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-elba/) > [As I say, there's something that scares the hell out of me but it really makes me work hard in losing myself. I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suchet/as-i-say-there-s-something-that-scares-the-hell-out-of-me-but-it/) [David Suchet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suchet/) > [I'm much more interested in what an actor has to say about something substantial and important than who they're dating or what clothes they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-m-much-more-interested-in-what-an-actor-has-to-say-about-something/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [It was hard saying goodbye to the character and harder saying goodbye to the actor. When rumours started going around that Rob Lowe might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-sorkin/it-was-hard-saying-goodbye-to-the-character-and-harder-saying-goodbye/) [Aaron Sorkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-sorkin/) > [I wasn't interested in being an actor per se, but I liked acting, and I liked seeing what people would do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-cunningham/i-wasn-t-interested-in-being-an-actor-per-se-but-i-liked-acting-and-i/) [Liam Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-cunningham/) > [I wasn't interested in fame or fortune. I was interested in being an actor and being creative. I was very adamant about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-cornish/i-wasn-t-interested-in-fame-or-fortune-i-was-interested-in-being-an/) [Abbie Cornish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-cornish/) > [I want to have fun. I'm not interested in being a serious actor, because I think it's boring, and I think we've got plenty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taron-egerton/i-want-to-have-fun-i-m-not-interested-in-being-a-serious-actor/) [Taron Egerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taron-egerton/) ## More by Mike Leigh > [The main problem is that the Hollywood system has already made the film before the director shoots a single frame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-main-problem-is-that-the-hollywood-system-has-already-made-the/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [The delineation between the actor and his part is a practical matter. When the camera runs, you want the actor to be the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-delineation-between-the-actor-and-his-part-is-a-practical-matter/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [Films are made all over the world all the time and only a thin slice of that product is Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/films-are-made-all-over-the-world-all-the-time-and-only-a-thin-slice/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I think it's important that nobody forgets that although Hollywood commercially dominates the world cinema, in fact what comes out of the filmmaking here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-think-it-s-important-that-nobody-forgets-that-although-hollywood/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [Life is about luck and it's about circumstances and socioeconomic conditions and all the rest of it, but you know, you can also make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/life-is-about-luck-and-it-s-about-circumstances-and-socioeconomic/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I hope I make films where you walk away . . . with work to do, arguments to have, things to worry about, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-hope-i-make-films-where-you-walk-away-with-work-to-do-arguments-to/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [It's an unhealthy habit to say that life is what you make of it, and if you want to be happy, then you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/it-s-an-unhealthy-habit-to-say-that-life-is-what-you-make-of-it-and/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [You will find hardly any improvising on camera anywhere in my films. It's very structured, but it's all worked out from elaborate improvisations over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/you-will-find-hardly-any-improvising-on-camera-anywhere-in-my-films/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I take no notice of the trends. It has never concerned me at all. My job is to deal with what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-take-no-notice-of-the-trends-it-has-never-concerned-me-at-all-my/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [A lot of the reasons that I'm resistant to making films in the U.S. have nothing to do with not doing a film in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/a-lot-of-the-reasons-that-i-m-resistant-to-making-films-in-the-u-s/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [But films should be voyeuristic. What else is a film if you're not snooping into somebody else's lives?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/but-films-should-be-voyeuristic-what-else-is-a-film-if-you-re-not/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [I try and create for the audience something that relates to real-life experience. When you're meeting somebody for the first time, all you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/i-try-and-create-for-the-audience-something-that-relates-to-real-life/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [People have been very resistant to giving me more than the standard amount of money. So I keep making films on a similar scale.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/people-have-been-very-resistant-to-giving-me-more-than-the-standard/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [But actually I make films that I think are extremely sophisticated and cinematic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/but-actually-i-make-films-that-i-think-are-extremely-sophisticated/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [My work requires acting at its most committed - it demands actors of enormous resilience, but also intelligence and wit. It doesn't work for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/my-work-requires-acting-at-its-most-committed-it-demands-actors-of/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) [Explore all 75 Mike Leigh quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) ## 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! 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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": "The way an actor is trained doesn't ultimately have much bearing on my work. 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