--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember hearing a good story about…" description: "\"I remember hearing a good story about Jack Nicholson working with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining [1980]. Nicholson was saying that, as an actor, you al..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/owen-wilson-10973_actors_i-remember-hearing-a-good-story-about-ja_3067132.jpg" --- # I remember hearing a good story about Jack Nicholson… ![“I remember hearing a good story about Jack Nicholson working with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining [1980]. Nicholson was saying that, as an actor, you always want to try to make things real. And believable. When he was working with Kubrick, he finished a take and said, "I feel like that was real."…” quote by Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/owen-wilson-10973_actors_i-remember-hearing-a-good-story-about-ja_3067132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/owen-wilson-10973_actors_i-remember-hearing-a-good-story-about-ja_3067132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3b/owen-wilson-10973_actors_i-remember-hearing-a-good-story-about-ja_3067132.jpg) > “I remember hearing a good story about Jack Nicholson working with Stanley Kubrick on The Shining \[1980\]. Nicholson was saying that, as an actor, you always want to try to make things real. And believable. When he was working with Kubrick, he finished a take and said, "I feel like that was real." And Kubrick said, "Yes, it's real, but it's not interesting".” [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors seek authenticity, but directors may prioritize intrigue over realism **In simple terms:** Actors want real feeling; directors may value interest more Key Takeaway Balance realism with compelling storytelling Themes acting authenticity directorial vision Mood reflective analytical Type observational critical When to use this quote - film set - post‑production - director‑actor discussions Key Concepts method acting creative tension Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep performance genuine without losing audience interest? - When should a director intervene to shape a scene? A Different Perspective Directors may reject realism if it dulls narrative tension ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Good story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-story/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) ## Related quotes > [I liked Stanley Kubrick from the start. He had a warm, benign nature and offered himself to you as a friend and ally. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-berkoff/i-liked-stanley-kubrick-from-the-start-he-had-a-warm-benign-nature/) [Steven Berkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-berkoff/) > [Most books about Stanley Kubrick were written by people who never met him and gathered information from articles written by others who didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-harlan/most-books-about-stanley-kubrick-were-written-by-people-who-never-met/) Jan Harlan > [It's so hard to do anything that doesn't owe some kind of debt to what Stanley Kubrick did with music in movies. Inevitably, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-thomas-anderson/it-s-so-hard-to-do-anything-that-doesn-t-owe-some-kind-of-debt-to/) [Paul Thomas Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-thomas-anderson/) > [Standing beneath the white light of an Apple store is like standing on a Stanley Kubrick movie set. His '2001: A Space Odyssey' predicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-morris/standing-beneath-the-white-light-of-an-apple-store-is-like-standing/) [Wesley Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-morris/) > [My father took me and my about-to-be-traumatized friends to Stanley Kubrick's '2001' for my 10th birthday party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hewlett/my-father-took-me-and-my-about-to-be-traumatized-friends-to-stanley/) [David Hewlett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hewlett/) > [The Beatles once approached Stanley Kubrick to do 'The Lord Of The Rings.' This was before Tolkien sold the rights. They approached him, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-jackson/the-beatles-once-approached-stanley-kubrick-to-do-the-lord-of-the/) [Peter Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-jackson/) > [Stanley Kubrick was brilliant at getting under the audience's skin. He was very interested in the idea of, 'How can I tell this with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/stanley-kubrick-was-brilliant-at-getting-under-the-audience-s-skin-he/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [ \[Stanley\] Kubrick was a fascinating, larger than life guy who had been a friend for many years prior to our working together on that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/stanley-kubrick-was-a-fascinating-larger-than-life-guy-who-had-been-a/) [Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/) > [“A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/a-film-is-or-should-be-more-like-music-than-like-fiction-it-should-be/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [I'd worked in Clockwork Orange with Stanley Kubrick and since Stanley was such a prestigious director this opened all sorts of doors for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-prowse/i-d-worked-in-clockwork-orange-with-stanley-kubrick-and-since-stanley/) [David Prowse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-prowse/) > [ \[Stanley\] Kubrick was a great artist and a perfectionist. He always wanted the exact right thing. He did a million takes. Everything had to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/stanley-kubrick-was-a-great-artist-and-a-perfectionist-he-always/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [ When I was working with Stanley Kubrick \[on "Eyes Wide Shut"\], he would always say, "You never tell the audience what to feel. Let… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/when-i-was-working-with-stanley-kubrick-on-eyes-wide-shut-he-would/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [Really, what I'm doing is an attempt to continue the best work of the people I adore: Francis Coppola and Scorsese and Robert Altman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gray/really-what-i-m-doing-is-an-attempt-to-continue-the-best-work-of-the/) [James Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gray/) > [Stanley Kubrick, I had been told, hates interviews. It's hard to know what to expect of the man if you've only seen his films.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/stanley-kubrick-i-had-been-told-hates-interviews-it-s-hard-to-know/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) > [Stanley Kubrick went with his gut feeling: he directed 'Dr. Strangelove' as a black comedy. The film is routinely described as a masterpiece.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cahill/stanley-kubrick-went-with-his-gut-feeling-he-directed-dr-strangelove/) [Tim Cahill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cahill/) ## More by Owen Wilson > [That's the thing about friendship, it's a lot rarer than love, because there is nothing in it for any body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/that-s-the-thing-about-friendship-it-s-a-lot-rarer-than-love-because/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [I always think about Katharine Graham - she was the publisher of The Washington Post. In her autobiography she talks about the way her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/i-always-think-about-katharine-graham-she-was-the-publisher-of-the/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [We didn't know what the reception was going to be when we walked out on the runway, but it felt like we were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/we-didn-t-know-what-the-reception-was-going-to-be-when-we-walked-out/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [You know how they say we only use 10 percent of our brains? I think we only use 10 percent of our hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/you-know-how-they-say-we-only-use-10-percent-of-our-brains-i-think-we/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [Movies I liked growing up were like Francis Ford Coppolla movies and Scorsese movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/movies-i-liked-growing-up-were-like-francis-ford-coppolla-movies-and/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [I have never taken myself that seriously as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/i-have-never-taken-myself-that-seriously-as-an-actor/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [And James L. Brooks then sort of became our mentor, brought us out to Los Angeles and worked on the script for a year…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/and-james-l-brooks-then-sort-of-became-our-mentor-brought-us-out-to/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [There's what is on screen and then for us, it's if you get along with the people and enjoy showing up at work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/there-s-what-is-on-screen-and-then-for-us-it-s-if-you-get-along-with/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [Film is definitely a director's medium. They're responsible for the look and everything, and you're a part of that process as an actor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/film-is-definitely-a-director-s-medium-they-re-responsible-for-the/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [You can't get too attached to any one shampoo. And conditioner, also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/you-can-t-get-too-attached-to-any-one-shampoo-and-conditioner-also/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [Being in a bathtub with Jackie Chan, I don't know, it has a way of bonding you I'll tell you that. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/being-in-a-bathtub-with-jackie-chan-i-don-t-know-it-has-a-way-of/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [Hansel is certainly about comfort, while still sort of having a peacock principle of wanting to attract attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/hansel-is-certainly-about-comfort-while-still-sort-of-having-a/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [I love Francis Bacon. I just saw a great Jackson Pollock exhibit at the Dallas Museum when I was home for Thanksgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/i-love-francis-bacon-i-just-saw-a-great-jackson-pollock-exhibit-at/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [The Australian accent just a very lovely accent and it doesn't have the pretention maybe of an English accent, but yet seems a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/the-australian-accent-just-a-very-lovely-accent-and-it-doesn-t-have/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) > [My roommate in college in Austin, Texas, was Wes Anderson. Wes always wanted to be a director. I was an English major in college,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-wilson/my-roommate-in-college-in-austin-texas-was-wes-anderson-wes-always/) [Owen Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) [Explore all 62 Owen Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-wilson/) ## More Actors quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kangana-ranaut/forget-the-credit-they-male-actors-take-all-the-money-as-well-we-don/) [Kangana Ranaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kangana-ranaut/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [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/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [When we watch a film as actors, you have to understand that we always see much more than what's on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kunal-khemu/when-we-watch-a-film-as-actors-you-have-to-understand-that-we-always/) [Kunal Khemu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kunal-khemu/) > [As actors, you become an expert at starting over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lupita-nyong-o/as-actors-you-become-an-expert-at-starting-over/) [Lupita Nyong'o](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lupita-nyong-o/) > [The whole concept of stage fright is fascinating. 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