--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One of the excuses used for not casting…" description: "\"One of the excuses used for not casting culturally different actors is authenticity. But theater is not documentary.\" — Paterson Joseph" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg" --- # One of the excuses used for not casting culturally… ![“One of the excuses used for not casting culturally different actors is authenticity. But theater is not documentary.” quote by Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg) > “One of the excuses used for not casting culturally different actors is authenticity. But theater is not documentary.” [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authenticity is often misused to avoid diversity; theater is art, not a documentary. **In simple terms:** Excuses hide bias. Key Takeaway Challenge casting norms. Themes diversity authenticity theatre bias Mood critical reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - casting directors - auditions - play productions Key Concepts representation inclusion artistic liberty Questions to Reflect On - How does authenticity differ from representation? - What responsibilities do creators have? A Different Perspective Excuses may ignore audience desire for realism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Authenticity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authenticity/) [Documentary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/documentary/) [Excuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuses/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I work with different actors with varied degrees of experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-baker/i-work-with-different-actors-with-varied-degrees-of-experience/) [Sean Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-baker/) > [People imagine that actors are being offered everything and you are not. So things come in and sometimes there are things that I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/people-imagine-that-actors-are-being-offered-everything-and-you-are/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [Often our onscreen personas are different from who we are. Actors like Kamal Haasan, who is such a genius, has never played a role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suhasini-maniratnam/often-our-onscreen-personas-are-different-from-who-we-are-actors-like/) [Suhasini Maniratnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suhasini-maniratnam/) > [I'm lucky that I've worked with so many different directors with very different styles and with a lot of different actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/i-m-lucky-that-i-ve-worked-with-so-many-different-directors-with-very/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [I've never had a plan. You look for different actors you want to work with or different subjects you want to explore, or sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-forbes/i-ve-never-had-a-plan-you-look-for-different-actors-you-want-to-work/) [Michelle Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-forbes/) > [Normally, I love to go to the movies and when I see a character portrayed by different actors at different ages, it kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/normally-i-love-to-go-to-the-movies-and-when-i-see-a-character/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [I like different actors for different reasons. There are people like Tom Cruise, who have continued to stay on top of their game, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacre-montgomery/i-like-different-actors-for-different-reasons-there-are-people-like/) [Dacre Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacre-montgomery/) > [It is true that as he film market in China has grown, actors' and actresses' compensation has grown quite a bit. Different actors have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gong-li/it-is-true-that-as-he-film-market-in-china-has-grown-actors-and/) [Gong Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gong-li/) > [It's really neat to get inside someone else's head and be someone else for a little bit. I also love working with different actors.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-hale/it-s-really-neat-to-get-inside-someone-else-s-head-and-be-someone/) [Lucy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-hale/) > [Different actors have different rhythms. My goal as a director is to let these guys get their best work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/different-actors-have-different-rhythms-my-goal-as-a-director-is-to/) [Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/) > [I think there are all sorts of ways of turning into an actor, and there are a vast variety of different actors. You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/i-think-there-are-all-sorts-of-ways-of-turning-into-an-actor-and/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [There's only so much you can do until you get on set and see the aesthetics of what you're dealing with. Then you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-urban/there-s-only-so-much-you-can-do-until-you-get-on-set-and-see-the/) [Karl Urban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-urban/) > [You can be more creative in acting by bringing your character to life and bringing a piece of you that wasn't there before. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-cho/you-can-be-more-creative-in-acting-by-bringing-your-character-to-life/) [Arden Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-cho/) > [Actors are different. Some actors play themselves very successfully, but I come from the theater. Having done Shakespeare, we sometimes did three or four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/actors-are-different-some-actors-play-themselves-very-successfully/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [As an actor, when you walk onto a set, you're always working with different actors with different processes, and I kind of respect them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bomer/as-an-actor-when-you-walk-onto-a-set-you-re-always-working-with/) [Matthew Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bomer/) ## More by Paterson Joseph > [We must have belief in BAME artists and have total trust in their work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/we-must-have-belief-in-bame-artists-and-have-total-trust-in-their-work/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [It takes a long time to shoot 'Peep Show' whenever I do a scene - that's probably why I don't do much stuff on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/it-takes-a-long-time-to-shoot-peep-show-whenever-i-do-a-scene-that-s/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [It's essential for people to socialise with each other, to play games, to open up, to role-play. It brings empathy and that is vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/it-s-essential-for-people-to-socialise-with-each-other-to-play-games/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I'm not a big movie-watcher, but I do watch quite a bit of TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-m-not-a-big-movie-watcher-but-i-do-watch-quite-a-bit-of-tv/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [My career started off very well in classical theatre, a genre that I shouldn't perhaps have done so well in. As a result it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/my-career-started-off-very-well-in-classical-theatre-a-genre-that-i/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I'm not a gambler. And I don't approve of gambling unless it's for the Grand National.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-m-not-a-gambler-and-i-don-t-approve-of-gambling-unless-it-s-for-the/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [I mean, ethnic is a meaningless term because everybody thinks it means brown or something, but actually, we're all ethnic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/i-mean-ethnic-is-a-meaningless-term-because-everybody-thinks-it-means/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [When I got to secondary school I copped out and started bunking off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/when-i-got-to-secondary-school-i-copped-out-and-started-bunking-off/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [People who are racist, they love, they laugh, they are committed to their family and their friends. They're human beings. This is what's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/people-who-are-racist-they-love-they-laugh-they-are-committed-to/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [You can transform somebody just by telling them, 'I'm listening.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/you-can-transform-somebody-just-by-telling-them-i-m-listening/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [That's the mentality of the soldier. You act on order, not on your own cognition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/that-s-the-mentality-of-the-soldier-you-act-on-order-not-on-your-own/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [When I was 14 I was really taciturn - I hardly said a word - but then I auditioned for Shylock. With Shakespeare's words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/when-i-was-14-i-was-really-taciturn-i-hardly-said-a-word-but-then-i/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [Great African-American stars who can command major theatre and film roles in successful international projects are not uncommon: James Earl Jones, Denzel Washington, Halle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/great-african-american-stars-who-can-command-major-theatre-and-film/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [The black presence in our British history has sometimes wilfully, sometimes neglectfully, been whitewashed out of our national tale. This is not only deeply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/the-black-presence-in-our-british-history-has-sometimes-wilfully/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [About two months after I'd finished filming 'The Beach' in Thailand, I found myself on a roof in Croydon at 2:00 A.M. in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/about-two-months-after-i-d-finished-filming-the-beach-in-thailand-i/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) [Explore all 99 Paterson Joseph quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) ## 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! 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": "One of the excuses used for not casting culturally different actors is authenticity. But theater is not documentary.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paterson Joseph" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting-culturally-different-actors/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting-culturally-different-actors/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/paterson-joseph-6527_actor_one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting_330420.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One of the excuses used for not casting culturally different actors is authenticity. But theater is not…” — Paterson Joseph", "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": "Paterson Joseph", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "One of the excuses used for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting-culturally-different-actors/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/one-of-the-excuses-used-for-not-casting-culturally-different-actors/#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 } } ] } ```