--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the acting game, you spend a long time…" description: "\"In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against what the director perceives you to be. And half the time the directors don't know.\" — Peter ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png" --- # In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against… ![“In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against what the director perceives you to be. And half the time the directors don't know.” quote by Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png) > “In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against what the director perceives you to be. And half the time the directors don't know.” [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors often struggle against directors' expectations, which can be unclear or misguided. **In simple terms:** Fight misperceived expectations. Key Takeaway Clarify roles and communicate openly. Themes art authority identity Mood reflective assertive Type professional creative When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film sets - team projects - personal development Key Concepts Power dynamics creative autonomy self‑perception Questions to Reflect On - How can actors assert their vision? - When should you adapt versus resist? A Different Perspective Directors may lack insight into actors' strengths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It's like kids playing house: 'You play the father, I'll play the mother.' You know, you dress up, you play, they pay, you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duvall/it-s-like-kids-playing-house-you-play-the-father-i-ll-play-the-mother/) [Robert Duvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duvall/) > [It doesn't have to happen for anybody at all, this acting game, so you have to count your blessings. If I am lucky that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-morgan/it-doesn-t-have-to-happen-for-anybody-at-all-this-acting-game-so-you/) [Colin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-morgan/) > [Acting very quickly became a dream of mine, but the acting game privileges youth. It takes a while to build credits and, because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-ploszek/acting-very-quickly-became-a-dream-of-mine-but-the-acting-game/) Pete Ploszek > [I went to theater school, and if I spent time with one school of thought in this whole acting game, it's the Meisner approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-davis/i-went-to-theater-school-and-if-i-spent-time-with-one-school-of/) [Mackenzie Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-davis/) > [I don't think you ever really get used to it, do you? There's always another little level of shock in it and of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-keoghan/i-don-t-think-you-ever-really-get-used-to-it-do-you-there-s-always/) [Barry Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-keoghan/) > [I do enjoy acting, but it is such a game. So for that reason, I don't think I'll ever leave London.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/i-do-enjoy-acting-but-it-is-such-a-game-so-for-that-reason-i-don-t/) [David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/) > [The whole acting game can sometimes be a bit false, and you meet a lot of people in it for the fame - so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/the-whole-acting-game-can-sometimes-be-a-bit-false-and-you-meet-a-lot/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [Fighting is endurance, knocking a guy out in 10 seconds is not fighting, its beating him to the punch. But when you put in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/fighting-is-endurance-knocking-a-guy-out-in-10-seconds-is-not/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [I can't let time move on without fighting tooth and nail and hopefully being a part of a revolution that is positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-somerhalder/i-can-t-let-time-move-on-without-fighting-tooth-and-nail-and/) [Ian Somerhalder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-somerhalder/) > [You can kill time in a number of ways but it always depends on the kind of time you're fighting: some time is unkillable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-amis/you-can-kill-time-in-a-number-of-ways-but-it-always-depends-on-the/) [Martin Amis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-amis/) > [“Sisters are like that; you can't spend too much time with them without fighting about something.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-stewart/sisters-are-like-that-you-can-t-spend-too-much-time-with-them-without/) [Sean Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-stewart/) > [It doesnt matter if your Black,White,Yellow,Pink or even Polka-Dot. We live in the same world. Why do we have to fight all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mckayla-brooke-dunegan/it-doesnt-matter-if-your-black-white-yellow-pink-or-even-polka-dot-we/) McKayla Brooke Dunegan > [I spent so much time fighting that I didn't take the time to reflect on what I was actually going through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-wright-jr/i-spent-so-much-time-fighting-that-i-didn-t-take-the-time-to-reflect/) [Isaac Wright Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-wright-jr/) > [When I was making films, we had a lot of time for the fighting scenes. But in TV, we don't have much time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/when-i-was-making-films-we-had-a-lot-of-time-for-the-fighting-scenes/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [You're going to spend more time with yourself than with anyone else in your life. You want to spend that whole time fighting who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-sanchez/you-re-going-to-spend-more-time-with-yourself-than-with-anyone-else/) [Alex Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-sanchez/) ## More by Peter Mullan > [I find the world more absurd now than I did when I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/i-find-the-world-more-absurd-now-than-i-did-when-i-was-a-kid/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [If you go into a bank or a shop and you want them to believe that you're going to shoot them, that's an acting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/if-you-go-into-a-bank-or-a-shop-and-you-want-them-to-believe-that-you/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [The Vatican is like a huge kind of magician's club. The more you look into it the more awful it becomes. And they're laughing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/the-vatican-is-like-a-huge-kind-of-magician-s-club-the-more-you-look/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [Sometimes you have to confront your demons and sometimes even let them loose to genuinely find a place where you can gain some understanding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/sometimes-you-have-to-confront-your-demons-and-sometimes-even-let/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [In bringing the subject of religious oppression to a wider audience, I didn't just want to kick the Catholic Church but to poke a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-bringing-the-subject-of-religious-oppression-to-a-wider-audience-i/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [I was on the set of 'Braveheart' and my mate says to me, 'Do you think this film will be any good?' And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/i-was-on-the-set-of-braveheart-and-my-mate-says-to-me-do-you-think/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [I did 'Deathly Hallows' so my kids could get on the 'Harry Potter' set. They met Daniel Radcliffe, who was a darling and couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/i-did-deathly-hallows-so-my-kids-could-get-on-the-harry-potter-set/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [There's no such thing as an actor giving positive criticism to a director. The minute you say 'Don't you think it would look nicer',…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/there-s-no-such-thing-as-an-actor-giving-positive-criticism-to-a/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [The Vatican has tried to condemn 'The Magdalene Sisters' as a pack of lies and that I've made it all up - I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/the-vatican-has-tried-to-condemn-the-magdalene-sisters-as-a-pack-of/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [Life is much weirder than fiction; nothing's more absurd.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/life-is-much-weirder-than-fiction-nothing-s-more-absurd/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [I wanted to dismantle the bollocks that there's a military structure to a gang, with a leader, second leader, the good looking one, first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/i-wanted-to-dismantle-the-bollocks-that-there-s-a-military-structure/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [In terms of popular cinema, 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' is as near perfection as I can think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-terms-of-popular-cinema-one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest-is-as-near/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [The working-class aspirations are worse now than when I was a kid - and it was pretty bad when I was a kid. Reality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/the-working-class-aspirations-are-worse-now-than-when-i-was-a-kid-and/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [Watching people just look out for themselves, I think, is extremely interesting. It goes right back to something like 'The Beggar's Opera' - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/watching-people-just-look-out-for-themselves-i-think-is-extremely/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) > [It's not so much that I want to direct but that I have to. When I write something it terrifies me that if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/it-s-not-so-much-that-i-want-to-direct-but-that-i-have-to-when-i/) [Peter Mullan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) [Explore all 47 Peter Mullan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/) ## More Acting 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/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [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/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. I had a tendency to be precious about acting, thinking of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-regan/i-can-still-function-when-i-don-t-have-that-balance-i-crave-i-had-a/) [Laura Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-regan/) > [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/) > [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/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) Ryan Newman > [The show was number one in the ratings, Gordon Russell was our head writer, the story lines were magnificent and the acting most exciting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-storm/the-show-was-number-one-in-the-ratings-gordon-russell-was-our-head/) [Michael Storm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-storm/) > [I've done so many other projects where you're in a room with a reader and you're acting your lines out: 'We have to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cummings/i-ve-done-so-many-other-projects-where-you-re-in-a-room-with-a-reader/) [Jim Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cummings/) > [I do not believe in public shaming. I do believe that young adults go to college to learn things, and that this process will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/i-do-not-believe-in-public-shaming-i-do-believe-that-young-adults-go/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [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/) [Browse all 12,062 Acting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against what the director perceives you to be. And half the time the directors don't know.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Mullan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time-fighting-against-what-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time-fighting-against-what-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f7/peter-mullan-14139_acting_in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time_2202442.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In the acting game, you spend a long time fighting against what the director perceives you to be. And half…” — Peter Mullan", "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": "Peter Mullan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mullan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In the acting game, you spend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time-fighting-against-what-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mullan/in-the-acting-game-you-spend-a-long-time-fighting-against-what-the/#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 } } ] } ```