--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I didn't really realize I was a woman…" description: "\"I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did 'Mamma Mia!' and everybody was calling each o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg" --- # I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I… ![“I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did 'Mamma Mia!' and everybody was calling each other 'Governor' and 'Sir'... and then, looking at me, 'Well... good morning!'” quote by Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg) > “I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did 'Mamma Mia!' and everybody was calling each other 'Governor' and 'Sir'... and then, looking at me, 'Well... good morning!'” [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing her role as a female director only after entering a male‑dominated set highlighted gender visibility issues. **In simple terms:** She noticed gender bias on set. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address gender bias in leadership. Themes gender leadership film industry bias visibility Mood reflective determined Type inspirational professional When to use this quote - film production - leadership meetings - career reflections Key Concepts female leadership industry dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does environment shape self‑recognition? - What steps can leaders take to make gender bias visible? A Different Perspective Bias can be subtle and systemic, not just overt. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Did Mamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-mamma-609479/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Director Walked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director-walked-609478/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-morning/) [Looking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looking/) [Mamma Mia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mamma-mia/) [Morning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morning/) [Studios Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studios-did-609480/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) [Woman Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-director-410005/) ## Related quotes > [I signed up with Mr. Goldwyn not because he was the only one who offered me a contract. Many studios did. But they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-ellen/i-signed-up-with-mr-goldwyn-not-because-he-was-the-only-one-who/) [Vera-Ellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-ellen/) > [I made my own contacts and I recorded in different studios, and it was something that I did by myself without the assistance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebbie-jackson/i-made-my-own-contacts-and-i-recorded-in-different-studios-and-it-was/) [Rebbie Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebbie-jackson/) > [I think I wanted to do something that retained the improvised chaos of 'Mamma Mia' the theatre show which set it apart from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-think-i-wanted-to-do-something-that-retained-the-improvised-chaos/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [It was extraordinary to experience 'Mamma Mia!' What an injection of good spirit and heart it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/it-was-extraordinary-to-experience-mamma-mia-what-an-injection-of/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In the not-for-profit world, I never felt that being female was an impediment. I was, however, given my break into commercial theatre by a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-the-not-for-profit-world-i-never-felt-that-being-female-was-an/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In a way, 'Mamma Mia!' was such a left-field thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-mamma-mia-was-such-a-left-field-thing-for-me/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I'm not a feminist, but I just think it's a really cool process working with a woman as a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-griffith/i-m-not-a-feminist-but-i-just-think-it-s-a-really-cool-process/) [Melanie Griffith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-griffith/) > [It is really a sad state of affairs if I am still the only commercially successful woman director. We need a lot more commercially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-khan/it-is-really-a-sad-state-of-affairs-if-i-am-still-the-only/) [Farah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-khan/) > [I'm a woman director and my movies are shown all around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-sciamma/i-m-a-woman-director-and-my-movies-are-shown-all-around-the-world/) [Celine Sciamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-sciamma/) > [For a while, I thought, maybe I should direct, until I got to New York and saw the stupidity of that idea. If it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-hunt/for-a-while-i-thought-maybe-i-should-direct-until-i-got-to-new-york/) [Linda Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-hunt/) > [There are still people who have an issue working with a woman director. Women can be viewed as 'difficult' even though they work in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-walker/there-are-still-people-who-have-an-issue-working-with-a-woman/) [Lucy Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-walker/) > [There was a time when I first started that there was such a thing called 'a woman's film' and there were certain scripts that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurinder-chadha/there-was-a-time-when-i-first-started-that-there-was-such-a-thing/) [Gurinder Chadha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurinder-chadha/) > [A lot of people started asking me about this woman director thing, which I never thought about before. And I'd never really thought about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-takal/a-lot-of-people-started-asking-me-about-this-woman-director-thing/) [Sophia Takal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-takal/) > [I have been enormously lucky. My first role was in a great film by a woman director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-pugh/i-have-been-enormously-lucky-my-first-role-was-in-a-great-film-by-a/) [Florence Pugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-pugh/) > [There was an interesting article in Los Angeles Magazine about women directors. A woman director makes one bad independent film and her career is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-wolf/there-was-an-interesting-article-in-los-angeles-magazine-about-women/) [Dick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-wolf/) ## More by Phyllida Lloyd > [In a way, the debate about Margaret Thatcher in Britain has just gotten fossilized in this notion that she is either this she-devil who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-the-debate-about-margaret-thatcher-in-britain-has-just/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [It's the job of the artist to take something that everybody thinks they know about, they've made a decision about, they will be immovable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/it-s-the-job-of-the-artist-to-take-something-that-everybody-thinks/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In London, it's quite a rarefied activity to be on an analyst's couch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-london-it-s-quite-a-rarefied-activity-to-be-on-an-analyst-s-couch/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [Frankly, I find it very odd that, in a population that's more than 50 per cent of women, that Hollywood isn't producing more movies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/frankly-i-find-it-very-odd-that-in-a-population-that-s-more-than-50/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [To be invited to the Park - the greatest free Shakespeare festival in the world - is a great honor, and I don't take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/to-be-invited-to-the-park-the-greatest-free-shakespeare-festival-in/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I started working in London, and I've been free-lance ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-started-working-in-london-and-i-ve-been-free-lance-ever-since/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [If you believe that how you do your work is as influential as the work you do, then a theatre rehearsal, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/if-you-believe-that-how-you-do-your-work-is-as-influential-as-the/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [To have Hollywood tell me or other women like me that we're not a market that interests them is silly. Good stories work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/to-have-hollywood-tell-me-or-other-women-like-me-that-we-re-not-a/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > ['The Handmaid's Tale' is a horrifying and horrifyingly possible vision of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/the-handmaid-s-tale-is-a-horrifying-and-horrifyingly-possible-vision/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In Europe, it is not so unusual for directors to move between opera, theatre, and film, and I have at least three girlfriends I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-europe-it-is-not-so-unusual-for-directors-to-move-between-opera/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I was given a mask of myself by Frances Barber when we opened 'Julius Caesar.' I looked much younger and prettier. Wearing it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-was-given-a-mask-of-myself-by-frances-barber-when-we-opened-julius/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [In a way, 'Mamma Mia!' was such a left-field thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/in-a-way-mamma-mia-was-such-a-left-field-thing-for-me/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [You can't wait for someone to discover you; you have to just get on and do it. Have confidence that directing is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/you-can-t-wait-for-someone-to-discover-you-you-have-to-just-get-on/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I was hellbent on going to drama school, but my mother, rightly, panicked and persuaded me to go to university on the grounds that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-was-hellbent-on-going-to-drama-school-but-my-mother-rightly/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) > [I have been very lucky, and I think it all goes back to state subsidy for the arts. I gained my training and confidence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-have-been-very-lucky-and-i-think-it-all-goes-back-to-state-subsidy/) [Phyllida Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) [Explore all 44 Phyllida Lloyd quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/) ## More Cinema quotes > [I made, like, five movies while I was in college. I think they just weren't memorable movies. I've taken breaks as the years have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-foster/i-made-like-five-movies-while-i-was-in-college-i-think-they-just/) [Jodie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-foster/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [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/) > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [There was a time in the 1980s when I worked in 22 films a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radha-ravi/there-was-a-time-in-the-1980s-when-i-worked-in-22-films-a-year/) [Radha Ravi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radha-ravi/) > [To an ever greater extent out experience is governed by pictures, pictures in newspapers and magazines, on television and in the cinema. Next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-crimp/to-an-ever-greater-extent-out-experience-is-governed-by-pictures/) [Douglas Crimp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-crimp/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [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/) > [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/) > [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > ['Rear Window' isn't really a horror film, but it is a psychological drama, which I love. It is very tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-silvers/rear-window-isn-t-really-a-horror-film-but-it-is-a-psychological/) [Diana Silvers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-silvers/) > [What a thrill. You know you've entered new territory when you realise that your outfit cost more than your film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-yu/what-a-thrill-you-know-you-ve-entered-new-territory-when-you-realise/) [Jessica Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-yu/) > [I am not interested in churning out a certain number of films every year. For me, it's about the quality of work. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepika-padukone/i-am-not-interested-in-churning-out-a-certain-number-of-films-every/) [Deepika Padukone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepika-padukone/) [Browse all 23,940 Cinema quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did 'Mamma Mia!' and everybody was calling each other 'Governor' and 'Sir'... and then, looking at me, 'Well... good morning!'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phyllida Lloyd" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-director-until-i-walked-onto/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-director-until-i-walked-onto/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ed/phyllida-lloyd-15047_cinema_i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-di_2455951.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did…” — Phyllida Lloyd", "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": "Phyllida Lloyd", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllida-lloyd/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I didn't really realize I was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-director-until-i-walked-onto/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllida-lloyd/i-didn-t-really-realize-i-was-a-woman-director-until-i-walked-onto/#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 } } ] } ```