--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In terms of directors, great actors make…" description: "\"In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary Oldman was great to work with, for me; Tim Roth, too. You work with Scorsese and Spielberg an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png" --- # In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary… ![“In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary Oldman was great to work with, for me; Tim Roth, too. You work with Scorsese and Spielberg and they were wonderful directors, but for me, working with actor/directors is special.” quote by Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png) > “In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary Oldman was great to work with, for me; Tim Roth, too. You work with Scorsese and Spielberg and they were wonderful directors, but for me, working with actor/directors is special.” [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors who become directors bring unique empathy to filmmaking, blending performance insight with leadership. **In simple terms:** Actors‑directors understand both sides of the set. Key Takeaway Value collaborative empathy. Themes collaboration leadership creativity Mood appreciative reflective Type inspirational observational When to use this quote - film production - theatre projects - team building Key Concepts empathy dual perspective Questions to Reflect On - How does acting experience shape directing decisions? - What challenges arise when peers become supervisors? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic vision with practical constraints can be tough. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-directors-2733285/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Directors Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-gary-2733287/) [Directors Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-great-1456455/) [Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gary/) [Make Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-directors-2733286/) [Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scorsese/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [Wonderful Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful-directors-1270578/) ## Related quotes > [Working with actors really depends on the actor. Most of the directors I've worked with don't really know how to speak to actors, actually;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-donovan/working-with-actors-really-depends-on-the-actor-most-of-the-directors/) [Martin Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-donovan/) > [I think there's a tendency with actor/directors to imagine themselves playing every part and trying to get people to follow their rhythm, their tempo,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-howard/i-think-there-s-a-tendency-with-actor-directors-to-imagine-themselves/) [Ron Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-howard/) > [I don't come to work as an actor. There are many directors who can direct without ever having acted and do a great job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdellatif-kechiche/i-don-t-come-to-work-as-an-actor-there-are-many-directors-who-can/) [Abdellatif Kechiche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdellatif-kechiche/) > [Working with Scorsese was an absolute dream, and one of my favourite ever jobs was 'Beowulf' because it was just pure acting. Your imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/working-with-scorsese-was-an-absolute-dream-and-one-of-my-favourite/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I think when you work with really wonderful directors who have a really strong vision, it lets you as an artist set the tone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-gadon/i-think-when-you-work-with-really-wonderful-directors-who-have-a/) [Sarah Gadon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-gadon/) > [I am lucky that I have worked with some wonderful directors so far - Madhur Bhandarkar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, among others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/i-am-lucky-that-i-have-worked-with-some-wonderful-directors-so-far/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [Rod Lurie is one of the most wonderful directors I have had the pleasure to work with. He shoots like Clint Eastwood: no fuss.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-matheson/rod-lurie-is-one-of-the-most-wonderful-directors-i-have-had-the/) [Tim Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-matheson/) > [I think actors do make really, really wonderful directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wenham/i-think-actors-do-make-really-really-wonderful-directors/) [David Wenham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wenham/) > [I've worked with some absolutely wonderful directors who bring out the best in me and I know I can trust, and then I've had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kari-matchett/i-ve-worked-with-some-absolutely-wonderful-directors-who-bring-out/) [Kari Matchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kari-matchett/) > [I've gotten to work with some wonderful directors and people who have been great teachers to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyle-lovett/i-ve-gotten-to-work-with-some-wonderful-directors-and-people-who-have/) [Lyle Lovett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyle-lovett/) > [That excites me, working with really excellent people, be it wonderful directors or actors or cinematographers and especially writers. My work life is going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-kara-unger/that-excites-me-working-with-really-excellent-people-be-it-wonderful/) [Deborah Kara Unger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-kara-unger/) > [We used to do four or five films at a time and were not able to experiment with too many things. But, the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmila-tagore/we-used-to-do-four-or-five-films-at-a-time-and-were-not-able-to/) [Sharmila Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmila-tagore/) > [I'm not being offered a constant stream of wonderful parts with wonderful directors that would keep me away from the theatre. When they turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-not-being-offered-a-constant-stream-of-wonderful-parts-with/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [As an actor, I have had an iconic journey and was fortunate enough to have worked with some really wonderful directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/as-an-actor-i-have-had-an-iconic-journey-and-was-fortunate-enough-to/) [Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/) > [All I know is that I intend to do films which are different from each other, work with good directors and on great stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicky-kaushal/all-i-know-is-that-i-intend-to-do-films-which-are-different-from-each/) [Vicky Kaushal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicky-kaushal/) ## More by Ray Winstone > [Well, for me, my favourite 'Indiana Jones' is 'The Last Crusade,' because you get tears in your eyes when you see the old guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/well-for-me-my-favourite-indiana-jones-is-the-last-crusade-because/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I think the difference is that Angelina didn't need any CGI enhancement and I did! You can't really think about some things too much,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-think-the-difference-is-that-angelina-didn-t-need-any-cgi/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I think TV is all about caring, and if you don't care about a character in a drama or a person when they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-think-tv-is-all-about-caring-and-if-you-don-t-care-about-a/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [As a man, there's a part of me that feels I should still be going out and doing a proper day's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/as-a-man-there-s-a-part-of-me-that-feels-i-should-still-be-going-out/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [You do a job like mine because you love the job, not because it's going to make you famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/you-do-a-job-like-mine-because-you-love-the-job-not-because-it-s/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I love to be the lead, but you can't always be the lead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-love-to-be-the-lead-but-you-can-t-always-be-the-lead/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I'm lucky enough to have a kid with me who is actually really intellectually up with what's going on in the world and actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-m-lucky-enough-to-have-a-kid-with-me-who-is-actually-really/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [When somebody meets me in the street, they say, 'Hello, how you doing?' And I say the same back. It's just two minutes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/when-somebody-meets-me-in-the-street-they-say-hello-how-you-doing-and/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [Working with Scorsese was an absolute dream, and one of my favourite ever jobs was 'Beowulf' because it was just pure acting. Your imagination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/working-with-scorsese-was-an-absolute-dream-and-one-of-my-favourite/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I had a very real fear of spiders until one bit me. I got bitten by a redback spider in Australia and I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-had-a-very-real-fear-of-spiders-until-one-bit-me-i-got-bitten-by-a/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I was kicked out of drama school in 1976, aged 18, for vandalising the headmistress's tyres, after being there for less than a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-was-kicked-out-of-drama-school-in-1976-aged-18-for-vandalising-the/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [I've never met a politician I haven't wanted to walk away from, and I've yet to hear a politician speak and actually believe the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/i-ve-never-met-a-politician-i-haven-t-wanted-to-walk-away-from-and-i/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [It's not hard to be sexy when you're standing in front of Angelina Jolie or Robin Wright Penn. They're two of the most beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/it-s-not-hard-to-be-sexy-when-you-re-standing-in-front-of-angelina/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [Every job I take, within minutes I'm thinking, 'I can't do this.' I think it's what makes me work. People think I just swagger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/every-job-i-take-within-minutes-i-m-thinking-i-can-t-do-this-i-think/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) > [The greatest dramas in the world are all about sex, violence and death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/the-greatest-dramas-in-the-world-are-all-about-sex-violence-and-death/) [Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) [Explore all 55 Ray Winstone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/) ## 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. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Forget the credit, they (male actors) take all the money as well. We don't get paid even one-third of what male actors get. 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. Actors get stage fright, but they wouldn't be on the stage in the first place if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/the-whole-concept-of-stage-fright-is-fascinating-actors-get-stage/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [A rapper is about being completely true to yourself. Being an actor is about changing who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/a-rapper-is-about-being-completely-true-to-yourself-being-an-actor-is/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [I've been a professional actor for almost 40 years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-ve-been-a-professional-actor-for-almost-40-years/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [American actors are coy. We all have pricks and cunts, or are you different from the rest of us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-greenaway/american-actors-are-coy-we-all-have-pricks-and-cunts-or-are-you/) [Peter Greenaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-greenaway/) [Browse all 11,394 Actors quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary Oldman was great to work with, for me; Tim Roth, too. You work with Scorsese and Spielberg and they were wonderful directors, but for me, working with actor/directors is special.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ray Winstone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make-directors-gary-oldman-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make-directors-gary-oldman-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a16/ray-winstone-12425_actors_in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make_1891194.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In terms of directors, great actors make directors - Gary Oldman was great to work with, for me; Tim Roth…” — Ray Winstone", "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": "Ray Winstone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In terms of directors, great actors...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make-directors-gary-oldman-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/in-terms-of-directors-great-actors-make-directors-gary-oldman-was/#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 } } ] } ```