--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In my experience, it's usually up to the…" description: "\"In my experience, it's usually up to the actor how a character is portrayed.\" — Richard Dreyfuss" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/richard-dreyfuss-11788_actor_in-my-experience-it-s-usually-up-to-the_2139656.jpg" --- # In my experience, it's usually up to the actor how a… ![“In my experience, it's usually up to the actor how a character is portrayed.” quote by Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/richard-dreyfuss-11788_actor_in-my-experience-it-s-usually-up-to-the_2139656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/richard-dreyfuss-11788_actor_in-my-experience-it-s-usually-up-to-the_2139656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8a/richard-dreyfuss-11788_actor_in-my-experience-it-s-usually-up-to-the_2139656.jpg) > “In my experience, it's usually up to the actor how a character is portrayed.” [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor decides how a role is interpreted, shaping the character's impact. **In simple terms:** Actors control character portrayal. Key Takeaway Focus on actor choices. Themes acting interpretation creativity Mood reflective analytical Type observational practical When to use this quote - theatre productions - film casting - directorial meetings Key Concepts character development artistic agency Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal interpretation with collaborative direction? - What limits an actor's freedom? A Different Perspective An actor's vision may clash with director expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-character/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Portrayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-portrayed-2472121/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Experience Usually](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience-usually-362786/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/up/) [Usually Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-actor-967298/) ## Related quotes > [It's the best honor when someone wants to use as their professional title the name of a character that you portrayed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-grier/it-s-the-best-honor-when-someone-wants-to-use-as-their-professional/) [Pam Grier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-grier/) > [The leading character isn't always the most important or interesting character; when people think that the protagonist is the character portrayed, it's people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pilou-asbaek/the-leading-character-isn-t-always-the-most-important-or-interesting/) [Pilou Asbaek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pilou-asbaek/) > [When a performance isn't working, it's usually because the actor is trying to do something and they're not able to express their idea very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-affleck/when-a-performance-isn-t-working-it-s-usually-because-the-actor-is/) [Casey Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-affleck/) > [It is fun, revisiting a role. Usually, as an actor, you do a movie and you put that character up on a shelf, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/it-is-fun-revisiting-a-role-usually-as-an-actor-you-do-a-movie-and/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Love scenes are always weird, though. They're always uncomfortable. It's all the people around who make it uncomfortable. It's not usually the actor you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lopez/love-scenes-are-always-weird-though-they-re-always-uncomfortable-it-s/) [Jennifer Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lopez/) > [“There is an element in experience that usually eludes description. Some experiences can never be told. They are intimately a part of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-dresser/there-is-an-element-in-experience-that-usually-eludes-description/) [Horatio Dresser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-dresser/) > [When a president was elected with foreign policy experience, it was usually less about his foreign policy experience than other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/when-a-president-was-elected-with-foreign-policy-experience-it-was/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [We rarely think to mark the trail for others to follow. 'Live and learn,' we say, acknowledging the value of experience. We usually forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/we-rarely-think-to-mark-the-trail-for-others-to-follow-live-and-learn/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [No two situations are identical, but with years of experience you can usually find a comparison to something you did before, which shortens the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kelly/no-two-situations-are-identical-but-with-years-of-experience-you-can/) [Charlie Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kelly/) > [Human experience is usually paradoxical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/human-experience-is-usually-paradoxical/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The LSD experience usually changes forever the worldview and basic life-orientation of all who experience it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-metzner/the-lsd-experience-usually-changes-forever-the-worldview-and-basic/) [Ralph Metzner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-metzner/) > [The greatest experience we can ever have is usually not a welcomed one at that time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-greatest-experience-we-can-ever-have-is-usually-not-a-welcomed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Well, in my experience, it's usually the things we're most afraid of that end up being the most worthwhile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-johnson/well-in-my-experience-it-s-usually-the-things-we-re-most-afraid-of/) [Julie Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-johnson/) > [The delineation between the actor and his part is a practical matter. When the camera runs, you want the actor to be the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leigh/the-delineation-between-the-actor-and-his-part-is-a-practical-matter/) [Mike Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leigh/) > [It's always really cool as an actor to have a character that people want to see the best for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-kelechi-watson/it-s-always-really-cool-as-an-actor-to-have-a-character-that-people/) [Susan Kelechi Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-kelechi-watson/) ## More by Richard Dreyfuss > [Trump is an intemperate, mean-spirited, lying bully. If a man like that asked you for permission to marry your daughter, what would your answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/trump-is-an-intemperate-mean-spirited-lying-bully-if-a-man-like-that/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [Television is hypnotic, and it hides among the furniture of your living room. It doesn't reveal itself, but it distorts everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/television-is-hypnotic-and-it-hides-among-the-furniture-of-your/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [There is one solution to all of our problems: Teaching our kids clarity of thought and political representation in democracy. That's it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/there-is-one-solution-to-all-of-our-problems-teaching-our-kids/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [We mistake politics for legislative debate. You can be passionate without being personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/we-mistake-politics-for-legislative-debate-you-can-be-passionate/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [Wake up and live. 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I always had work available…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/the-happiest-i-ever-been-was-when-i-was-a-struggling-actor-i-ve-had/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [Happiness has a bad rap. People say it shouldn't be your goal in life. Oh, yes it should.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/happiness-has-a-bad-rap-people-say-it-shouldn-t-be-your-goal-in-life/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [I said to my doctor, 'You gotta testme, there's something wrong with me that I would be behaving this way.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dreyfuss/i-said-to-my-doctor-you-gotta-testme-there-s-something-wrong-with-me/) [Richard Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dreyfuss/) > [We didn't get along, me and Bill Murray. 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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. 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