--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was never nervous directing. Not once…" description: "\"I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous acting. I'm far more nervous on set, before I say my lines, than I ever have been, as a direc..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png" --- # I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous… ![“I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous acting. I'm far more nervous on set, before I say my lines, than I ever have been, as a director.” quote by Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png) > “I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous acting. I'm far more nervous on set, before I say my lines, than I ever have been, as a director.” [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She finds directing less anxiety‑provoking than acting, feeling more nervous before delivering lines on set than when overseeing a production. **In simple terms:** Directing feels calmer than acting for her. Key Takeaway Focus on preparation to reduce performance anxiety. Themes confidence performance leadership anxiety film Mood thoughtful encouraging Type motivational reflective When to use this quote - acting - film set - public speaking - leadership training Key Concepts mindset stage fright directorial perspective Questions to Reflect On - What techniques help you stay calm before acting? - How does directing change your view of performance? A Different Perspective Nervousness may stem from personal expectations rather than role. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Nervous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nervous/) ## Related quotes > [I don't get nervous when I'm directing a play. It's not like acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-seymour-hoffman/i-don-t-get-nervous-when-i-m-directing-a-play-it-s-not-like-acting/) [Philip Seymour Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-seymour-hoffman/) > [It was so much fun to work with the cast on 'School of Rock'. I was a little nervous because it was my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daya/it-was-so-much-fun-to-work-with-the-cast-on-school-of-rock-i-was-a/) [Daya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daya/) > [Olivia Newton-John was our first choice to play Sandy, but she was nervous about acting, whether she would feel comfortable with us and could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-kleiser/olivia-newton-john-was-our-first-choice-to-play-sandy-but-she-was/) [Randal Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-kleiser/) > [I took theatre and stuff in college, then I took a bunch of different acting classes here in L.A. Sometimes when I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-ordway/i-took-theatre-and-stuff-in-college-then-i-took-a-bunch-of-different/) [Melissa Ordway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-ordway/) > [I used to get nervous about my acting being good enough. But now I am very much like, 'Stop panicking and just do it,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-page/i-used-to-get-nervous-about-my-acting-being-good-enough-but-now-i-am/) [Joanna Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-page/) > [“One of the common themes you will read in interview after interview is the call to keep fighting for your vision. This is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-silverstein/one-of-the-common-themes-you-will-read-in-interview-after-interview/) Melissa Silverstein > [Directing ain't about drawing a neat little picture and showing it to the cameraman. I didn't want to go to film school. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fincher/directing-ain-t-about-drawing-a-neat-little-picture-and-showing-it-to/) [David Fincher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fincher/) > [I've always said that with a lot of the horror franchises that I've started, it's like directing a pilot. I come in, I direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wan/i-ve-always-said-that-with-a-lot-of-the-horror-franchises-that-i-ve/) [James Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wan/) > [Throughout whatever I do, I always just say "Director" first. I am directing the storylines and I'm creating what it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/throughout-whatever-i-do-i-always-just-say-director-first-i-am/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [Every now and then I have to teach directing. The thing about the theatre is that the most important thing you can do as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-daldry/every-now-and-then-i-have-to-teach-directing-the-thing-about-the/) [Stephen Daldry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-daldry/) > [I look at the script first and who's directing it and then talk to the director to find out what his vision of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-grillo/i-look-at-the-script-first-and-who-s-directing-it-and-then-talk-to/) [Frank Grillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-grillo/) > [It doesn't matter who's directing, or who's doing the movie; there are a ton of things that can go wrong, and they do all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/it-doesn-t-matter-who-s-directing-or-who-s-doing-the-movie-there-are/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [In acting, you are fulfilled if you give justice to your role... if you are able to do a credible performance and touch the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-hutton/in-acting-you-are-fulfilled-if-you-give-justice-to-your-role-if-you/) [Timothy Hutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-hutton/) > [My dad's a prominent theatre director in Toronto, so I grew up in that world, directing and producing theater since I was a teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gass-donnelly/my-dad-s-a-prominent-theatre-director-in-toronto-so-i-grew-up-in-that/) [Ed Gass-Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gass-donnelly/) > [Steven Spielberg seems to have wanted to be a director from 13. He put his dog in a certain position and made him eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-brooks/steven-spielberg-seems-to-have-wanted-to-be-a-director-from-13-he-put/) [Albert Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-brooks/) ## More by Rose McGowan > [Some people do have a very innate sexuality to them. I may or may not have it, but it makes people see you in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/some-people-do-have-a-very-innate-sexuality-to-them-i-may-or-may-not/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I'm not really one of those people who goes and writes some big back story and agonizes over characters. I think you kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-m-not-really-one-of-those-people-who-goes-and-writes-some-big-back/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I just felt like, "Why would you discuss my body as if it's an object?" People will come up and say things like, "Are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-just-felt-like-why-would-you-discuss-my-body-as-if-it-s-an-object/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I don't mind being disliked - I will be the one to step up and say what needs to be said if it helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-don-t-mind-being-disliked-i-will-be-the-one-to-step-up-and-say-what/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [Someone asked me who I would be if I were a character in the 'Wizard of Oz.' I would be the curtain. I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/someone-asked-me-who-i-would-be-if-i-were-a-character-in-the-wizard/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I don't believe in rules. I would be happy to be climbing a pyramid when I'm 70. And I know I will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-don-t-believe-in-rules-i-would-be-happy-to-be-climbing-a-pyramid/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I don't know what it's like to get to face down my attacker in court, but I do know that they lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-don-t-know-what-it-s-like-to-get-to-face-down-my-attacker-in-court/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [It's nice being able to speak for myself. Every interview I did for so many years and every time I was in front of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/it-s-nice-being-able-to-speak-for-myself-every-interview-i-did-for-so/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I have a lot of brothers and sisters, and each movie has helped pay for tuition. And then I was like, I only have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-have-a-lot-of-brothers-and-sisters-and-each-movie-has-helped-pay/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [Every woman knows that any man engaging in street harassment can switch to anger very quickly and that anger goes to rage and their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/every-woman-knows-that-any-man-engaging-in-street-harassment-can/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [I don't know how exactly but I'm maybe perverse in the sense that I like being disappointed in something on a daily basis. Because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-don-t-know-how-exactly-but-i-m-maybe-perverse-in-the-sense-that-i/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [If one person starts crying, I'll cry. If one person has no money, I'll give them mine. If I had a bicycle growing up,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/if-one-person-starts-crying-i-ll-cry-if-one-person-has-no-money-i-ll/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [At 13, when I was a runaway, I was taken in by the most amazing drag queens in Portland, Ore. We didn't always know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/at-13-when-i-was-a-runaway-i-was-taken-in-by-the-most-amazing-drag/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [Why are women still this underclass? If we all banded together...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/why-are-women-still-this-underclass-if-we-all-banded-together/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [What's wrong with being angry? There's a lot of stuff to be angry about. If you're angry, anger covers pain. I don't know if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/what-s-wrong-with-being-angry-there-s-a-lot-of-stuff-to-be-angry/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) [Explore all 104 Rose McGowan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) ## 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": "I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous acting. I'm far more nervous on set, before I say my lines, than I ever have been, as a director.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rose McGowan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i-m-more-nervous-acting-i-m/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i-m-more-nervous-acting-i-m/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f14/rose-mcgowan-4975_acting_i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i_2452469.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I was never nervous directing. Not once. I'm more nervous acting. I'm far more nervous on set, before I say…” — Rose McGowan", "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": "Rose McGowan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I was never nervous directing. Not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i-m-more-nervous-acting-i-m/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/i-was-never-nervous-directing-not-once-i-m-more-nervous-acting-i-m/#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 } } ] } ```