---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would not like to direct, I would be…"
description: "\"I would not like to direct, I would be one of those terrible directors who can't help line reading the actors their lines, because I would just want to..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg"
---

#  I would not like to direct, I would be one of those…

![“I would not like to direct, I would be one of those terrible directors who can't help line reading the actors their lines, because I would just want to be doing their parts.” quote by Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg)

> “I would not like to direct, I would be one of those terrible directors who can't help line reading the actors their lines, because I would just want to be doing their parts.”

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He prefers acting over directing, fearing he would micromanage actors if he directed.

**In simple terms:** He worries he’d be a bad director by reading lines to actors.

Key Takeaway

Focus on your strengths, avoid roles that conflict with your skills.

Themes

self‑awareness creative control role conflict

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

advisory self‑reflective

When to use this quote

- theatre productions
- film sets
- creative collaborations
- career decisions

Key Concepts

acting directing leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you thrive when you have complete creative control?
- How can you balance collaboration with personal artistic vision?

A Different Perspective

He may underestimate the value of guidance in directing.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/)

## Related quotes

> [You work with great directors and terrible directors, and so you learn; you take what you think will work for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-heslov/you-work-with-great-directors-and-terrible-directors-and-so-you-learn/)

[Grant Heslov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-heslov/)

> [A good writer - and I think it's this way with actors too - even if you have two lines, you have to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfre-woodard/a-good-writer-and-i-think-it-s-this-way-with-actors-too-even-if-you/)

[Alfre Woodard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfre-woodard/)

> [I feel terrible for directors of TV because all the episodes have to look the same. They make a great series for five or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-jodorowsky/i-feel-terrible-for-directors-of-tv-because-all-the-episodes-have-to/)

[Alejandro Jodorowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-jodorowsky/)

> [I felt I knew Lugosi. Like him, I had worked for good directors and terrible directors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-landau/i-felt-i-knew-lugosi-like-him-i-had-worked-for-good-directors-and/)

[Martin Landau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-landau/)

> [They offered me that film before I did Frida and I said, no, I'm not capable of directing. Then after seeing Julie direct, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salma-hayek/they-offered-me-that-film-before-i-did-frida-and-i-said-no-i-m-not/)

[Salma Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salma-hayek/)

> [I love writing. Given a choice, after directing for all these years, and if given an army of talented directors, I would not direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-rohit-shetty/i-love-writing-given-a-choice-after-directing-for-all-these-years-and/)

Vikram Rohit Shetty

> [Female directors really do need to support each other. Too many times I've been led to believe that my direct competition was other women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-phang/female-directors-really-do-need-to-support-each-other-too-many-times/)

[Jennifer Phang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-phang/)

> [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/)

> [Remember, this is back in the '40s, and the idea of a museum being a place where interested people could come in direct contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/remember-this-is-back-in-the-40s-and-the-idea-of-a-museum-being-a/)

[Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/)

> [I had a sort of bad experiences as a playwright early on, when directors were putting in huge concepts that I didn't intend, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-had-a-sort-of-bad-experiences-as-a-playwright-early-on-when/)

[Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/)

> [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/)

> [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. I don't have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-trejo/i-understand-the-formula-that-producers-hire-directors-and-directors/)

[Danny Trejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-trejo/)

> [The method of magnitude estimation provided a direct measure of sensation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-smith-stevens/the-method-of-magnitude-estimation-provided-a-direct-measure-of/)

Stanley Smith Stevens

> [Anybody can direct a picture once they know the fundamentals. Directing is not a mystery, it's not an art. The main thing about directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ford/anybody-can-direct-a-picture-once-they-know-the-fundamentals/)

[John Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ford/)

> [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Ruby Bentall

> [I think my parents were worried when I said I wanted to be an actress, but they also understood what that feeling is like.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-think-my-parents-were-worried-when-i-said-i-wanted-to-be-an-actress/)

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

> [One of the things I love most about acting, that I get to do research and read books, but it's just for me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/one-of-the-things-i-love-most-about-acting-that-i-get-to-do-research/)

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

> [I wasn't particularly good at school so always found essay writing hard, so I didn't do that well at English or history, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-wasn-t-particularly-good-at-school-so-always-found-essay-writing/)

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

> [I have only been acting since I was about eighteen. I couldn't imagine doing anything else. I don't think there is anything else I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-have-only-been-acting-since-i-was-about-eighteen-i-couldn-t-imagine/)

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

> [I sometimes think about writing just to keep my mind active when I'm not working, but I don't think I would be good enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-sometimes-think-about-writing-just-to-keep-my-mind-active-when-i-m/)

[Ruby Bentall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

[Explore all 6 Ruby Bentall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/)

## 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": "I would not like to direct, I would be one of those terrible directors who can't help line reading the actors their lines, because I would just want to be doing their parts.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ruby Bentall"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-one-of-those-terrible-directors/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Actors"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-one-of-those-terrible-directors/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45c/ruby-bentall-56875_actors_i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-on_1908834.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I would not like to direct, I would be one of those terrible directors who can't help line reading the…” — Ruby Bentall",
                "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": "Ruby Bentall",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruby-bentall/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I would not like to direct,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-one-of-those-terrible-directors/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruby-bentall/i-would-not-like-to-direct-i-would-be-one-of-those-terrible-directors/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
