--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing that I can contribute as…" description: "\"The only thing that I can contribute as director is to work with the performers in a way that brings out the drama.\" — Sam Wanamaker" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg" --- # The only thing that I can contribute as director is to… ![“The only thing that I can contribute as director is to work with the performers in a way that brings out the drama.” quote by Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg) > “The only thing that I can contribute as director is to work with the performers in a way that brings out the drama.” [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director’s role is to guide performers to reveal the drama inherent in the piece. **In simple terms:** Directors help actors bring out drama. Key Takeaway Focus on collaborative storytelling. Themes leadership drama performance Mood thoughtful inspired Type professional educational When to use this quote - rehearsal process - creative workshops - stage production Key Concepts theatrical direction actor‑director dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance guidance and freedom? - What techniques reveal deeper drama? A Different Perspective Balancing artistic vision with actors’ autonomy can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I love being on set, because I've basically grown up on a set. And now I love to contribute as a director and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-schroder/i-love-being-on-set-because-i-ve-basically-grown-up-on-a-set-and-now/) [Ricky Schroder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-schroder/) > [I want to work with performers who really are ready to lose their minds, you know? People who are established and have talent, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-miller/i-want-to-work-with-performers-who-really-are-ready-to-lose-their/) [Bennett Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-miller/) > [I am a film director, and I work with a visual language, with a visual medium. And I try to make virtue of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luca-guadagnino/i-am-a-film-director-and-i-work-with-a-visual-language-with-a-visual/) [Luca Guadagnino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luca-guadagnino/) > [It was a really strange experience. It was very creative for Alejandro Amenábar. It was almost like it was the most I ever felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/it-was-a-really-strange-experience-it-was-very-creative-for-alejandro/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) > [Filmmaking is a very collaborative art. Unlike a painting that an artist paints sitting by himself, as a director, you have to work with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/filmmaking-is-a-very-collaborative-art-unlike-a-painting-that-an/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [Television is an excellent training ground for a director. If you work consistently in television, as I did, you have to come in on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-duke/television-is-an-excellent-training-ground-for-a-director-if-you-work/) [Bill Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-duke/) > [I try to offer as much as I can to the director so he has as much to work with as possible to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-allen/i-try-to-offer-as-much-as-i-can-to-the-director-so-he-has-as-much-to/) [Karen Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-allen/) > [I have come to Kolkata to make music, but I can't expect one director to give me work all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-have-come-to-kolkata-to-make-music-but-i-can-t-expect-one-director/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [Well, if you ask any filmmaker how they got into it, everyone came a different route. Ive never actually watched another director work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-parker/well-if-you-ask-any-filmmaker-how-they-got-into-it-everyone-came-a/) [Alan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-parker/) > [I love writing but not crazy meticulous/prepared enough to be a director. I'd work as a gaffer on something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-miller/i-love-writing-but-not-crazy-meticulous-prepared-enough-to-be-a/) [T. J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-miller/) > [Whenever one sees a director at work, anyone would hesitate to disturb him or her on the sets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aishwarya-r-dhanush/whenever-one-sees-a-director-at-work-anyone-would-hesitate-to-disturb/) [Aishwarya R. Dhanush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aishwarya-r-dhanush/) > [Whenever anybody asked me, 'Who is your number one director to work with?' I would always say Tim Burton.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-purnell/whenever-anybody-asked-me-who-is-your-number-one-director-to-work/) [Ella Purnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-purnell/) > [When you have a director who has work you can identify from the past, it gives you some reference point as to what their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-kinnear/when-you-have-a-director-who-has-work-you-can-identify-from-the-past/) [Greg Kinnear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-kinnear/) > [ \[Martin Scorsese \] basically works just like any other director. You work the scene, you try to find what's best in it and make… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-spiner/martin-scorsese-basically-works-just-like-any-other-director-you-work/) [Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-spiner/) > [I just realized that I need to be a director - for two reasons. One, directors were already my heroes at this point. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-just-realized-that-i-need-to-be-a-director-for-two-reasons-one/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) ## More by Sam Wanamaker > [Frankly, the British always looked at this as a dumpy industrial area, but this was where Shakespeare lived and wrote and performed some of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/frankly-the-british-always-looked-at-this-as-a-dumpy-industrial-area/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [That first replica of the Globe that I saw at the Chicago World's Fair was a suspect thing, made of plywood and papier-mache. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/that-first-replica-of-the-globe-that-i-saw-at-the-chicago-world-s/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [I had been in 760 performances of 10 different Shakespeare plays by the time I was 17.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/i-had-been-in-760-performances-of-10-different-shakespeare-plays-by/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [In my teens, I saw a terrible production of 'Die Walkuere.' To a person of 15, it was just awful, and it put me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/in-my-teens-i-saw-a-terrible-production-of-die-walkuere-to-a-person/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [We hope the Bell Shakespeare Company will become an indigenous part of the Globe Shakespeare Centre in Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/we-hope-the-bell-shakespeare-company-will-become-an-indigenous-part/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [I've lived in London more or less permanently since the 1950s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/i-ve-lived-in-london-more-or-less-permanently-since-the-1950s/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [The Globe will become an automatic sight like the Tower of London and St. Paul's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-globe-will-become-an-automatic-sight-like-the-tower-of-london-and/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [England is a mecca for actors who want to do the classics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/england-is-a-mecca-for-actors-who-want-to-do-the-classics/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [Two planeloads of California actors and directors flew to Washington in support of the Hollywood Ten, and some of us, like John Garfield, came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/two-planeloads-of-california-actors-and-directors-flew-to-washington/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [Shakespeare is as naturally a part of American culture as it is the British culture; the Americans have a natural interest in their heritage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/shakespeare-is-as-naturally-a-part-of-american-culture-as-it-is-the/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [Of course, the Globe will be an international educational center as well as a theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/of-course-the-globe-will-be-an-international-educational-center-as/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [What I want is an international monument to the world's greatest playwright. It would be an attraction that would be both educational and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/what-i-want-is-an-international-monument-to-the-world-s-greatest/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [The Ides of March? That doesn't worry me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-ides-of-march-that-doesn-t-worry-me/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [What would the world say if the Globe, now that it has at last been found, is not excavated?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/what-would-the-world-say-if-the-globe-now-that-it-has-at-last-been/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) > [My middle daughter is with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was on Broadway several years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/my-middle-daughter-is-with-the-royal-shakespeare-company-and-was-on/) [Sam Wanamaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) [Explore all 47 Sam Wanamaker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/) ## 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 > [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": "The only thing that I can contribute as director is to work with the performers in a way that brings out the drama.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sam Wanamaker" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as-director-is-to-work-with-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cinema" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as-director-is-to-work-with-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/431/sam-wanamaker-14366_cinema_the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as_1270727.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The only thing that I can contribute as director is to work with the performers in a way that brings out the…” — Sam Wanamaker", "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": "Sam Wanamaker", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-wanamaker/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The only thing that I can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as-director-is-to-work-with-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-wanamaker/the-only-thing-that-i-can-contribute-as-director-is-to-work-with-the/#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 } } ] } ```