--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My metaphor for acting in movies - not on…" description: "\"My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because it's completely different on stage - is to put colors on an easel for the director to paint his..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg" --- # My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because… ![“My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because it's completely different on stage - is to put colors on an easel for the director to paint his own painting with in the editing room, long after I've left. You buy me for red and black, so I better give you really great red and black, but if…” quote by Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg) > “My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because it's completely different on stage - is to put colors on an easel for the director to paint his own painting with in the editing room, long after I've left. You buy me for red and black, so I better give you really great red and black, but if I can give you purple, pink, green and brown too, I will.” [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) ## 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’s performance is a palette of emotions that the director later mixes to create the final film, unlike the fixed, live nature of stage acting. **In simple terms:** Film acting provides raw material for later editing, unlike stage acting. Key Takeaway Offer diverse emotional tones for later cinematic shaping. Themes acting collaboration creativity Mood reflective artistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - film sets - theatre rehearsals - director‑actor workshops - editing rooms Key Concepts method acting directorial vision postproduction Questions to Reflect On - How can you expand your emotional range for the camera? - What does a director gain from an actor’s varied palette? A Different Perspective Stage performance offers no post‑production flexibility, limiting reinterpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Cinema](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cinema/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Red](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red/) [Red and black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/red-and-black/) [Stage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stage/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [Music is just one of the tools a director has with which to paint and I think it's one of the most effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-phillips/music-is-just-one-of-the-tools-a-director-has-with-which-to-paint-and/) [Todd Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-phillips/) > [There's an economy in sports that I always think is a useful metaphor for acting. You have an objective. You're trying to win, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/there-s-an-economy-in-sports-that-i-always-think-is-a-useful-metaphor/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I always thought that's the exact metaphor, the perfect metaphor for acting. To go blind, to ignore the danger, and to totally trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-huppert/i-always-thought-that-s-the-exact-metaphor-the-perfect-metaphor-for/) [Isabelle Huppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-huppert/) > [Unlike movies, on stage there are no second chances. Everything is live. If someone messes up, forgets a line, gives the wrong cue, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/poonam-dhillon/unlike-movies-on-stage-there-are-no-second-chances-everything-is-live/) [Poonam Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/poonam-dhillon/) > [Those 'Rocky' endings are great in the movies and on the stage, but I don't think it would be too smart for me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/those-rocky-endings-are-great-in-the-movies-and-on-the-stage-but-i/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [You name it, I've done it: circus, Chautauqua, variety, movies, stage, radio, TV, personal appearances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-coogan/you-name-it-i-ve-done-it-circus-chautauqua-variety-movies-stage-radio/) [Jackie Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-coogan/) > [Music is my heart, but I see television and more movies in the next stage of my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/music-is-my-heart-but-i-see-television-and-more-movies-in-the-next/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) > [I have never had anything that I can remember in the business - and that includes all the movies and the stage shows and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-astaire/i-have-never-had-anything-that-i-can-remember-in-the-business-and/) [Fred Astaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-astaire/) > [I love the stage and try to balance it out with movies. If you take the stage away from me, then nothing will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupam-roy/i-love-the-stage-and-try-to-balance-it-out-with-movies-if-you-take/) [Anupam Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupam-roy/) > [Usually, those people don't even like actors and they can't wait until they get in the cutting room. They kind of break down in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/usually-those-people-don-t-even-like-actors-and-they-can-t-wait-until/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [A huge part of acting in movies is appetite. You do your best work when you've got a lot of appetite and you really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/a-huge-part-of-acting-in-movies-is-appetite-you-do-your-best-work/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [In the theater, you act more of the time. In the movies, you get to act maybe 20 or 30 minutes of the day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/in-the-theater-you-act-more-of-the-time-in-the-movies-you-get-to-act/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [The only really good thing about acting in movies is that there's no heavy lifting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-grant/the-only-really-good-thing-about-acting-in-movies-is-that-there-s-no/) [Cary Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-grant/) > [I remember someone saying to my mom that it must be so glamorous to have a child acting in movies. They had no idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-booth/i-remember-someone-saying-to-my-mom-that-it-must-be-so-glamorous-to/) [Douglas Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-booth/) > [For me, the real goal is to integrate. The thing that I'm most happy with is the fact that I've been able to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ethan-hawke/for-me-the-real-goal-is-to-integrate-the-thing-that-i-m-most-happy/) [Ethan Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ethan-hawke/) ## More by Scott Glenn > [Rodeo riders are the last of the true chivalrous groups of people. It's a place where the competition is really pure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/rodeo-riders-are-the-last-of-the-true-chivalrous-groups-of-people-it/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I've always been addicted to adrenaline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-ve-always-been-addicted-to-adrenaline/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [That one long scene in the Leftovers I have with David Gulpilil was seven pages long. When we finished it, Mimi Leder said, "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/that-one-long-scene-in-the-leftovers-i-have-with-david-gulpilil-was/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [J.J. Abrams wanted me to do a part in Lost and we probably had three meetings, and I finally turned it down, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/j-j-abrams-wanted-me-to-do-a-part-in-lost-and-we-probably-had-three/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I'm not a comic book guy. I've never been to Comic-Con. I don't know anything about that. It's a whole different world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-m-not-a-comic-book-guy-i-ve-never-been-to-comic-con-i-don-t-know/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > ['The Leftovers' is my favorite job I've ever had in my life, anywhere, ever. It is one of the greatest TV shows ever made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/the-leftovers-is-my-favorite-job-i-ve-ever-had-in-my-life-anywhere/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I got into an argument with someone because I said I think 2Pac will be regarded as a great poet. They said he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-got-into-an-argument-with-someone-because-i-said-i-think-2pac-will/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [The hard part about playing 'chicken' is knowing when to flinch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/the-hard-part-about-playing-chicken-is-knowing-when-to-flinch/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [They say God looks after kids and idiots, and I think actors are probably a combination of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/they-say-god-looks-after-kids-and-idiots-and-i-think-actors-are/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I don't think rodeo is cruel at all. Bullriding is the only man-animal event that makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-don-t-think-rodeo-is-cruel-at-all-bullriding-is-the-only-man-animal/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [We were talking about television one time, and Damon Lindelof said he felt that, if Ernst Hemingway was writing for media, he would write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/we-were-talking-about-television-one-time-and-damon-lindelof-said-he/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I used to be an open-spear fisherman, and if you're looking for fish, you're never going to see them. In an almost meditative state,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-used-to-be-an-open-spear-fisherman-and-if-you-re-looking-for-fish/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [What I didn't realize about television was that's true of acting, as well. You have that space of time to develop who you are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/what-i-didn-t-realize-about-television-was-that-s-true-of-acting-as/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [I love the way Damon Lindelof writes. It's almost like he was channeling me and he had my voice, even though the territory that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/i-love-the-way-damon-lindelof-writes-it-s-almost-like-he-was/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) > [In my life, all of the best things that have happened to me have almost invariably been accidents or fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/in-my-life-all-of-the-best-things-that-have-happened-to-me-have/) [Scott Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) [Explore all 52 Scott Glenn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/) ## 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": "My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because it's completely different on stage - is to put colors on an easel for the director to paint his own painting with in the editing room, long after I've left. You buy me for red and black, so I better give you really great red and black, but if I can give you purple, pink, green and brown too, I will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Scott Glenn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on-stage-because-it-s-completely/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acting" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on-stage-because-it-s-completely/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb7/scott-glenn-13067_acting_my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on_582070.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My metaphor for acting in movies - not on stage because it's completely different on stage - is to put…” — Scott Glenn", "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": "Scott Glenn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-glenn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My metaphor for acting in movies...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on-stage-because-it-s-completely/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-glenn/my-metaphor-for-acting-in-movies-not-on-stage-because-it-s-completely/#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 } } ] } ```