--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think it's necessary to be an…" description: "\"I don't think it's necessary to be an actor to get great performances out of an actor. But I do think it helps me as a director because I know what I l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/steve-buscemi-5055_actor_i-don-t-think-it-s-necessary-to-be-an-ac_3121750.jpg" --- # I don't think it's necessary to be an actor to get great… ![“I don't think it's necessary to be an actor to get great performances out of an actor. But I do think it helps me as a director because I know what I like as an actor, and I try to get that to the actors who I'm working with.” quote by Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/steve-buscemi-5055_actor_i-don-t-think-it-s-necessary-to-be-an-ac_3121750.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/steve-buscemi-5055_actor_i-don-t-think-it-s-necessary-to-be-an-ac_3121750.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/896/steve-buscemi-5055_actor_i-don-t-think-it-s-necessary-to-be-an-ac_3121750.jpg) > “I don't think it's necessary to be an actor to get great performances out of an actor. But I do think it helps me as a director because I know what I like as an actor, and I try to get that to the actors who I'm working with.” [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker believes that personal acting experience informs directing, helping to communicate preferences and guide actors effectively. **In simple terms:** Directors benefit from acting knowledge. Key Takeaway Use acting insight to guide performances. Themes film directing acting collaboration Mood reflective inspirational Type professional educational When to use this quote - movie set - workshop - casting sessions Key Concepts method acting creative communication Questions to Reflect On - How does personal performance experience shape leadership? - Can directors learn acting skills later? A Different Perspective Directors without acting background may miss nuanced cues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-great-248379/) [Actor Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-think-406067/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Director](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/director/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Get](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helps/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-actor-278152/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary/) [Necessary Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-actor-4966075/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Performances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances/) [Performances Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performances-actor-986257/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working/) ## Related quotes > [I feel like being an actor it is a great way to do your job and be a parent, because you have a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-nixon/i-feel-like-being-an-actor-it-is-a-great-way-to-do-your-job-and-be-a/) [Cynthia Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-nixon/) > [That's the only way to do it. Just like an actor. You can get a great performance if you do a bunch of takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/that-s-the-only-way-to-do-it-just-like-an-actor-you-can-get-a-great/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [Actors, who should pride themselves on their singularity, are forever trying to be someone else. It isn’t necessary for you, the actor, to like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shurtleff/actors-who-should-pride-themselves-on-their-singularity-are-forever/) [Michael Shurtleff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shurtleff/) > [I think you get the most honest performances when an actor shows up to set with their lines memorized. That's a very important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/i-think-you-get-the-most-honest-performances-when-an-actor-shows-up-2/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [I really don't feel it's necessary, as an actor, to make people feel uncomfortable, just because you need to be in a certain headspace.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-weston-jones/i-really-don-t-feel-it-s-necessary-as-an-actor-to-make-people-feel/) [Tom Weston-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-weston-jones/) > [I think you get the most honest performances when an actor shows up to set with their lines memorized. That's a very important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shailene-woodley/i-think-you-get-the-most-honest-performances-when-an-actor-shows-up/) [Shailene Woodley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shailene-woodley/) > [It's not like I'm looking for things that I can direct that I can also act in, but when it's right, I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/it-s-not-like-i-m-looking-for-things-that-i-can-direct-that-i-can/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Every actor is great in his own right but certain actors suit certain roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajkumar-hirani/every-actor-is-great-in-his-own-right-but-certain-actors-suit-certain/) [Rajkumar Hirani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajkumar-hirani/) > [Through all permutations and youthful poetry, I came to believe that the film actor was the great "literateur" of his time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/through-all-permutations-and-youthful-poetry-i-came-to-believe-that/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I've always thought Ed Burns was a profoundly underrated actor. He's a great director, obviously. A great director/writer. But I think he's a stunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-mcginley/i-ve-always-thought-ed-burns-was-a-profoundly-underrated-actor-he-s-a/) [John C. McGinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-mcginley/) > [ Tim \[Omundson\] is just so wonderfully delicious. He has the sexiest beard on television. He's such a fabulous actor, and a great character. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robbins/tim-omundson-is-just-so-wonderfully-delicious-he-has-the-sexiest/) [J. Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robbins/) > [It's the kind of sage wisdom coming from a guy who was 25 at the time, but already had 20 years of experience. Kurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-matheson/it-s-the-kind-of-sage-wisdom-coming-from-a-guy-who-was-25-at-the-time/) [Tim Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-matheson/) > [Creating my own roles, as an actor, is great. You're so at the mercy of other people, and you're waiting for a job. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-bell/creating-my-own-roles-as-an-actor-is-great-you-re-so-at-the-mercy-of/) [Catherine Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-bell/) > [I like the fact that Chris Rock is one of the best stand ups ever and still is a really good actor. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-dugan/i-like-the-fact-that-chris-rock-is-one-of-the-best-stand-ups-ever-and/) [Dennis Dugan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-dugan/) > [As an actor, it was great to work with Harry Lloyd because he's wicked smart, and he is very kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-gabriel/as-an-actor-it-was-great-to-work-with-harry-lloyd-because-he-s-wicked/) [Betty Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-gabriel/) ## More by Steve Buscemi > [I suppose things are better now, but ... I don't know. People still hate each other, they just know how to hide it better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-suppose-things-are-better-now-but-i-don-t-know-people-still-hate/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I read the script and decide if a particular character looks fun to play. I look for complexity and a sense of humor. Those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-read-the-script-and-decide-if-a-particular-character-looks-fun-to/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Bob Altman had this relaxed but serious attitude. Everybody loved him. I wanted him to adopt me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/bob-altman-had-this-relaxed-but-serious-attitude-everybody-loved-him/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I never know what I'm going to get. A 'Sopranos' fan is very different from a 'Big Lebowski' fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-never-know-what-i-m-going-to-get-a-sopranos-fan-is-very-different/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Nothing's really changed for me over the years. I like telling stories about people with problems. I can't really put it much simpler than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/nothing-s-really-changed-for-me-over-the-years-i-like-telling-stories/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I don't tend to think of the characters i play as losers. I like the struggles that people have, people who are feeling like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-don-t-tend-to-think-of-the-characters-i-play-as-losers-i-like-the/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Casting is everything. Getting the person that you imagined is this character and then seeing what they bring to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/casting-is-everything-getting-the-person-that-you-imagined-is-this/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I like the struggles that people have, people who are feeling like they don't fit into society, because I still sort of feel that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-like-the-struggles-that-people-have-people-who-are-feeling-like/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [Anything you write, even if you have to start over, is valuable. I let the story write itself through the characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/anything-you-write-even-if-you-have-to-start-over-is-valuable-i-let/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I never did improv professionally, but that was certainly in my training as an actor. I like it. Actually, when I did theater, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-never-did-improv-professionally-but-that-was-certainly-in-my/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [When I was doing stand-up, I was about twenty, and I really think that that's a little too young. I didn't have a whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/when-i-was-doing-stand-up-i-was-about-twenty-and-i-really-think-that/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [With Animal Factory you'd think that because it's mostly interiors, you could shoot it anywhere. So we shot this in Philadelphia, and we had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/with-animal-factory-you-d-think-that-because-it-s-mostly-interiors/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I never made a daring rescue, which is the story people want to hear. I did go to my share of fires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-never-made-a-daring-rescue-which-is-the-story-people-want-to-hear-i/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I never want to feel like the way that I see it isthe only way. Sometimes mistakes happen and that's better than whatyou thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-never-want-to-feel-like-the-way-that-i-see-it-isthe-only-way/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I was very surprised that for a while I could only get cast as straight. It was that way for a few years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-was-very-surprised-that-for-a-while-i-could-only-get-cast-as/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) [Explore all 103 Steve Buscemi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) ## More Actor 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/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. 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. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [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/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [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/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [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/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think it's necessary to be an actor to get great performances out of an actor. 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