--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The best thing an actor can be is…" description: "\"The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.\" — Viggo Mortensen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg" --- # The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all… ![“The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.” quote by Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg) > “The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.” [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Flexibility allows actors to adapt to varied directing styles and collaborate effectively. **In simple terms:** Actors must adapt to different directors. Key Takeaway Cultivate adaptability in performance. Themes adaptability collaboration creativity Mood reflective inspired Type advice professional When to use this quote - theatre productions - film sets - workshops - improvisation sessions Key Concepts method acting directorial vision Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance personal style with a director’s vision? - What strategies help you stay adaptable? A Different Perspective Flexibility alone cannot guarantee success without skill. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor Flexible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-flexible-4811420/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Actors Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors-different-285397/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-actors-391062/) [Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors/) [Directors Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/directors-different-1564735/) [Flexible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flexible/) [Flexible Directors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flexible-directors-1550403/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [You've got to be flexible. Directors do a massive amount of planning and homework, and if after all that your director decides to throw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/you-ve-got-to-be-flexible-directors-do-a-massive-amount-of-planning/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I'm lucky that I've worked with so many different directors with very different styles and with a lot of different actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/i-m-lucky-that-i-ve-worked-with-so-many-different-directors-with-very/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [Actors are different. Some actors play themselves very successfully, but I come from the theater. Having done Shakespeare, we sometimes did three or four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stellan-skarsgard/actors-are-different-some-actors-play-themselves-very-successfully/) [Stellan Skarsgard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stellan-skarsgard/) > [Well, I mean, the original is certainly the jump-off, it certainly is what it is, you know, I grew up around that era so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-fuqua/well-i-mean-the-original-is-certainly-the-jump-off-it-certainly-is/) [Antoine Fuqua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-fuqua/) > [As an actor, when you walk onto a set, you're always working with different actors with different processes, and I kind of respect them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bomer/as-an-actor-when-you-walk-onto-a-set-you-re-always-working-with/) [Matthew Bomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bomer/) > [Normally, I love to go to the movies and when I see a character portrayed by different actors at different ages, it kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bridges/normally-i-love-to-go-to-the-movies-and-when-i-see-a-character/) [Jeff Bridges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bridges/) > [Every time you play a different role with different actors in different locations, you're developing a greater level of comfort in the act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killian-scott/every-time-you-play-a-different-role-with-different-actors-in/) [Killian Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killian-scott/) > [I like different actors for different reasons. There are people like Tom Cruise, who have continued to stay on top of their game, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacre-montgomery/i-like-different-actors-for-different-reasons-there-are-people-like/) [Dacre Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacre-montgomery/) > [It is true that as he film market in China has grown, actors' and actresses' compensation has grown quite a bit. Different actors have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gong-li/it-is-true-that-as-he-film-market-in-china-has-grown-actors-and/) [Gong Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gong-li/) > [Different actors have different rhythms. My goal as a director is to let these guys get their best work out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-krisel/different-actors-have-different-rhythms-my-goal-as-a-director-is-to/) [Jonathan Krisel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-krisel/) > [I made one contribution to a film about the 11th of September: there were 11 directors and everyone had a different take on that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-loach/i-made-one-contribution-to-a-film-about-the-11th-of-september-there/) [Ken Loach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-loach/) > [It is great to work on different scripts with different directors who have different styles. You get so much experience from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-bostick/it-is-great-to-work-on-different-scripts-with-different-directors-who/) [Devon Bostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-bostick/) > [All directors are different. Certainly, the directors that I respond to the most are guys that figure it out by doing it, not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pitt/all-directors-are-different-certainly-the-directors-that-i-respond-to/) [Michael Pitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pitt/) > [Different directors have different things, so when I left Mike Leigh, as it were, and I went into other projects after 'All or Nothing,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/different-directors-have-different-things-so-when-i-left-mike-leigh/) [Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/) > [In the '90s, indie movies could get financing, because financers gave money straight to directors... Now it's a different system. Indie movies got co-opted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/in-the-90s-indie-movies-could-get-financing-because-financers-gave/) [Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/) ## More by Viggo Mortensen > [Speaking more than one language and living in a multicultural family and environment did not seem like anything but what it was: the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/speaking-more-than-one-language-and-living-in-a-multicultural-family/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [We all experience many freakish and unexpected events - you have to be open to suffering a little. The philosopher Schopenhauer talked about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/we-all-experience-many-freakish-and-unexpected-events-you-have-to-be/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most actors can't make any kind of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-actors-can-t-make-any-kind-of-living/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [As far as money goes, there's a saying in Denmark: 'Your last suit doesn't have any pockets.' You can't take it with you. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/as-far-as-money-goes-there-s-a-saying-in-denmark-your-last-suit-doesn/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Most movies are lucky to have one moment, one shot that you look at and you always remember that moment and that scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/most-movies-are-lucky-to-have-one-moment-one-shot-that-you-look-at/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I like stories that leave you wanting more, leave you wondering, but don't tell you everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-like-stories-that-leave-you-wanting-more-leave-you-wondering-but/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [You do need to get lucky, no matter how talented you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/you-do-need-to-get-lucky-no-matter-how-talented-you-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I was a little boy, I rode, but I didn't own horses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-rode-but-i-didn-t-own-horses/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I realise how important it is to use the time I have. I respect people who want to do that by watching television. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-realise-how-important-it-is-to-use-the-time-i-have-i-respect-people/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [When I land in a country and they ask for 'occupation,' I always just put 'artist.' I think that covers all of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/when-i-land-in-a-country-and-they-ask-for-occupation-i-always-just/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [I was born in New York but as a baby moved to Venezuela and Argentina. I've also lived in Denmark, where my father's from.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/i-was-born-in-new-york-but-as-a-baby-moved-to-venezuela-and-argentina/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [People are becoming more intimately acquainted with people who are different than them - it's not so unusual anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/people-are-becoming-more-intimately-acquainted-with-people-who-are/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [There might be people out there who wouldn't hire me because they thought I should keep my mouth shut, but I'm not aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/there-might-be-people-out-there-who-wouldn-t-hire-me-because-they/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) > [Bernie Sanders has inspired millions of people in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/bernie-sanders-has-inspired-millions-of-people-in-this-country/) [Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) [Explore all 228 Viggo Mortensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/) ## 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": "The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viggo Mortensen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexible-because-all-directors-are/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexible-because-all-directors-are/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb3/viggo-mortensen-1554_actors_the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexib_1385377.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The best thing an actor can be is flexible, because all directors are different and all actors are different.” — Viggo Mortensen", "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": "Viggo Mortensen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The best thing an actor can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexible-because-all-directors-are/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/the-best-thing-an-actor-can-be-is-flexible-because-all-directors-are/#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 } } ] } ```