Paul Bettany Quotes

I already love acting and I love actors, so being able to communicate with actors and to bring performances out of them, and to tell a story and aid them, is really exciting for me.

Every film you work on is different, and that's part of what it's like for anybody who works on a film, is to learn how to work with others. Learn from top to bottom. Actors have to learn how to work with the director and the director has to learn how to work with actors, and that's not just those two departments.

I just love working with actors, and I love working with writers, working with designers. I feel that I am just a storyteller, and whether I am wearing the director hat or the playwright hat, it doesn't matter. And the rooms I tend to be in are pretty democratic, and the best idea wins.

A script is utterly useless in and of itself; it's only of any worth the minute your actors, your designers, your directors come into being.

Directing, I get all kinds of inspiration. It's working with people. It's a lot more fun.

It's great to have a good relationship with the directors and learn about things you do with cameras, and how you direct.

And being an actor already means that working with cast as a director, I have a clear understanding of their position and that collaboration is great and useful.

I love working with actors. I love visual things. I always intended to be a writer who directs and a director who writes.

I think a good director casts a film so that the actors bring a lot to the table.

As soon as an actor has faith in a director, he just goes with it.

I just take credit for being smart enough to find a guy as smart as Benett [Miller] to tell the story [of "Moneyball"].

I joke around sometimes and say that the DP [director of photography] is like a shrink for the director, but there's some truth in there.

Directing made me realise what I do as an actor that's extraneous, it focuses your mind on story, story, story.

Tom [Cruise] is a great producer himself. He's got great sense of story. It's always great to have the perspective of the person who's playing the character in your film.

As a director, you try to find what is creative.

Filmmaking is the ultimate team sport.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film project was collaborating with so many people - directors, filmmakers, and writers - over a five-year period. I learned that there are two components to this.

A good director has to be a captain - he has to work with a lot of people every day.

I'm learning more and more to share creativity with the crew and actors. A film crew is more powerful if you listen to them, but it does make my job more tough because I have to listen.

And I think one way or another it's evident to those who work with me that as a writer, a director, a friend, as somebody's there that's very anxious to get the movie made.

I enjoy directing more when I don't have to direct myself. I like when I can just be the director.

It is hard sometimes to see how other actors are working when you are working with them.

It's not just about acting. I love film, I'm a director now, I love writing, I love producing, I love having a company that makes films and to be prolific and have a place to put all the ideas that are constantly bubbling up inside of me and that don't let me sleep at night.

The funny thing about directing is that you have your own opinions, but it's a collaboration. Directing is a group effort. Even though you might think something works, the smartest thing you can do as a director is try and weigh the opinions of the people around you.

A lot of times, directors don't know how to speak to actors, or writers don't know how to communicate.