Beth Henley Quotes

I'm very much of the opinion that theatre is a collective art form, not just one person's vision.

I always like to work with really good filmmakers and really good actors.

I'm working with theatre-makers who are the top of their game, and it's extraordinary.

The wonderful thing about theater is that it has so many people involved in the creation of it. The worst thing about theater is that it has so many people involved in the creation of it. That dynamic is thrilling and challenging every time you make a show.

The secret of directing is working with really good people.

Being on a successful television show is a good thing. It's steady work. It's a chance to work with a group of people in an intimate way... where you develop a sort of shorthand with each other, and a trust.

Good actors are a dime a dozen, but I want actors that are gonna be part of my team and collaborative.

There's an appreciation of the whole picture of life as opposed to just ambition and circumstance and all the stuff that happens in this business. You find yourself lucky enough to be working with somebody really talented who you know and who you trust.

I was very fortunate in the '70s to work with the best actors, the best directors, the best cinematographers.

Films are not mathematics - that's the first thing you need to understand. At least, that's how I feel. They are not words on paper. Films are made with people, with teams and with individual bundles of creativity coming together to fulfill the vision of an individual who is the director of the film.

If the chemistry between me and the artist is good, then that's half the battle.

I love working with Sally Field, and Steve Buscemi is one of the most giving, talented actors I've ever worked with.

One of the things about working on stage - actually, about working in show business, that is - is that it's such a collaborative effort. I suppose that everything in life is - every endeavor where people are able to be successful.

I've discovered that Motown and Broadway have a lot in common - a family of wonderfully talented, passionate, hardworking young people, fiercely competitive but also full of love and appreciation for the work, for each other and for the people in the audience.

I feel very, very grateful. I'm a lucky guy, you need a lot of luck, and then when the cameras roll, you have to have this group of writers, directors, and actors that just gel, and it seems to literally be happening more and more.

My Mom and Dad did it pretty good, so I know it can work. The foremost thing I would say about working with Robin and Sean is that they were devoted to this project and devoted to their characters. You can't ask for any more from talented actors like that.

Improv is a very big thing for me. The thing with actors is I do not understand at all how they do what they do. I'm fascinated by it, and I have such a respect for it.

I love actors, both my parents were actors, and the work with actors is the most enjoyable part of making a film. It's important that they feel protected and are confident they won't be betrayed. When you create that atmosphere of trust, it's in the bag - the actors will do everything to satisfy you.

In my experience in series TV, if you have a good crew and a great cast, it's going to be a great group - similar to the theater where it's a bunch of people who are really talented and go to work each day and challenge each other, and if you are lucky enough to get a hit then it's five or six or seven years of this kind of work.

I was a writer. I just wasn't a very good one. I was lucky enough to have a playwriting teacher who told me that I'd be a better actor than I would a playwright.

I'm inspired to work with good actors, period. I want to work with the best anytime because I think they'll make me better.

You can start with a great director and great actors and have a great script - and it still just doesn't work. It's kind of a mystery how that happens.

As a director, it just makes my life fantastic to work with people like Elizabeth Hawthorne.

I'm lucky to be surrounded by incredibly talented people at Pixar, of course, and I learn a lot from them each and every day.

I surround myself with incredible musicians who inspire me to always do my best.