\u201cI felt so rudderless as an actor, and I just didn\u2019t like that feeling\u2014but I loved the scenes that I wasn\u2019t in when I just got to be the director [on \u201cVeep,\u201d (2012\u20132019)]. Early on in my career, I was lucky enough to work with a director who really made filmmaking feel accessible and inclusive. It got me really excited about filmmaking. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for what you need…. The director is happy that you\u2019re there. They picked you because they wanted you, and if you need something, they\u2019re there to fulfill that need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you have an idea that you\u2019ve never been able to get out of your head, just put it down on paper. And if it doesn\u2019t turn out exactly how you want it the very first time, fine\u2014do it again. Just keep doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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Jesse Eisenberg<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cA Real Pain,\u201d 2024)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cMy background is in playwriting, and I would always act in the plays that I\u2019d written. Early on, people would say that some of the characters I played were unlikable. And I remember reading some notices about my plays where they attributed that unlikability to me, Jesse, personally. And my thought always was: But wait, I also wrote the likable people! When I\u2019m writing a script, I am every single character\u2014because my background is as an actor, where you\u2019re trained to try to understand your character even if they\u2019re the villain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
Credit: Fred Duval\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nDan Levy<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cBig Mistakes,\u201d 2026)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cOn \u2018Schitt\u2019s Creek\u2019 [2015\u20132020], I was probably more aware of [writing for myself] because I\u2019d never done it before. But now, on \u2018Big Mistakes,\u2019 when I\u2019m in the room, it is just storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSometimes I\u2019ll add ideas that I feel like I could physically bring to a scene that might improve it, but my actor brain is not really there when we\u2019re breaking the story. If it was, it would influence what I was writing or how I was writing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to look at the character for the character\u2019s sake. You have to write to what they need. The minute you let your own POV as an actor creep in, it will change the trajectory of that character\u2019s story. So I try to separate those things as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\nCredit: lev radin\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLaura Linney<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cOzark,\u201d 2017\u20132022)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cJason [Bateman] kept saying to me, \u2018You\u2019ve been on sets for decades; you know everything you need to know.\u2019 It\u2019s only when you step out of your lane, you realize: I actually have much more experience than I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to know what everyone does and let them do what they do. Point them in the right direction, but let them contribute to it. The trick is keeping your focus. You have to know every thread and how loud each thread is and make sure that things don\u2019t compete with each other. Allow yourself to be surprised. It\u2019s that crazy balance\u2014and this goes for acting, as well\u2014of being really prepared but not too knowing. You tell it what to do, and then it tells you what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\nCredit: Ron Adar\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nViggo Mortensen<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cFalling,\u201d 2020)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t get paranoid or feel you\u2019re losing control because an actor wants to try something different. A good idea can come from anyone at any time: your cast, a crew member. The best thing a director can do for an actor is create an atmosphere that\u2019s relaxed and conducive to good work. It\u2019s not just telling them what to do and where to stand, and being annoyed because they didn\u2019t give you the emotional moment you hoped for. Maybe they\u2019re giving you something different that\u2019s just as good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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Dan Levy<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cBig Mistakes,\u201d 2026)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cOn \u2018Schitt\u2019s Creek\u2019 [2015\u20132020], I was probably more aware of [writing for myself] because I\u2019d never done it before. But now, on \u2018Big Mistakes,\u2019 when I\u2019m in the room, it is just storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSometimes I\u2019ll add ideas that I feel like I could physically bring to a scene that might improve it, but my actor brain is not really there when we\u2019re breaking the story. If it was, it would influence what I was writing or how I was writing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to look at the character for the character\u2019s sake. You have to write to what they need. The minute you let your own POV as an actor creep in, it will change the trajectory of that character\u2019s story. So I try to separate those things as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\nCredit: lev radin\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nLaura Linney<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cOzark,\u201d 2017\u20132022)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cJason [Bateman] kept saying to me, \u2018You\u2019ve been on sets for decades; you know everything you need to know.\u2019 It\u2019s only when you step out of your lane, you realize: I actually have much more experience than I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to know what everyone does and let them do what they do. Point them in the right direction, but let them contribute to it. The trick is keeping your focus. You have to know every thread and how loud each thread is and make sure that things don\u2019t compete with each other. Allow yourself to be surprised. It\u2019s that crazy balance\u2014and this goes for acting, as well\u2014of being really prepared but not too knowing. You tell it what to do, and then it tells you what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\nCredit: Ron Adar\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nViggo Mortensen<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cFalling,\u201d 2020)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t get paranoid or feel you\u2019re losing control because an actor wants to try something different. A good idea can come from anyone at any time: your cast, a crew member. The best thing a director can do for an actor is create an atmosphere that\u2019s relaxed and conducive to good work. It\u2019s not just telling them what to do and where to stand, and being annoyed because they didn\u2019t give you the emotional moment you hoped for. Maybe they\u2019re giving you something different that\u2019s just as good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/07\/shutterstock_2086874641-752x1024.jpg\")
Laura Linney<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cOzark,\u201d 2017\u20132022)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cJason [Bateman] kept saying to me, \u2018You\u2019ve been on sets for decades; you know everything you need to know.\u2019 It\u2019s only when you step out of your lane, you realize: I actually have much more experience than I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to know what everyone does and let them do what they do. Point them in the right direction, but let them contribute to it. The trick is keeping your focus. You have to know every thread and how loud each thread is and make sure that things don\u2019t compete with each other. Allow yourself to be surprised. It\u2019s that crazy balance\u2014and this goes for acting, as well\u2014of being really prepared but not too knowing. You tell it what to do, and then it tells you what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
\nCredit: Ron Adar\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nViggo Mortensen<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> (\u201cFalling,\u201d 2020)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n\u201cDon\u2019t get paranoid or feel you\u2019re losing control because an actor wants to try something different. A good idea can come from anyone at any time: your cast, a crew member. The best thing a director can do for an actor is create an atmosphere that\u2019s relaxed and conducive to good work. It\u2019s not just telling them what to do and where to stand, and being annoyed because they didn\u2019t give you the emotional moment you hoped for. Maybe they\u2019re giving you something different that\u2019s just as good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n
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