"I wouldn't want to direct. I see how much work it is"
About this Quote
The intent feels pragmatic: respect without romanticizing. Sawa isn’t diminishing directors; he’s paying them the bluntest compliment possible by acknowledging the labor. The subtext is also about boundaries. Acting already demands emotional exposure, constant self-calibration, and precarious employment. Directing adds management, politics, and responsibility for everyone else’s day. His choice implies a preference for craft over control: being part of the machine rather than the person accountable for it running.
Context matters because Sawa’s career sits at the intersection of teen-idol visibility and working-actor longevity. That experience tends to breed skepticism toward Hollywood mythology. The quote works because it punctures the fantasy with a plainspoken truth: creative authority isn’t automatically freedom; often it’s just more meetings, more compromise, more blame. In an era obsessed with hustle, that’s almost radical.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Sawa, Devon. (2026, January 15). I wouldn't want to direct. I see how much work it is. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wouldnt-want-to-direct-i-see-how-much-work-it-is-147627/
Chicago Style
Sawa, Devon. "I wouldn't want to direct. I see how much work it is." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wouldnt-want-to-direct-i-see-how-much-work-it-is-147627/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I wouldn't want to direct. I see how much work it is." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-wouldnt-want-to-direct-i-see-how-much-work-it-is-147627/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.







