Time & Perspective Quote by Blair Underwood

Underwood is selling discretion as craft, and that’s a savvy move in an industry that constantly tries to frame actors as either “difficult” or “grateful.” He starts with the diplomatic deflection - “It could be a great script but…” - which quietly reminds you that “great” is not a trump card. The line is doing two jobs at once: praising the material so no one feels publicly insulted, while asserting the one power an actor can still exercise in a system built on other people’s approvals - the right to say no.

The phrase “not the right person for me to work for at this time” is careful, almost legalistic, and that’s the point. It implies a history without naming it: directors carry reputations, sets have climates, and “chemistry” can be code for everything from creative mismatch to workplace safety. “At this time” keeps the door ajar, signaling professionalism and future optionality rather than a scorched-earth verdict.

Then he pivots to process talk: “elements,” “variables.” That’s actor-speak for the calculus fans rarely see - scheduling, pay, image, politics, network notes, personal bandwidth. By ending on “more than anything it’s got to be a great script and a great character,” Underwood re-centers the romantic ideal of acting (story, role) while still smuggling in the reality: talent wants good writing, but it also wants a director you can trust with your time, your body, and your public narrative.