"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set"
About this Quote
The subtext is about power. Directors are expected to run tight ships; Farrelly implies he runs a party that somehow still hits its marks. That posture fits his brand: the Farrelly-era comedy machine, built on improvisation, physicality, and performances that feel slightly out of control even when they're carefully engineered. A loose set isn't just comfort; it's permission. Actors can take bigger swings, fail louder, stumble into the accidental line reading that becomes the take you keep.
Context matters, too: film sets are notorious pressure cookers where "no problems" often means no public mutiny. Farrelly's phrasing suggests a culture where friction isn't leveraged as a creative tool. It's also a subtle PR move: the director as the calm ringmaster rather than the tyrant auteur. In an industry that still romanticizes the genius bully, this line argues that you can get the goods without the blood sport.
Quote Details
| Topic | Movie |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Farrelly, Peter. (2026, January 16). We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-no-problems-with-the-actors-but-we-keep-113116/
Chicago Style
Farrelly, Peter. "We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-no-problems-with-the-actors-but-we-keep-113116/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"We've had no problems with the actors, but we keep a really loose set." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/weve-had-no-problems-with-the-actors-but-we-keep-113116/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.


