Can you please help me with sentence "What I really want to do is direct."?
I saw it written on a shirt – so without context. What is the meaning of it, how could it be said in other words?
Learn English – Meaning of “What I really want to do is direct.”
sentence-meaning
Best Answer
The answers already given are literally correct, in that a director is someone who directs actors on a stage, and the person is saying that they would rather have that job.
However, they miss the cultural subtext. Hollywood, where almost all American films and TV shows are produced, is notorious for a very high degree of competition. It is said that every waiter and waitress in Hollywood would rather be an actor, and that every actor would rather be a director, and that every director would rather be a producer. It is a trope or cliche. These days, and really since the era of Mel Brooks' comedies, it's often delivered facetiously. The example that comes to mind, and I can't remember what film it was in, was of a Roman soldier viciously whipping slaves. Another actor asked him if he enjoyed doing that, and the soldier replied, "I guess, but what I really want to do is direct."