Character Quotes | Beyond Motive 4/25

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Character Quotes

"I hadn't even watched '24' before, and the audition was kind of far away. When I got the material, there wasn't a character yet, so it almost seemed like an assistant to Jack Bauer saying, 'Yes, sir. No, sir.'"

"I hadn't even watched '24' before, and the audition was kind of far away. When I got the material, there wasn't a character yet, so it almost seemed like an assistant to Jack Bauer saying, 'Yes, sir. No, sir.'"

Mary Lynn Rajskub, American Actress

Character, Saying

25

"I just let the character speak to me and things appear."

"I just let the character speak to me and things appear."

Shirley Knight, American Actress

25

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."

"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble."

Charles Spurgeon, British Clergyman

Character, Forget, Name, Will

25

"There's a button that goes On and I'm On. And when I go On, there is almost no me; there is just a character who is doing all this."

"There's a button that goes On and I'm On. And when I go On, there is almost no me; there is just a character who is doing all this."

Gisele Bundchen, Brazilian Model

25

"I wish I were a character actor. Of course, if I played hockey without a mask, I could become one."

"I wish I were a character actor. Of course, if I played hockey without a mask, I could become one."

Michael Vartan, French Actor

25

"She's a very charismatic character, and she holds the whole play together."

"She's a very charismatic character, and she holds the whole play together."

Neil Tennant, English Musician

Character, Play

25

"My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. Naturally, no one wanted to publish it, but I liked the character, did a few stories to keep my hand in."

"My only requirement for that first story was that there had to be a fight or an explosion on every page. Naturally, no one wanted to publish it, but I liked the character, did a few stories to keep my hand in."

Phil Foglio, American Cartoonist

Character, Fight, First

25

"I think my character's getting to the point where he can't even eat spaghetti with red sauce anymore, where he has horrible nightmares, he can't sleep anymore."

"I think my character's getting to the point where he can't even eat spaghetti with red sauce anymore, where he has horrible nightmares, he can't sleep anymore."

George Eads, American Actor

Character, Sleep

25

"This was a mutual relationship, mutual on all levels, right from the way it started and all the way through. I don't accept that he had to completely desecrate my character."

"This was a mutual relationship, mutual on all levels, right from the way it started and all the way through. I don't accept that he had to completely desecrate my character."

Monica Lewinsky, American Celebrity

Character, Right

25

"What's great about being a character actor is you know that you can survive forever. It's not about the gloss of your eyebrows."

"What's great about being a character actor is you know that you can survive forever. It's not about the gloss of your eyebrows."

Martin Short, American Actor

Character, Being

25

"I'm always happier and a better actor when I can really lose myself in a character and become somebody else."

"I'm always happier and a better actor when I can really lose myself in a character and become somebody else."

Kevin Bacon, American Actor

25

"If I like the story and it's well written, and it's a character I want to play and they'll pay me, then I decide to do it."

"If I like the story and it's well written, and it's a character I want to play and they'll pay me, then I decide to do it."

William H. Macy, American Actor

Character, Play, Want

25

"It's the misfortune of German authors that not a single one of them dares to expose his true character. Everyone thinks that he has to be better than he is."

"It's the misfortune of German authors that not a single one of them dares to expose his true character. Everyone thinks that he has to be better than he is."

Franz Grillparzer, Austrian Poet

Character, Misfortune

25

"Courtesies cannot be borrowed like snow shovels; you must have some of your own."

"Courtesies cannot be borrowed like snow shovels; you must have some of your own."

John Wanamaker, American Businessman

Character, Snow

25

"Each character represented a trait that resides in me."

"Each character represented a trait that resides in me."

Chuck Jones, American Director

25

"I think sometimes I'm more fond of doing the research for the character because you learn so much. Sometimes shooting is really difficult because you wake up early and you're always hurrying. And sometimes I don't know what I'm doing. I'm here and there."

"I think sometimes I'm more fond of doing the research for the character because you learn so much. Sometimes shooting is really difficult because you wake up early and you're always hurrying. And sometimes I don't know what I'm doing. I'm here and there."

Bai Ling, Chinese Actress

Character, Research

25

"The interesting part of the process is developing the character, you know, why did he become that? Why is the guy a murderer, or why is this guy a pervert, or whatever he is. So that's the fun part for me to delve into the abyss."

"The interesting part of the process is developing the character, you know, why did he become that? Why is the guy a murderer, or why is this guy a pervert, or whatever he is. So that's the fun part for me to delve into the abyss."

Brion James, American Actor

25

"That was one of the things that interested me about the character. He doesn't want to be a hero, and has no real desire to save the earth or discover aliens. He's sniffing around looking to see what will fall in his lap."

"That was one of the things that interested me about the character. He doesn't want to be a hero, and has no real desire to save the earth or discover aliens. He's sniffing around looking to see what will fall in his lap."

Orlando Jones, American Comedian

Character, Desire, Earth, Want

25

"Because you believed I was capable of behaving decently, I did."

"Because you believed I was capable of behaving decently, I did."

Paulo Coelho, Brazilian Novelist

Character, Belief, Decency, Trust

25

"Once you have invented a character with three dimensions and a voice, you begin to realize that some of the things you'd like him to do to further your plot are things that such a person wouldn't, or couldn't, do."

"Once you have invented a character with three dimensions and a voice, you begin to realize that some of the things you'd like him to do to further your plot are things that such a person wouldn't, or couldn't, do."

Thomas Perry, German Musician

Character, Voice

24

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: all children must look after their own upbringing. Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands."

Anne Frank, German Writer

Character, Advice, Children, Lies

24

"You know like it has its own personality, its own character."

"You know like it has its own personality, its own character."

Marc Newson, Australian Designer

Character, Personality

24

"And he said that he wrote the Bond character based on the character of David Niven. That's how he saw Bond."

"And he said that he wrote the Bond character based on the character of David Niven. That's how he saw Bond."

Val Guest, British Director

24

"If you do not know the laws of right conduct, you cannot form your character."

"If you do not know the laws of right conduct, you cannot form your character."

Swami Sivananda, Indian Philosopher

Character, Laws, Right

24

"Public behavior is merely private character writ large."

"Public behavior is merely private character writ large."

Stephen Covey, American Businessman

Character, Behavior, Public

24

"Oftentimes what happens is that the writer understands one character, but they don't understand the other one, and the other one ends up not being written as well."

"Oftentimes what happens is that the writer understands one character, but they don't understand the other one, and the other one ends up not being written as well."

Jennifer Beals, American Actress

Character, Being, Writer

24

"In Halloween, I viewed the characters as simply normal teenagers. Laurie, Jamie Lee's character, was shy and somewhat repressed. And Michael Myers, the killer, is definitely repressed. They have certain similarities."

"In Halloween, I viewed the characters as simply normal teenagers. Laurie, Jamie Lee's character, was shy and somewhat repressed. And Michael Myers, the killer, is definitely repressed. They have certain similarities."

John Carpenter, American Director

Character, Teenagers

24

"No not pigeon holed me as an actor, or as a character, or as to what I could do - but what I would do... and the fact is the things you don't do are almost as important as as the things that you do."

"No not pigeon holed me as an actor, or as a character, or as to what I could do - but what I would do... and the fact is the things you don't do are almost as important as as the things that you do."

Dabney Coleman, American Actor

Character, Fact

24

"A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human."

"A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human."

Georges Rouault, French Artist

Character, Expression, Interest, Sky

24

"I didn't want to be greedy. It's a mark of bad character and I always believed that pigs go the slaughterhouse."

"I didn't want to be greedy. It's a mark of bad character and I always believed that pigs go the slaughterhouse."

Walter Annenberg, American Businessman

Character, Want

24

"I did 125 films, and over 100 television shows, and you've never seen the same character twice."

"I did 125 films, and over 100 television shows, and you've never seen the same character twice."

Brion James, American Actor

Character, Television

24

"In the best farce today we start with some absurd premise as to character or situation, but if the premises be once granted we move logically enough to the ending."

"In the best farce today we start with some absurd premise as to character or situation, but if the premises be once granted we move logically enough to the ending."

George P. Baker, American Theorist

Character, Ending, Today

24

"All in all, Kirk's character is something I am very proud of."

"All in all, Kirk's character is something I am very proud of."

William Shatner, Canadian Actor

24

"No one can afford not to be a man. No position can compensate for coming face to face with a robot when you are alone."

"No one can afford not to be a man. No position can compensate for coming face to face with a robot when you are alone."

Eleanor Roosevelt, American First Lady

Character, Courage, Responsibility, Life, Awareness

24

"I want every character be an outsider in some way."

"I want every character be an outsider in some way."

Josh Schwartz, American Producer

Character, Want

24

"You have a grand gift for silence, Watson. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion."

"You have a grand gift for silence, Watson. It makes you quite invaluable as a companion."

Arthur Conan Doyle, British Writer

Character, Silence, Friendship, Values, Listening

24

"The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny."

"The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny."

James Allen, British Author

Character, Habit, Destiny, Harvest

24

"If I had to choose criteria, for me, it's about first the director. I want to be a part of something that's good and intellectually challenging. After the director it's the character and the story. That's the deal for me."

"If I had to choose criteria, for me, it's about first the director. I want to be a part of something that's good and intellectually challenging. After the director it's the character and the story. That's the deal for me."

Giovanni Ribisi, American Actor

Character, First, Want

24

"I guess because you study the character and you do all those things. But when it comes down to it, it's still my performance, it's still my interpretation. I'm not going to, you know, be a clone - well, I was a clone of Richard Dean Anderson!"

"I guess because you study the character and you do all those things. But when it comes down to it, it's still my performance, it's still my interpretation. I'm not going to, you know, be a clone - well, I was a clone of Richard Dean Anderson!"

Michael Welch, American Actor

Character, Performance, Study

24

"General Custer was a close observer and student of personal character."

"General Custer was a close observer and student of personal character."

Buffalo Bill, American Celebrity

24

"Dont switch the blame to her, that's the oldest trick of all cowards."

"Dont switch the blame to her, that's the oldest trick of all cowards."

Ayn Rand, Russian Writer

Character, Blame, Responsibility, Truth, Defense

24

"The analysis of character is the highest human entertainment."

"The analysis of character is the highest human entertainment."

Isaac Bashevis Singer, American Novelist

Character, Entertainment

24

"Modesty, not temper."

"Modesty, not temper."

George Eliot, British Author

Character, Modesty, Emotion, Control, Respect

24

"I think is very beneficial to relax yourself so that when you are doing it you are not staggering for lines and your concentration is not on what I am going to say - but the scene itself, the character that you are talking to."

"I think is very beneficial to relax yourself so that when you are doing it you are not staggering for lines and your concentration is not on what I am going to say - but the scene itself, the character that you are talking to."

Dabney Coleman, American Actor

Character, Relax, Talking

24

"Luck relies on chance, labor on character."

"Luck relies on chance, labor on character."

Richard Cobden, British Businessman

Character, Chance, Labor, Luck

23

"I worked with Rocky Graziano and Rocky was certainly a character."

"I worked with Rocky Graziano and Rocky was certainly a character."

Dick Schaap, American Journalist

23

"The insular arrogance of the English character is a commonplace joke."

"The insular arrogance of the English character is a commonplace joke."

Goldwin Smith, Canadian Historian

Character, Arrogance, English

23

"You learn to rely on a few basic movements and use your voice to the greatest extent possible to convey your emotions. So there was a technical challenge there and a responsibility to create a character from behind the mask."

"You learn to rely on a few basic movements and use your voice to the greatest extent possible to convey your emotions. So there was a technical challenge there and a responsibility to create a character from behind the mask."

Helena Bonham Carter, British Actress

Character, Challenge, Emotions, Responsibility

23

"The character is close to me, except that I haven't lived through those situations, so it's not completely me."

"The character is close to me, except that I haven't lived through those situations, so it's not completely me."

Charlotte Gainsbourg, French Actress

23

"You know, I always got offered other stuff. Not the romantic leads, obviously. But very often it's a role that's underwritten, where the character has no personality at all. And they need a character actor who can fill it in."

"You know, I always got offered other stuff. Not the romantic leads, obviously. But very often it's a role that's underwritten, where the character has no personality at all. And they need a character actor who can fill it in."

Harvey Fierstein, American Actor

Character, Personality, Romantic

23

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