Character Quotes | Beyond Motive 5/24

top of page

Character Quotes

"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

15

"I'm gonna be a character in a Happy Meal."

"I'm gonna be a character in a Happy Meal."

Claudia Christian, American Actress

15

"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

15

"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

15

"Character, not circumstances, makes the man."

"Character, not circumstances, makes the man."

Booker T. Washington, American Educator

Character, Circumstances, Man

15

"And one cannot discharge the duty of loyalty without the patient and an open minded study of the institution that marked the country and defined its character."

"And one cannot discharge the duty of loyalty without the patient and an open minded study of the institution that marked the country and defined its character."

Bainbridge Colby, American Public Servant

Character, Country, Duty, Loyalty

15

"Washington's character was rock solid. He came to stand for the new nation and its republican virtues, which was why he became our first President by unanimous choice."

"Washington's character was rock solid. He came to stand for the new nation and its republican virtues, which was why he became our first President by unanimous choice."

Stephen Ambrose, American Historian

Character, Choice, First, Nation

15

"I don't act in the way other actresses act, in terms of building or creating a character. I don't transform myself into the role, I invest myself in the role."

"I don't act in the way other actresses act, in terms of building or creating a character. I don't transform myself into the role, I invest myself in the role."

Beatrice Dalle, French Actress

Character, Building

15

"The main thing in acting is honesty, to feel the humanity and get to the essence of the character. You can't put anything into a character that you haven't got within you."

"The main thing in acting is honesty, to feel the humanity and get to the essence of the character. You can't put anything into a character that you haven't got within you."

Genevieve Bujold, Canadian Actress

Character, Honesty, Acting, Humanity

15

"When something really extreme happens, you have to find a way to embrace that and include it in how you think about the character. Sometimes it's not easy."

"When something really extreme happens, you have to find a way to embrace that and include it in how you think about the character. Sometimes it's not easy."

David Ogden Stiers, American Actor

Character, Extreme

15

"Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretence."

"Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretence."

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Soldier

Character, Perfection, Life, Presence

15

"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

15

"The benefits of the accomplished journey cannot be weighed in terms of perfect moments, but in terms of how this journey affects and changes our character."

"The benefits of the accomplished journey cannot be weighed in terms of perfect moments, but in terms of how this journey affects and changes our character."

Ella Maillart, Swiss Writer

Character, Benefits, Journey, Moments

15

"My character in 'Prison Break' needs to be formidable. In reality, I'm not very tough at all."

"My character in 'Prison Break' needs to be formidable. In reality, I'm not very tough at all."

Wentworth Miller, English Actor

Character, Needs, Reality

15

"You instinctively display the greatest virtue, or rather the chief defect, of us eccentric Parisians- that is, you assume the vices you have not, and conceal the virtues you possess."

"You instinctively display the greatest virtue, or rather the chief defect, of us eccentric Parisians- that is, you assume the vices you have not, and conceal the virtues you possess."

Alexandre Dumas, French Dramatist

Character, Virtue, Vice, Identity

15

"I like to take a character and develop it."

"I like to take a character and develop it."

Alison Lohman, American Actress

15

"I couldn't deal with playing a character who rides motorcycles and has a leather jacket and is a tough kid, y'know?"

"I couldn't deal with playing a character who rides motorcycles and has a leather jacket and is a tough kid, y'know?"

Leonardo DiCaprio, American Actor

15

"I mean it allowed me to do that which was fantastic because we really get to see the character mature and deal with some things that are, that I think as an audience member, really pull us in."

"I mean it allowed me to do that which was fantastic because we really get to see the character mature and deal with some things that are, that I think as an audience member, really pull us in."

Brandon Routh, American Actor

15

"Away with that folly that her rights would be detrimental to her character - that if she were recognized as the equal to a man she would cease to be a woman!"

"Away with that folly that her rights would be detrimental to her character - that if she were recognized as the equal to a man she would cease to be a woman!"

Ernestine Rose, American Activist

Character, Folly, Rights, Man

15

"I talked with Quentin about where the character came from, and he told me Kansas City. I don't know how somebody talks from Kansas City, so I made him from New York."

"I talked with Quentin about where the character came from, and he told me Kansas City. I don't know how somebody talks from Kansas City, so I made him from New York."

Steve Buscemi, American Actor

15

"All the parts I get offered are character and comedy parts, and I probably wouldn't get them if I had a different face. So I'm glad I have a comedy face."

"All the parts I get offered are character and comedy parts, and I probably wouldn't get them if I had a different face. So I'm glad I have a comedy face."

Mackenzie Crook, English Actor

Character, Comedy

15

"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

15

"Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open."

"Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open."

Elmer G. Letterman, American Salesman

Character, Open, Personality

15

"I didn't see my character, Core, as a cannibal but as somebody who is extremely passionate and who doesn't have any conscience. She takes her passion to its complete extreme."

"I didn't see my character, Core, as a cannibal but as somebody who is extremely passionate and who doesn't have any conscience. She takes her passion to its complete extreme."

Beatrice Dalle, French Actress

Character, Conscience, Extreme, Passion

15

"The most important aspect of any story, to me, is character."

"The most important aspect of any story, to me, is character."

Nora Roberts, American Author

15

"Ron was always my favorite character, because I feel like I relate to him, like we've both got red hair, we both like sweets, we've both got lots of brothers and sisters."

"Ron was always my favorite character, because I feel like I relate to him, like we've both got red hair, we both like sweets, we've both got lots of brothers and sisters."

Rupert Grint, English Actor

Character, Brothers, Favorite, Hair

15

"I loved playing Go Go, because the character's so extreme. And she's pretty close to my real character. Especially the fact that she liked her sword with a lot of accessories."

"I loved playing Go Go, because the character's so extreme. And she's pretty close to my real character. Especially the fact that she liked her sword with a lot of accessories."

Chiaki Kuriyama, Japanese Actress

Character, Extreme, Fact, Pretty

15

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character."

"It is only by drawing often, drawing everything, drawing incessantly, that one fine day you discover to your surprise that you have rendered something in its true character."

Camille Pissarro, French Artist

15

"There's never been any game plan or thread through my career. It's just happened that I've ricocheted from one interesting character to another."

"There's never been any game plan or thread through my career. It's just happened that I've ricocheted from one interesting character to another."

Derek Jacobi, British Actor

Character, Career

14

"From blood banking to the modern subway, from jazz to social justice, the contributions of African Americans have shaped and molded and influenced our national culture and our national character."

"From blood banking to the modern subway, from jazz to social justice, the contributions of African Americans have shaped and molded and influenced our national culture and our national character."

Bill Frist, American Politician

Character, African, Americans, Blood

14

"Gentleness is the antidote for cruelty."

"Gentleness is the antidote for cruelty."

Phaedrus, Roman Poet

Character, Cruelty

14

"By knowing your character so well you can't go wrong. All of us kind of fell into that."

"By knowing your character so well you can't go wrong. All of us kind of fell into that."

Camilla Belle, American Actress

Character, Wrong

14

"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

14

"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

14

"A book begins with an image or character or situation that I care about deeply."

"A book begins with an image or character or situation that I care about deeply."

Danielle Steel, American Novelist

Character, Care

14

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose."

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose."

Evan Esar, American Writer

14

"Shamelessness is a wonderful part of the character."

"Shamelessness is a wonderful part of the character."

Stephen Colbert, American Comedian

14

"I describe my plots as follows; A character is walking down the street when all of a sudden a piano falls on them. They spend the rest of the story digging out from under that piano. How they dig, how long and how well, this all depends entirely on the character."

"I describe my plots as follows; A character is walking down the street when all of a sudden a piano falls on them. They spend the rest of the story digging out from under that piano. How they dig, how long and how well, this all depends entirely on the character."

Sarah Zettel, American Author

Character, Rest, Walking

14

"Playing a character who's dealing not only with a superpower but having a normal relationship is easy to associate with, because I feel that everyone has been through it."

"Playing a character who's dealing not only with a superpower but having a normal relationship is easy to associate with, because I feel that everyone has been through it."

Shawn Ashmore, Canadian Actor

14

"A man of personality can formulate ideals, but only a man of character can achieve them."

"A man of personality can formulate ideals, but only a man of character can achieve them."

Herbert Read, English Poet

Character, Ideals, Man, Personality

14

"Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character."

"Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character."

Oscar Levant, American Composer

14

"But I used to have a bit of a gambling problem. And that would have been the answer to my prayers. It got worse when I started playing this character, too."

"But I used to have a bit of a gambling problem. And that would have been the answer to my prayers. It got worse when I started playing this character, too."

Fisher Stevens, American Actor

Character, Gambling

14

"In theater, the wellspring of the character comes from the doing of it, like a trial by fire, but in front of an audience."

"In theater, the wellspring of the character comes from the doing of it, like a trial by fire, but in front of an audience."

Estelle Parsons, American Actress

Character, Fire, Theater

14

"Hollywood didn't know if I was an actor or a nut or if I was this crazy character I was playing. I had developed an image of being a little bit unusual, different and wild."

"Hollywood didn't know if I was an actor or a nut or if I was this crazy character I was playing. I had developed an image of being a little bit unusual, different and wild."

Nicolas Cage, American Actor

Character, Being, Hollywood

14

"When you're a young man, Macbeth is a character part. When you're older, it's a straight part."

"When you're a young man, Macbeth is a character part. When you're older, it's a straight part."

Laurence Olivier, English Actor

14

"So you eat, you sleep, and then this wonderful child comes out, but you don't feel like you have any control over that process, over her, over her character and who she is."

"So you eat, you sleep, and then this wonderful child comes out, but you don't feel like you have any control over that process, over her, over her character and who she is."

Suzanne Vega, American Musician

Character, Control, Sleep

14

"Each of us is meant to have a character all our own, to be what no other can exactly be, and do what no other can exactly do."

"Each of us is meant to have a character all our own, to be what no other can exactly be, and do what no other can exactly do."

William Ellery Channing, American Writer

14

"It was the character of the Packers, man. We played for sixty minutes. We let it all hang out. There was no tomorrow for us. We got the adrenaline flowing, and we just let it go, man."

"It was the character of the Packers, man. We played for sixty minutes. We let it all hang out. There was no tomorrow for us. We got the adrenaline flowing, and we just let it go, man."

Ray Nitschke, American Athlete

Character, Man, Tomorrow

14

"Whatever our creed, we stand with admiration before the sublime character of Jesus."

"Whatever our creed, we stand with admiration before the sublime character of Jesus."

E. Stanley Jones, American Theologian

Character, Admiration

14

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

"Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

John Wooden, American Coach

Character, Reputation

14

bottom of page