Character Quotes | Beyond Motive 9/25

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Character Quotes

"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

44

"In this watering-place I acted an heroic character, badly studied; and being a novice on such a stage, I forgot my part before a pair of lovely blue eyes."

"In this watering-place I acted an heroic character, badly studied; and being a novice on such a stage, I forgot my part before a pair of lovely blue eyes."

Adelbert von Chamisso, German Poet

Character, Being, Eyes

44

"I think that each character has fascinated and interested me enough to want to play him."

"I think that each character has fascinated and interested me enough to want to play him."

Derek Jacobi, British Actor

Character, Play, Want

44

"In the years since I worked with John Hughes, there were many years where I literally had hundred of doors slammed in my face because I wasn't that kid anymore, and I wasn't a character actor, and I wasn't a leading man, and I wasn't whatever Hollywood was looking for."

"In the years since I worked with John Hughes, there were many years where I literally had hundred of doors slammed in my face because I wasn't that kid anymore, and I wasn't a character actor, and I wasn't a leading man, and I wasn't whatever Hollywood was looking for."

Anthony Michael Hall, American Actor

Character, Hollywood, Leading

44

"I think the eyes are very revealing and can expose a lot about a persons mood or character."

"I think the eyes are very revealing and can expose a lot about a persons mood or character."

Jonathan Shapiro, South African Cartoonist

Character, Eyes

44

"Courage is the ability to execute tasks and assignments without fear or intimidation."

"Courage is the ability to execute tasks and assignments without fear or intimidation."

Jaachynma N.E. Agu, Nigerian Author

Character, Courage, Fear, Strength, Power

44

"It is a beautiful trait in the lover's character, that they think no evil of the object loved."

"It is a beautiful trait in the lover's character, that they think no evil of the object loved."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American Poet

Character, Evil

44

"Ingratitude produces pride while gratitude produces humility."

"Ingratitude produces pride while gratitude produces humility."

Orrin Woodward, American Author

Character, Gratitude, Humility, Pride, Self-Awareness

44

"And what's interesting about him as a comic character is that the custard pie hardly ever ends up on his face."

"And what's interesting about him as a comic character is that the custard pie hardly ever ends up on his face."

Rowan Atkinson, English Comedian

44

"Modesty, not temper."

"Modesty, not temper."

George Eliot, British Author

Character, Modesty, Emotion, Control, Respect

44

"A man's character is his guardian divinity."

"A man's character is his guardian divinity."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Character, Divinity, Man

44

"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

44

"What I loved about playing the corpse is that obviously somebody else got to do the physical part. It appeals to the part of me that likes playing character parts and getting the chance to get away from my own physicality."

"What I loved about playing the corpse is that obviously somebody else got to do the physical part. It appeals to the part of me that likes playing character parts and getting the chance to get away from my own physicality."

Helena Bonham Carter, British Actress

Character, Chance

43

"What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?"

"What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?"

Henry James, American Writer

Character, Determination

43

"At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people is never and never will be a goal. Some people strive for that respect or honor. Living a life to just reach for the position and status is vanity and sin."

"At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people is never and never will be a goal. Some people strive for that respect or honor. Living a life to just reach for the position and status is vanity and sin."

Nick Vujicic, Australian Motivational Speaker

Character, Funeral, Generosity, Recognition, Vanity

43

"We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character, from those who are around us."

"We are like chameleons, we take our hue and the color of our moral character, from those who are around us."

John Locke, English Philosopher

43

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

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

Oscar Levant, American Composer

43

"New York in a way functions as another character within the story, as it does within most of Woody Allen's stories."

"New York in a way functions as another character within the story, as it does within most of Woody Allen's stories."

Radha Mitchell, Australian Actress

43

"Parts like Morse don't grow on trees. He's a great character."

"Parts like Morse don't grow on trees. He's a great character."

John Thaw, British Actor

Character, Trees

43

"That's what he was saying, the civil rights movement - judge me for my character, not how black my skin is, not how yellow my skin is, how short I am, how tall or fat or thin; It's by my character."

"That's what he was saying, the civil rights movement - judge me for my character, not how black my skin is, not how yellow my skin is, how short I am, how tall or fat or thin; It's by my character."

Pam Grier, American Actress

Character, Civil rights, Saying, Skin

43

"I like to rehearse with the actors scenes that are not in the script and will not be in the film because what we're really doing is trying to establish their character, and good acting to me is about reacting."

"I like to rehearse with the actors scenes that are not in the script and will not be in the film because what we're really doing is trying to establish their character, and good acting to me is about reacting."

Jim Jarmusch, American Director

Character, Acting, Actors, Film

43

"I especially object to having my character assassinated by reference to events from my past which bear absolutely no relationship to the question of who the anthrax killer is."

"I especially object to having my character assassinated by reference to events from my past which bear absolutely no relationship to the question of who the anthrax killer is."

Steven Hatfill, American Scientist

Character, Events, Past, Question

43

"There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King."

"There can be no failure to a man who has not lost his courage, his character, his self respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a King."

Orison Swett Marden, American Writer

Character, Courage, Failure, Man

43

"Every role you play is literally - and I've said this before - every single role that you play, the only way you can connect to that character is because that was a piece of you that was scattered around that yard, almost like we got caught up in some whirlwind."

"Every role you play is literally - and I've said this before - every single role that you play, the only way you can connect to that character is because that was a piece of you that was scattered around that yard, almost like we got caught up in some whirlwind."

Terrence Howard, American Actor

Character, Play

43

"In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book."

"In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book."

Hattie McDaniel, American Actress

Character, Living

43

"I was playing this horrible part. I didn't didn't want to play it because the character was an awful racist. But I'm glad I did it because I met Sidney Poitier."

"I was playing this horrible part. I didn't didn't want to play it because the character was an awful racist. But I'm glad I did it because I met Sidney Poitier."

Richard Widmark, American Actor

Character, Play, Want

43

"Unless you look like Brad Pitt, it's really hard to have full control of your character."

"Unless you look like Brad Pitt, it's really hard to have full control of your character."

Vincent D'Onofrio, American Actor

Character, Control

43

"Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders' spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground."

"Organic buildings are the strength and lightness of the spiders' spinning, buildings qualified by light, bred by native character to environment, married to the ground."

Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect

Character, Strength, Environment, Light

43

"It's obvious that if you're going to play a character you need to amass information about that person and about their environment or their era that they're in and use as little or as much as necessary."

"It's obvious that if you're going to play a character you need to amass information about that person and about their environment or their era that they're in and use as little or as much as necessary."

Cillian Murphy, Irish Actor

Character, Environment, Information, Obvious

43

"Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself."

"Show class, have pride, and display character. If you do, winning takes care of itself."

Paul Bryant, American Coach

Character, Winning, Care, Class

43

"Clothes are part of the character. They can't but help inform who you are."

"Clothes are part of the character. They can't but help inform who you are."

Jill Clayburgh, American Actress

Character, Clothes, Help

43

"Note too that a faithful study of the liberal arts humanizes character and permits it not to be cruel."

"Note too that a faithful study of the liberal arts humanizes character and permits it not to be cruel."

Ovid, Roman Poet

Character, Liberal, Study

43

"I was a little bit wary of playing Nicholas. In the script, which I think is true of the novel and the film, he's the only character not singing and dancing in a musical style. Playing someone who is the personification of good is a little difficult."

"I was a little bit wary of playing Nicholas. In the script, which I think is true of the novel and the film, he's the only character not singing and dancing in a musical style. Playing someone who is the personification of good is a little difficult."

Charlie Hunnam, English Actor

Character, Dancing, Film, Singing

43

"As a general rule, a reputation is built on manner as much as on achievement."

"As a general rule, a reputation is built on manner as much as on achievement."

Joseph Conrad, Polish Novelist

Character, Reputation, Manners, Achievement

43

"The democratic and pedestrian character of the new Mass itself seems to invite the ditties that pass for hymns these days."

"The democratic and pedestrian character of the new Mass itself seems to invite the ditties that pass for hymns these days."

Richard Morris, English Clergyman

43

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

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

Chuck Jones, American Director

43

"I - and there are hundreds of thousands of Irishmen who felt on this subject as I do - have always liked my Celtic countrymen and disliked the English nation; it is a national trait of character, and I cannot help it."

"I - and there are hundreds of thousands of Irishmen who felt on this subject as I do - have always liked my Celtic countrymen and disliked the English nation; it is a national trait of character, and I cannot help it."

Douglas Hyde, Irish Politician

Character, English, Help, Nation

43

"I don't live that much with the character. I find it hard enough having to spend so many hours with the character during the day."

"I don't live that much with the character. I find it hard enough having to spend so many hours with the character during the day."

Catherine Deneuve, French Actress

43

"I started improvising the Cliff character, based on someone I grew up with."

"I started improvising the Cliff character, based on someone I grew up with."

John Ratzenberger, American Actor

43

"I think the main thing was that the character couldn't speak in regular language, so he had to be mimed."

"I think the main thing was that the character couldn't speak in regular language, so he had to be mimed."

Peter Mayhew, British Actor

Character, Language

43

"Sometimes I can't get out of the character because the story is very intense."

"Sometimes I can't get out of the character because the story is very intense."

Diana Krall, Canadian Musician

43

"With Altman, he does discuss everything with you, but then leaves you to it and gives you full rein and lets you improvise and create a character while the camera is rolling."

"With Altman, he does discuss everything with you, but then leaves you to it and gives you full rein and lets you improvise and create a character while the camera is rolling."

Vincent D'Onofrio, American Actor

43

"I think the character does tend to suit an episodic thing, because what's fun about him is that he doesn't care about anyone else, and it's very difficult for a main character - a lead character - in a movie to not care about anybody else."

"I think the character does tend to suit an episodic thing, because what's fun about him is that he doesn't care about anyone else, and it's very difficult for a main character - a lead character - in a movie to not care about anybody else."

Rowan Atkinson, English Comedian

Character, Care, Fun

43

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

"I was very limited in what I could do with flying saucers, because they're just a metal disc. I had to try and put character in as if they were intelligently guided."

Ray Harryhausen, American Director

Character, Flying

43

"I prefer to work with grey characters rather than black and white."

"I prefer to work with grey characters rather than black and white."

George R. R. Martin, American Author

Character, Complexity, Morality, Truth

43

"I am proud that I defy your categories. I am proud that I don't fit easily into any box. I am proud of all the things I am and all the things i can be. Question yourself every time you think you only see one thing in me."

"I am proud that I defy your categories. I am proud that I don't fit easily into any box. I am proud of all the things I am and all the things i can be. Question yourself every time you think you only see one thing in me."

David Levithan, American Author

Character, Identity, Pride, Individual, Categories

43

"A man's character is his fate."

"A man's character is his fate."

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Character, Fate, Man

42

"The head writer loves that my character is a boor."

"The head writer loves that my character is a boor."

Rob Corddry, American Comedian

Character, Writer

42

"Up to that point I never really knew what my character would be expected to do, and prior to accepting the job I had actually turned down the role three times before finally giving in."

"Up to that point I never really knew what my character would be expected to do, and prior to accepting the job I had actually turned down the role three times before finally giving in."

Gil Gerard, American Actor

Character, Giving, Job

42

"As an actor, the biggest compliment you can get, in my book is for someone to believe that you're the character."

"As an actor, the biggest compliment you can get, in my book is for someone to believe that you're the character."

Matt LeBlanc, American Actor

Character, Compliment

42

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