Character quotes
14.8K quotes on this topic — from poets, philosophers, and thinkers across history.
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Browse quotes that often appear alongside character — connected by shared ideas and recurring themes.
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"We may convert every house in the country into a charity asylum, we may fill the land with hospitals, but the misery of man will still continue to exist until man's character changes."
"I'm perceived to be this solitary character, but nothing could be further from the truth."
"When I tried to play characters that strayed from who I am it ended in disaster. People didn't expect me in comedies or musicals."
"Characters I've played, they used to impact my paintings, like 80 percent of the time, and especially when I was doing an action film."
"I've always boxed a certain way. But with Rocky, the character himself had to be kind of awkward. So I had to learn to fight that way."
"If I'd made it right away as an actor, I would've stopped at a certain level and stayed there, probably as a character actor."
"Certain characters, mostly heroes, have to be the straight silent type; that is part of the make-up."
"The idea of Rambo is kind of intriguing as a closing chapter. When you shoot a film as a sequel to do another sequel it's a whole other tone. But when you know it's the final chapter you try and put in there as much emotion, understanding and closure as you can. So, whereas Rocky is a lighter character and optimistic, Rambo is much darker."
"I type even faster than I talk. I'm very proud of that. I type so fast. And I have to because the characters are living in real time and I've got to keep up with them. It's a miracle they even give me a royalty."
"When you write a novel you have to live with the characters for a long time. So I prefer short stories. I never wrote anything more than 250 pages."
"I struggle in these situations not to let my madness govern me, and to let the positive aspects of my character define my life."
"And while we're on the subject of ducks, which we plainly are, the story, 'The Ugly Duckling' ought be banned as the central character wasn't a duckling or he wouldn't have grown up into a swan. He was a cygnet."
"If you're a certain type of actor, then eventually stepping into a director's shoes is a natural transition. I've always been the actor who's very focused on the narrative, where my character is in the story, and how I can benefit the story. I've always had a technical aspect of what the lens is, how the camera is going to move, how I can feed the information the director applies within that move. If you're that type of actor, narrative-based, technically proficient, the next step is actually not that far."
"I'd always assumed I was the central character in my own story, but now it occured to me I might in fact be only a minor character in someone else's."
"My God, that scene in Monster Inc. where the monsters realise that their entire world is founded on hurting children -look at that for a change! Two galumphing cartoon characters making a shattering realisation about their world and their role in sustaining it. A truly epic moment. It's stunning."
"How in the end can one possibly hold anyone responsible for our own underdeveloped visions, or undeveloped strength of character?"
"Every actor turns everything round to their character."
"I'm drawn to damaged, complicated characters."
"For me, there is a stigma attached to playing beautiful parts. They are often empty characters whom the action happens around. I'm more drawn to characters with a complex internal life, who have a burning frustration underneath that keeps them going."
"I love complex characters - strong females who are vulnerable but have a life and soul. That's what I'm drawn to and what I enjoy most."
