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Character Quotes

Character shows up in fiction, politics and physics.

"Character" is used two distinct ways in this collection — as a literary term about how a fictional character carries moral weight, and as a description of personal integrity tied to one's politics and work. For traits and personality more broadly, see Personality quotes.

Military leaders aren't made. They are born. To be a good leader, you have to have something in your character to cause people to follow you.

Quotes by Jimmy Johnson

Let me explain something about guitar playing. Everyone's got their own character, and that's the thing that's amazed me about guitar playing since the day I first picked it up. Everyone's approach to what can come out of six strings...

Quotes by Jimmy Page

People just expect you to show up, be a cartoon character of yourself, take your money and go home. But don't screw up to the point where you're gonna be out of the picture.

Quotes by Jimmy Chamberlin

With acting, you have to become someone else. That's the fun part of it for me - to step outside of yourself and become a character. I guess being Jimmy Cliff is a little bit of a character, too.

Quotes by Jimmy Cliff

I appreciate everything that happened in Sacramento. It was character building for me, continuing to go out and play hard. I feel like I progressed as a player.

Quotes by Jimmer Fredette

There are a lot of pros to doing a film, as far as it helping your film career, and it is completely different financially. But theatre is the only place where you get to actually be the character, and nobody...

Quotes by Jimmi Simpson

I have a problem with the term 'leading man.' It's so limiting; it involves not upsetting anyone. Obviously, we have anti-heroes now, but if we're talking about the two tropes - character actor and leading man - I would so...

Quotes by Jimmi Simpson

Places I've lived since then had to have some kind of uniqueness and character about them. And logically Key West, and then Down Island. So, all of that stuff sort of had it's roots in New Orleans and went crazy.

Quotes by Jimmy Buffett

Thanos was the first character I ever created professionally. He's always been the baby I return to whenever I work with Marvel.

Quotes by Jim Starlin

There's a character, Eon, I did back in the 'Captain Marvel' story. Eon came from a greasy smudge on a paper bag inside my kitchen being used for garbage. I went and got a paper and pencil, drew it up,...

Quotes by Jim Starlin

Back in my high school years, the Hulk was my favorite Marvel character, and I always enjoy drawing him.

Quotes by Jim Starlin

There is nothing that's been in any of my novels that, in my view, hasn't been either illuminating surroundings or defining a character or moving a plot.

Quotes by Jim Webb

My choices in projects have all been character or role-based, and on a financial level, it's obvious: as an actor on a TV series, I get a wonderful paycheck, and a consistent paycheck, which doesn't always happen when you're doing...

Quotes by Jim Parsons

I try to master every facet of a character in order to build a safety net for myself, so I can go on to take more risks to create someone really distinct.

Quotes by Jim Parsons

As we celebrate President Reagan's remarkable career and historic legacy, we also celebrate a man of strong character, deep conviction, unforgettable charm, and wonderful wit.

Quotes by Jim Ramstad

If there's ever going to be a challenge for an actor, it's that character who's often evolving - which is not often the case in television.

Quotes by Jim Rash

Vince was so great at the 'Mr. McMahon' character that some people think he wouldn't want to help people in real life, and that's just not true.

Quotes by Jim Ross

I appreciate being known as 'best character' rather than as the 'best bad guy.'

Quotes by Jim Sarbh

Sometimes, even when you aren't shooting, 25 percent of your brain is still with your character.

Quotes by Jim Sarbh

I write narrative nonfiction, creating lively scenes through action and the use of quotes from firsthand accounts, all based on rigorous research. If I say a character leaned against a fence on a windy day, than I have at least...

Quotes by Jim Murphy

Frequently Asked Questions

What different meanings of "character" appear on this page?
Several - literary character in the sense of a written character's moral dimension, the idea that one's politics and the character of their work are inseparable, the freeing quality of dialogue comedy, and even a scientific reference to the "duality of character" in matter and radiation.
Is there a quote about writing and moral character in fiction?
Yes, one quote discusses how everything in fiction ultimately comes down to the relationship between the reader, the writer, and the characters, questioning whether a character addresses moral being in an important way. For more, see the Characters page.
Is there a quote connecting politics and creative work?
Yes, one quote states a belief that "one's politics and the character of his particular work are inseparable," reflecting a radical viewpoint. Browse the Personality page for more on how personal outlook shapes expression.
Is there a quote about comedy writing and characters?
Yes, one quote describes finding it liberating that in dialogue comedy, the characters and what they say aren't the writer themselves - just fleeting thoughts and observations rather than stated truths. For more on how characters take shape, see the Character Development page.
Is there a scientific quote about "character" here?
Yes, interestingly - one quote uses "duality of character" to describe how matter and radiation sometimes behave like waves and sometimes like particles, applying the word in a scientific rather than literary sense. For more on how character is portrayed, check out the Characterization page.

Unusually, one entry borrows the word from physics, describing the dual wave-and-particle character of matter and radiation. Continue with Characters quotes or Character Development quotes.