Each character I play has different dimensions. I'm not interested in words that pull them together.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the complexity and individuality of characters played by an actor, highlighting the richness of diverse roles.
In this quote, Alan Rickman reflects on the nature of acting and character portrayal. He suggests that each role he plays possesses unique attributes and layers, and he is not concerned with trying to simplify or unify these characters through language. Instead, he embraces the multifaceted nature of each character, which ultimately enriches the storytelling experience.
In practice
This quote can be shared during an acting workshop to inspire participants to explore the depth of their characters.
Film has to be reflecting the world that we live in, and that's all you want to be a part of. Actors inhabit the same planet as everyone else. It's a weird thing that happens when you're an actor because people hold you up because you somehow embody in parts groups of people or people's hopes or something.
You can act truthfully or you can lie. You can reveal things about yourself or you can hide. Therefore, the audience recognizes something about themselves or they don't -- You hope they don't leave the theatre thinking that was nice...now where's the cab?'
I'm a lot less serious than people think, it's probably because the way my face is put together.
Those of you who are not aware of my brilliant career as a stand up comic, I'm not aware of it either so we might well wonder what we're doing here.
Acting is mostly about listening. If you just focus in on what the other person is saying, acting takes care of itself to quite a large extent.
When I am asked about influences, I always say I bow down to Fred Astaire, because when you look at him dancing you never look at his extremities, do you? You look at his centre. What you never see is the hours of work that went into the routines, you just see the breathtaking spirit and freedom.
There are moments when the body is as numinous as words, days that are the good flesh continuing. Such tenderness, those afternoons and evenings, saying blackberry, blackberry, blackberry.
If a man devotes himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens otherwise if one is idle.
Nothing great or enduring, especially in music, has ever sprung full-fledged and unprecedented from the brain of any master; the best he gives to the world he gathers from the hearts of the people, and runs it through the alembic of his genius.
A year from now, I could go away, and people might say, 'Gosh, what ever happened to that girl who never wore pants?' But how wonderfully memorable 30 years from now, when they say, 'Do you remember Gaga and her bubbles?' Because, for a minute, everybody in that room will forget every sad, painful thing in their lives, and they'll just live in my bubble world.
I think the rhythm is like the spine of the piece. If you change that, then the body that forms around it is changed as well.
Play well, or play badly, but play truly.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.