Best smart & character Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“TV is a different animal these days. You can bring together really smart writing and directing, in-depth character development and really meaty political and emotional stories.”

Writing Different Character Stories Together Political Animal Emotional Tvs Development Smart Depth These Days Character Development Really Smart Different Animals

Author:Connie Nielsen

“The movies that work are the ones in which somebody very smart figured out how to take all the thematic material, all the character material, all the filigree, all the beautiful writing, and put it into a story.”

Writing Character Stories Beautiful Materials Smart Very Smart Beautiful Writing Thematic

Author:Scott Rudin

“My father and mother are both very smart people and I always felt I was a little short of the mark. So I would compensate with a character like Logan Cale. He's wearing glasses, he's in a wheelchair, he's a computer genius. He's very far away from who I am, but I really wanted to play roles where I'd be taken seriously.”

People Littles Play Character Wanted Mother Father Felt Roles Taken Genius Computer Smart Mark Glasses Who I Am Far Away Smart People Very Smart Wheelchairs

Author:Michael Weatherly

“My biggest fear in writing 'Gossip Girl' was that the characters would sound like stereotypical rich, air-headed heiresses. These were my friends. They were smart and multifaceted. They had interests and passions. They wanted to become lawyers and doctors and writers and filmmakers.”

Writing Character Wanted Girl Passion Sound Interest Rich Air Smart My Friends Doctors Lawyer Filmmaker Gossip Biggest Fear Heiress Gossip Girl

Author:Cecily von Ziegesar

“It's a mistake and misconception to think that one has to state everything clearly and simply for the audience to be able to follow the character, and this is what is bringing American cinema down from its position in the classic golden period. There's this misapprehension that the audience is not smart.”

Thinking States Character Able Mistake Audience Position Periods Smart Golden Cinema Classic Misconception

Author:Asghar Farhadi

“And they're [Coen brothers] so smart, they're so witty, they have such an extraordinary way of communicating with an audience in a such a clean way - with just a few lines or just a gesture from a character, they say so much.”

Way Character Lines Audience Brother Smart Clean Extraordinary Witty Communicate Gestures Coen Brothers

Author:Angelina Jolie

“I would do the baby voice and it's kind of like this character I made up. But in real life, I'm completely different. I'm very smart. I think a lot of people will assume I'm an airhead.”

People Thinking Kind Made Different Real Character Voice Baby Smart Assuming Real Life Very Smart Airheads

Author:Paris Hilton

“I think most teen comedies are probably played in a way that aren't geared towards people that are wanting to be entertained but also [see] something that has a lot of heart to it. The things we do in the movie - it has a lot of heart, and also it's really smart. The people and the characters that we are, we're really intelligent people that are using our tactics to get back at a guy. The moral of being who you are, and trusting yourself, finding your inner strength - I think that's something that most teen movies don't really dial into.”

People Thinking Way Heart Character Guy Moral Comedy Findings Smart Intelligent Who You Are Inner Strength Get Back Tactics Really Smart

Author:Brittany Snow

“I love characters who are clever and smart, and you have to run to catch up with. I think there's something very appealing and rather heroic in that.”

Thinking Character Running Smart Clever Heroic

Author:David Tennant

“If I could play any role in any musical, it would be Desiree in A Little Night Music - Oh my, it is perfection. The character gets to be funny, beautiful, sexy and smart all at the same time and have two men fighting over her. The show is Stephen Sondheim at his absolute best... need I say more?”

Ifs Men Needs Littles Two Play Character Shows Would Be Beautiful Night Fighting Roles Smart Perfection Absolutes Musical Sexy If I Could Sondheim

Author:Nancy Allen

“I would love for people to think that I am as quick, clever, smart and heroic as the characters that I write, but those characters are characters.”

People Thinking Writing Character Smart Clever Heroic

Author:Aaron Sorkin

“The sad thing about our society is that women are put in one of two categories. You're either in the beautiful category and you're seen as sexy and beautiful, or some version of that, or you're put into another category... The latter category affords women the opportunity to be smart, funny, independent, mean, strong, intelligent and opinionated. We take them seriously as politicians, if they fit into that latter category. We respect their opinions more and give them higher expectations. That latter category is what allows female actors to be characters.”

“If I'm playing someone who's smart, suddenly every character I've played is smart. If I'm playing a bad guy, every character is a bad guy. I suppose it's that thing where people want to see a through-line to understand you. I mean, you know, I have played pretty ordinary people too.”

People Ifs Knows Want Mean Character Guy Lines Smart Ordinary Ordinary People Bad Guys Playing Someone

Author:Benedict Cumberbatch

“Most famous artists are created by their work and the idea of them as a character, and if they're smart and ambitious, they reinforce that character because they want to win. They want their views to prevail.”

Ifs Want Ideas Character Artist Winning Views Smart Ambitious Famous Artist

Author:Dave Hickey

“Particularly, the actors, to have analyzed the script in great detail from the point of view of their specific character. So that they have a handle on exactly where the character is in the chronology of things. In that sense the actors become your best check on the logic of the piece, and the way in which it all fits together. They become essential collaborators. The main thing is you have to work with very smart actors.”

Way Character Together Actors Views Pieces Fit Essentials Smart Logic Scripts Details Point Of View Handle Checks Very Smart Collaborators Chronology

Author:Christopher Nolan

“I think making a great action movie is one of the hardest cinematic endeavors. By definition, smart characters avoid action. Smart people don't go down dark alleys, but if you're making an action movie and you want to have an action sequence, somehow you have to get that character into that dangerous situation.”

People Ifs Thinking Want Character Action Dark Situation Dangerous Smart Definitions Hardest Endeavor Sequence Alleys Smart People Action Movie Cinematic Dangerous Situations Dark Alleys

Author:Doug Liman

“The one thing you can do that the audience can't do - all those smart people online in the chat rooms can't do - is deliver a satisfying emotional journey for a human being, for a character.”

People Humans Character Can Do Human Beings Rooms Audience One Thing Journey Emotional Smart Online Satisfying Smart People

Author:Frank Spotnitz

“It's like my characters, all my men are Dad and me in a mess; all my female characters are smart and hopeful, like Mom just trying to make the best of things.”

Men Trying Character Mom Dad Smart Female Mess Hopeful Female Characters

Author:Bret Easton Ellis

“It was seriously just a name. They didn’t tell you what to do. They didn’t tell you how they wanted the character to be - nothing. You went in to audition for this character name and that was it. When I started, before I came onto the set, I went to Gene Roddenberry and said: hey, what do you want from this guy? Who is he? And being as smart as he is, he said: don’t listen to what you’ve heard or read or seen in the past, nothing. Just make the character your own. And that’s what I did.”

Want Said Character Wanted Past Guy Names Heard Smart Hey Genes Auditions This Guy

Author:Michael Dorn

“Science fiction fans are the smartest fans in television. They just are. They're just so smart, and they know so much detail and information. They're a part of the story and they inform your character, as well. We all listen to the fans, and we love their feedback and the attention they give us.”

Knows Giving Wells Character Stories Attention Fiction Fans Information Television Smart Science Fiction Details Feedback

Author:Azita Ghanizada

“I don't think it's a bad thing to play a character that's not necessarily a super-woman. Even if the character is a little bit stereotypical, as long as the whole story is good and positive, or makes some sort of important statement, I think it's okay. But, on the whole, you can't just do that, especially as a black woman. It's more of a responsibility. You've gotta let the world see black women being successful, strong, smart, with power and who are self-possessed.”

“I guess I always knew going into the movie that casting that part would be difficult. Oliver just felt likeable. I felt it would be hard to dislike this man. I don't know why, but I'm sure other directors have felt the same when casting him. Oliver is goofy yet formidable, smart but likeable... I didn't want the character of Alex to be nasty or demonised. I wanted him to be struggling with his actions.”

Knows Men Want Hard Character Would Be Action Wanted Felt Difficult Struggle Directors Smart Dislike Nasty Casting Alex Formidable Goofy Likeable

Author:Nicole Holofcener

“I love the complication of the kids in the characters' lives. I love that these two people are very capable in all these ways. They're so trained. They're kind of deadly. They're smart and vicious at times, but I love that they're undone by a teenager, like we all are. We're all incensed and undone by the ungratefulness of a child, and I love that it matters so greatly to them, in a way that it matters to every parent. Teenagers are going to do that no matter where you live or who you are.”

People Way Kind Children Two Matter Character Kids Parent Capable Smart Who You Are Teenager Vicious Undone Complication Where You Live

Author:Keri Russell

“I read the script [of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency] and went, "I haven't read anything this good, in a long time." I thought it was absolutely brilliant. The dialogue is so sparkling, smart and witty. You also have these insane, crazy characters, like energy sucking vampires and holistic assassins. It's all completely weird.”

Long Character Energy Crazy Havens Long Time Smart Scripts Witty Brilliant Dialogue Insane Vampire Agency Detectives Holistic Assassins Sparkling Dirk Gently

Author:Samuel Barnett

“The interesting thing about a lot of serialized television is that it's a blessing and curse. Smart writers really take their time in investing in backstories and characters. As a viewer, you have to invest in them and love them before you can chip away at what's going on more on a deeper level with secondary characters.”

Character Interesting Levels Television Blessing Smart And Love Investing Deeper Curse Viewers Chips Interesting Things Blessings And Curses

Author:Liza Weil

“My characters are actually usually pretty smart and admirable.”

Character Smart Admirable

Author:Michael Lewis

“Honestly, Think Like a Man was the first romantic comedy that I liked. I'd kind of avoided them for awhile because I never felt that any of them were really smart enough. But when I read this script, I genuinely fell in love with the characters, especially my own. So, I just wanted to be a part of it.”

Thinking Men Kind Enough Character Comedy Smart Honestly Really Smart

Author:Michael Ealy

“A lot of times, when you're acting, you have to explain things to the audience, and it's boring work to do that. It's really hard to make that interesting. I like the discovery of characters. I think people are smart. Audiences are intelligent and can figure things out by just watching behaviors.”

People Thinking Character Interesting Acting Audience Behavior Smart Intelligent Boring

Author:Andie MacDowell

“I've found that there's a pretty wide range of silly. I don't want to do outright parody, because I like keeping my own characters and stories at the core of the books. And to be honest, I'm not smart enough to do the kind of wickedly sharp satire you get from someone like Pratchett.”

Kind Book Enough Character Honest Smart Silly Being Honest Satire

Author:Jim C. Hines

“The gamers are smart. They see right through the moral scale. Actually, with Dragon Age, I really liked the system the team came up with. It reflects what was important about the game, and that was the character relationships. It didn't really matter what the world thought of you, but it mattered what the person standing next to you thought of you.”

World Important Character Age Moral Team Smart Gamer

Author:Greg Zeschuk

“Nothing makes me happier than to have a smart person tell me why the show is smart, especially if I didn't intend that. I tend to be a very instinctual writer, and I don't plot shows out like, "This is my thesis and this is how I'm going to subtly sneak my thesis into this episode." I just approach it from, "We know these characters well, here are the situations that they're in, now how would they behave? What would the consequences be?" And it's always fun to see how people interpret that and dissect it afterward, and make me and the other writers seem probably smarter than we really are.”

People Character Fun Situation Smart Consequence Behave Sneak Thesis

Author:Shawn Ryan

“I think people are sexy when they have a sense of humor, when they are smart, when they have some sense of style, when they are kind, when they express their own opinions, when they are creative, when they have character.”

People Thinking Kind Character Opinion Creative Style Smart Sexy Sense Of Humor

Author:Suzanne Vega

“I am not shy about admitting my modest talents. For example, I am happy to admit that I am better than average at clever remarks, and I also have a flair for getting people to like me. But to be perfectly fair to myself, I am ever-ready to confess my shortcomings, too, and a quick round of soul-searching forced me to admit that I had never been any good at all at breathing water. As I hung there from the seat belt, dazed and watching the water pour in and swirl around my head, this began to seem like a very large character flaw.”

“I can get my head turned by a good-looking guy as much as the next girl. But sexy doesn't impress me. Smart impresses me, strength of character impresses me. But most of all, I am impressed by kindness. Kindness, I think, comes from learning hard lessons well, from falling and picking yourself up. It comes from surviving failure and loss. It implies an understanding of the human condition, forgives its many flaws and quirks. When I see that in someone, it fills me with admiration.”

Source: Four Thrillers by Lisa Unger: Beautiful Lies, Sliver of Truth, Black Out, Die for You

“Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”

“It's what each of us sows, and how, that gives us character and prestige.”

Giving Character Smart Prestige Deathless Fertile Soil

Author:George Matthew Adams

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