--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, the ambition is to play…" description: "\"As an actor, the ambition is to play interesting characters. And in the indie genre world, the budgets are low. That allows me, as an actor, not to hav..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/a-j-bowen-49321_actor_as-an-actor-the-ambition-is-to-play-inte_1127401.jpg" --- # As an actor, the ambition is to play interesting… ![“As an actor, the ambition is to play interesting characters. And in the indie genre world, the budgets are low. That allows me, as an actor, not to have a financial value behind my name, to justify me being in these bigger parts for these types of movies.” quote by A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/a-j-bowen-49321_actor_as-an-actor-the-ambition-is-to-play-inte_1127401.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/a-j-bowen-49321_actor_as-an-actor-the-ambition-is-to-play-inte_1127401.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/a-j-bowen-49321_actor_as-an-actor-the-ambition-is-to-play-inte_1127401.jpg) > “As an actor, the ambition is to play interesting characters. And in the indie genre world, the budgets are low. That allows me, as an actor, not to have a financial value behind my name, to justify me being in these bigger parts for these types of movies.” [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The actor seeks artistic fulfillment over financial gain, using low‑budget indie films to pursue meaningful roles without commercial pressure. **In simple terms:** Choose art over money for personal growth. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful work over profit. Themes artistic integrity career choice indie film Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - indie productions - career planning - portfolio building - networking events Key Concepts passion creativity risk taking Questions to Reflect On - What sacrifices are you willing to make for artistic freedom? - How do you balance passion with financial stability? A Different Perspective Indie work may limit exposure and income. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-ambition-3079641/) [Actor Financial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-financial-651155/) [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Ambition Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition-play-1134290/) [Behind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behind/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Budgets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgets/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Indie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-indie-3079642/) [Financial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial/) [Genre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genre/) [Indie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indie/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Interesting characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-characters/) [Justify](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justify/) [Low](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/low/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Movies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movies/) [Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/name/) [Parts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parts/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Types](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/types/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [There are certain sacrifices that you make, and you feel like the only compensation you have as an actor is financial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-schwimmer/there-are-certain-sacrifices-that-you-make-and-you-feel-like-the-only/) [David Schwimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-schwimmer/) > [A play gets on Broadway by fluke. And you don't even start out with that ambition. When I do a play, the intention is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-greenberg/a-play-gets-on-broadway-by-fluke-and-you-don-t-even-start-out-with/) [Richard Greenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-greenberg/) > [My one ambition is to play a hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sessue-hayakawa/my-one-ambition-is-to-play-a-hero/) [Sessue Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sessue-hayakawa/) > [Over the long term, it is definitely my ambition to play in the midfield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emre-can/over-the-long-term-it-is-definitely-my-ambition-to-play-in-the/) [Emre Can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emre-can/) > [I've always been interesting in characters that challenge people and who are not always that easy to like.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-mcmahon/i-ve-always-been-interesting-in-characters-that-challenge-people-and/) [Julian McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-mcmahon/) > [Mr. Tulkinghorn, sitting in the twilight by the open window, enjoys his wine. As if it whispered to him of its fifty years of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-tulkinghorn-sitting-in-the-twilight-by-the-open-window-enjoys-his/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Everything that Mr Smallweed's grandfather ever put away in his mind was a grub at first, and is a grub at last. In all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/everything-that-mr-smallweed-s-grandfather-ever-put-away-in-his-mind/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [People who act against their own best interests are interesting characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-schrader/people-who-act-against-their-own-best-interests-are-interesting/) [Paul Schrader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-schrader/) > [It feels like I'm starting to come into my own in terms of where I want to go artistically, toward more complicated, interesting characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-alba/it-feels-like-i-m-starting-to-come-into-my-own-in-terms-of-where-i/) [Jessica Alba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-alba/) > [I find interesting characters or lessons that resonate with people and sometimes I write about them in the sports pages, sometimes I write them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-find-interesting-characters-or-lessons-that-resonate-with-people/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [There are a lot of actors who will sit here and talk to you about characters - 'He does this, and she's a really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/there-are-a-lot-of-actors-who-will-sit-here-and-talk-to-you-about/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [I feel certain negative characters, or the ones with grey shades, provide more scope for acting. These characters help you excel. And such interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-morea/i-feel-certain-negative-characters-or-the-ones-with-grey-shades/) [Dino Morea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dino-morea/) > [Why am I always at war with myself? Why have I told, as if upon compulsion, what I knew all along I ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/why-am-i-always-at-war-with-myself-why-have-i-told-as-if-upon/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [As an actor, you always want to keep it different, change it up, and, you know, just to keep yourself inspired and work with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-reilly/as-an-actor-you-always-want-to-keep-it-different-change-it-up-and-you/) [Kelly Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-reilly/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by A. J. Bowen > [I'm an incredibly intelligent, insightful human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/i-m-an-incredibly-intelligent-insightful-human-being/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) > [To be fair, I don't think it's a plague to say I have the misfortune of making movies for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/to-be-fair-i-don-t-think-it-s-a-plague-to-say-i-have-the-misfortune/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) > [I did four movies where I gained, like, fifty pounds. I had curly hair, and I had all of this facial hair. I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/i-did-four-movies-where-i-gained-like-fifty-pounds-i-had-curly-hair/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) > [A lot of cable television is shot on a single camera. Our eyes are more trained to that. It takes the camera off the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/a-lot-of-cable-television-is-shot-on-a-single-camera-our-eyes-are/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) > [I love '80s horror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/i-love-80s-horror/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) > [To have a part that is written for you certainly helps an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-bowen/to-have-a-part-that-is-written-for-you-certainly-helps-an-actor/) [A. J. Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) [Explore all 7 A. J. Bowen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-bowen/) ## More Actor quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. 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In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As an actor, the ambition is to play interesting characters. And in the indie genre world, the budgets are low. That allows me, as an actor, not to have a financial value behind my name, to justify me being in these bigger parts for these types of movies.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "A. J. 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