--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All I've ever tried to do is play real…" description: "\"All I've ever tried to do is play real people.\" — Alan Alda" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png" --- # All I've ever tried to do is play real people. ![“All I've ever tried to do is play real people.” quote by Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png) > “All I've ever tried to do is play real people.” [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He strives to portray authentic, relatable characters rather than caricatures. **In simple terms:** He aims to act like real people. Key Takeaway Seek authenticity in performance. Themes acting authenticity craft Mood thoughtful artistic Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - theatre - film - improv - teaching acting Key Concepts character study empathy human behavior Questions to Reflect On - How does authenticity affect audience connection? - What techniques help embody real people? A Different Perspective Audience may prefer exaggerated roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) ## Related quotes > [I've always tried to play baseball hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-acuna-jr/i-ve-always-tried-to-play-baseball-hard/) [Ronald Acuna Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-acuna-jr/) > [I love to play real people... good people that I know the audience will get behind. It's the good people in the world that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-love-to-play-real-people-good-people-that-i-know-the-audience-will/) [Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/) > [People have said, 'You don't need to do any more biopics. You don't need to play any more real people.' I don't agree with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/people-have-said-you-don-t-need-to-do-any-more-biopics-you-don-t-need/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [Anybody who works with me knows this: I always repeat wardrobe in my characters. We're trying to play real people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/busy-philipps/anybody-who-works-with-me-knows-this-i-always-repeat-wardrobe-in-my/) [Busy Philipps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/busy-philipps/) > [I try to play real people who inspire me through something in their journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-collette/i-try-to-play-real-people-who-inspire-me-through-something-in-their/) [Toni Collette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-collette/) > [I thought I did well for someone who has been out for 10 or 11 months. Then I was sub against Liverpool and tried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gascoigne/i-thought-i-did-well-for-someone-who-has-been-out-for-10-or-11-months/) [Paul Gascoigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gascoigne/) > [I've tried to always be incredibly overprepared in everything that I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-joy/i-ve-tried-to-always-be-incredibly-overprepared-in-everything-that-i/) [Lisa Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-joy/) > [I've always tried to live my life perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-hilton/i-ve-always-tried-to-live-my-life-perfectly/) [Kathy Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-hilton/) > [If you've never failed, you've never tried anything new.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-you-ve-never-failed-you-ve-never-tried-anything-new/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Journaling is something that I've always tried to get into.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-allen/journaling-is-something-that-i-ve-always-tried-to-get-into/) [Kris Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-allen/) > [I've always tried to vote my conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-lance/i-ve-always-tried-to-vote-my-conscience/) [Leonard Lance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-lance/) > [Your suicide, it's all bullshit, cause I've tried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goo-goo-dolls/your-suicide-it-s-all-bullshit-cause-i-ve-tried/) [Goo Goo Dolls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goo-goo-dolls/) > [I've always tried to live in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-foles/i-ve-always-tried-to-live-in-the-moment/) [Nick Foles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-foles/) > [I've tried to be a better person... I've tried, and tried and tried! You know how hard I've tried! Tell me how I've tried..."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/i-ve-tried-to-be-a-better-person-i-ve-tried-and-tried-and-tried-you/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“I've tried subtle before. I'm not very good at it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasie-west/i-ve-tried-subtle-before-i-m-not-very-good-at-it/) [Kasie West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasie-west/) ## More by Alan Alda > [On the stage, the characters express themselves more through words than images. So the arguments of the characters and the tension between characters -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/on-the-stage-the-characters-express-themselves-more-through-words/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [We need to be more conversant with it because science is in our lives. It's in everything. It's in the food we eat. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/we-need-to-be-more-conversant-with-it-because-science-is-in-our-lives/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [When I studied how to think in school, I was taught that the first rule of logic was that a thing cannot both be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/when-i-studied-how-to-think-in-school-i-was-taught-that-the-first/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I was brought up as a Catholic, and I'm no longer a Catholic. I don't talk about my beliefs too much in public probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-was-brought-up-as-a-catholic-and-i-m-no-longer-a-catholic-i-don-t/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [life is meaningless unless you bring meaning to it; ... it is up to us to create our own existence. Unless you do something,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/life-is-meaningless-unless-you-bring-meaning-to-it-it-is-up-to-us-to/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/my-mother-didn-t-try-to-stab-my-father-until-i-was-six/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Originality is unexplored territory. You get there by carrying a canoe - you can't take a taxi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/originality-is-unexplored-territory-you-get-there-by-carrying-a-canoe/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's always better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-always-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [M\*A\*S\*H' was a collection of people, in front of and behind the cameras, that really clicked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/m-a-s-h-was-a-collection-of-people-in-front-of-and-behind-the-cameras/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“Be brave enough to live creatively. The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively-the-creative-is-the-place-where-no/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [To do a musical takes a tremendous amount of energy because you have to act and sing at the same time. And everything has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/to-do-a-musical-takes-a-tremendous-amount-of-energy-because-you-have/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [Be brave enough to live creatively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/be-brave-enough-to-live-creatively/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [It's better to be wise than to be smart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/it-s-better-to-be-wise-than-to-be-smart/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [“You can't get there by bus, only by hard work, risking, and by not quite knowing what you're doing. What you'll discover will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/you-can-t-get-there-by-bus-only-by-hard-work-risking-and-by-not-quite/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) > [I used to read science fiction a lot, and I still like science fiction when it is a model of how we really are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/i-used-to-read-science-fiction-a-lot-and-i-still-like-science-fiction/) [Alan Alda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) [Explore all 203 Alan Alda quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/) ## More Ever quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [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/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [Thatcher was the best politician I have ever witnessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clarke/thatcher-was-the-best-politician-i-have-ever-witnessed/) [Kenneth Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clarke/) > [The resources of our continent attract, more than ever, the interests of rich countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-bongo/the-resources-of-our-continent-attract-more-than-ever-the-interests/) [Omar Bongo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-bongo/) > [I say this about everything: when I was on 'Neighbours,' I said, 'These are the best years of my life!' When I was filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/i-say-this-about-everything-when-i-was-on-neighbours-i-said-these-are/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) > [I don't think you should ever say, 'This is the last time'. Music isn't like that. You'll be sitting there not wishing to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-daltrey/i-don-t-think-you-should-ever-say-this-is-the-last-time-music-isn-t/) [Roger Daltrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-daltrey/) > [Ninety-eight percent of the things that come out of my mouth are intended to be harmless or even charming. They're not ever intended to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/ninety-eight-percent-of-the-things-that-come-out-of-my-mouth-are/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [My mother worked in the white world, but I lived almost exclusively in a black world. I don't think I had ever seen a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/my-mother-worked-in-the-white-world-but-i-lived-almost-exclusively-in/) [Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/) > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [If I ever had twins, I'd use one for parts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/if-i-ever-had-twins-i-d-use-one-for-parts/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [I loved 'Funny Lady' for whatever reason. People say they didn't know I could sing and dance. Well, nobody ever asks me - it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-caan/i-loved-funny-lady-for-whatever-reason-people-say-they-didn-t-know-i/) [James Caan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-caan/) > [Learning to speak was the most remarkable thing you ever did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-kluger/learning-to-speak-was-the-most-remarkable-thing-you-ever-did/) [Jeffrey Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-kluger/) Browse all 4,296 Ever quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All I've ever tried to do is play real people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alan Alda" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-people/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ever" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-people/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/53f/alan-alda-1859_ever_all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-p_1295060.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All I've ever tried to do is play real people.” — Alan Alda", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alan Alda", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-alda/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All I've ever tried to do...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-people/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-alda/all-i-ve-ever-tried-to-do-is-play-real-people/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```