--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As an actor, my job is not to always play…" description: "\"As an actor, my job is not to always play characters who make everybody happy. That's not interesting.\" — Anna Gunn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/anna-gunn-17659_actor_as-an-actor-my-job-is-not-to-always-play_2063454.png" --- # As an actor, my job is not to always play characters who… ![“As an actor, my job is not to always play characters who make everybody happy. That's not interesting.” quote by Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/anna-gunn-17659_actor_as-an-actor-my-job-is-not-to-always-play_2063454.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/anna-gunn-17659_actor_as-an-actor-my-job-is-not-to-always-play_2063454.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/anna-gunn-17659_actor_as-an-actor-my-job-is-not-to-always-play_2063454.png) > “As an actor, my job is not to always play characters who make everybody happy. That's not interesting.” [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor’s role should challenge audiences, not merely please them; conflict drives interest. **In simple terms:** Actors should play complex, not always happy, characters. Key Takeaway Seek roles that provoke thought and tension. Themes art conflict character interest Mood intense analytical Type dramatic inspirational When to use this quote - theatre auditions - script analysis - character workshops Key Concepts dramatic tension character development Questions to Reflect On - Why are audiences drawn to conflict? - How can you balance discomfort with engagement? A Different Perspective May undervalue the value of comforting narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-job/) [Always](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/always/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Characters Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-make/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Happy Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-interesting-2498010/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-characters/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [I want to play characters that people relate to, characters that make different kinds of women in society feel represented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-macdonald/i-want-to-play-characters-that-people-relate-to-characters-that-make/) [Danielle Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-macdonald/) > [I have projects in life that I'm engaged in, I have things that stimulate me in my life, that make me happy. But more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kraftsow/i-have-projects-in-life-that-i-m-engaged-in-i-have-things-that/) [Gary Kraftsow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kraftsow/) > [I am someone who doesn't say no to opportunities and, thus, would be happy to do something interesting on television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amruta-khanvilkar/i-am-someone-who-doesn-t-say-no-to-opportunities-and-thus-would-be/) [Amruta Khanvilkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amruta-khanvilkar/) > [Music is always a part of my characters' make-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/music-is-always-a-part-of-my-characters-make-up/) [Michael K. 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I believed it. And so I want my daughters to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/my-mom-told-me-i-could-do-anything-i-want-be-anyone-i-want-i-believed/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [I feel like it's important to be forthright about equality. If you're doing the same work, you should get the same amount of money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/i-feel-like-it-s-important-to-be-forthright-about-equality-if-you-re/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [It's changed the landscape of my career without a doubt. 'Deadwood' started to do that, but then 'Breaking Bad' really shifted everything for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/it-s-changed-the-landscape-of-my-career-without-a-doubt-deadwood/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [It's important for women to continue to break through barriers in our industry, in politics, in Wall Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/it-s-important-for-women-to-continue-to-break-through-barriers-in-our/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [In my experience, you get a job for a reason. 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But not seeing women represented in that world, it definitely had less resonance for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/i-really-did-like-the-wolf-of-wall-street-but-not-seeing-women/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [When I was 15 and had the light bulb moment I wanted to be an actor, it was my sole focus and goal, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/when-i-was-15-and-had-the-light-bulb-moment-i-wanted-to-be-an-actor/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [For actors, you've gotta sometimes fill in your backstory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/for-actors-you-ve-gotta-sometimes-fill-in-your-backstory/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [Being pregnant is a conundrum. You have this freedom, because it's a wonderful time that a human being is growing inside of you, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/being-pregnant-is-a-conundrum-you-have-this-freedom-because-it-s-a/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [For women, no matter what career, what path you choose, it's still an uphill battle to work your way up to these top leadership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/for-women-no-matter-what-career-what-path-you-choose-it-s-still-an/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [If you have to go back through your day in your head, try to go back to only the good things. Look at those,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/if-you-have-to-go-back-through-your-day-in-your-head-try-to-go-back/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [As an actor - and I say actor, but actress or actor, whatever - I've had to learn to be very open about what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/as-an-actor-and-i-say-actor-but-actress-or-actor-whatever-i-ve-had-to/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [If you don't agree with the direction something is going in, at least at work, you should always try it first, unless it's dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/if-you-don-t-agree-with-the-direction-something-is-going-in-at-least/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) > [When I got my role on 'Seinfeld,' the show was already huge. I was so nervous on my first day. I remember meeting everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-gunn/when-i-got-my-role-on-seinfeld-the-show-was-already-huge-i-was-so/) [Anna Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) [Explore all 36 Anna Gunn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-gunn/) ## 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. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [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/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. 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! 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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, my job is not to always play characters who make everybody happy. 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