---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The subjects felt more comfortable if…"
description: "\"The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role than if they had to be themselves.\" — Annie Leibovitz"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg"
---

#  The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role…

![“The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role than if they had to be themselves.” quote by Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg)

> “The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role than if they had to be themselves.”

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People act more naturally when embodying a role, revealing deeper aspects than when simply being themselves.

**In simple terms:** Playing a role can reveal hidden comfort and authenticity.

Key Takeaway

Encourage role‑play to unlock true selves.

Themes

identity performance comfort authenticity

Mood

introspective creative analytical

Type

artistic psychological

When to use this quote

- acting workshops
- team building
- therapy sessions
- creative projects

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics portraiture

Questions to Reflect On

- What role helps you feel most authentic?
- How can role‑play enhance personal insight?

A Different Perspective

Roles may mask genuine feelings if overused.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“...to her all books were the same and, as with her subjects, she felt a duty to approach them without prejudice...Lauren Bacall, Winifred Holtby,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/to-her-all-books-were-the-same-and-as-with-her-subjects-she-felt-a/)

[Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/)

> [I am not too fussed by anything because I am comfortable with where and how I played the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-gilchrist/i-am-not-too-fussed-by-anything-because-i-am-comfortable-with-where/)

[Adam Gilchrist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-gilchrist/)

> [I was shy and didn't believe in myself, and I only bloomed when I was in theater during rehearsal. And that's how my family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-pearce/i-was-shy-and-didn-t-believe-in-myself-and-i-only-bloomed-when-i-was/)

[Lindsay Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsay-pearce/)

> [Everyone felt comfortable with these guys and what their vision was, and when they said they want to keep the staff intact, that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/everyone-felt-comfortable-with-these-guys-and-what-their-vision-was/)

[Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/)

> [I never felt comfortable in real life very well. It's always been an awkward kind of thing for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-never-felt-comfortable-in-real-life-very-well-it-s-always-been-an/)

[Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/)

> [I would have felt more comfortable on a girder fifty floors above the street, catching white-hot rivets in a pail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-halsey/i-would-have-felt-more-comfortable-on-a-girder-fifty-floors-above-the/)

[Margaret Halsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-halsey/)

> [My family and I took visits to each and every school and listened to each coaching staff. I felt the most comfortable with and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-sanchez/my-family-and-i-took-visits-to-each-and-every-school-and-listened-to/)

[Mark Sanchez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-sanchez/)

> [I was very, very large as a kid and never athletic, and my home life was a little upside down and I never felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-garrett/i-was-very-very-large-as-a-kid-and-never-athletic-and-my-home-life/)

[Brad Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-garrett/)

> [I always felt so much more comfortable in the Western. The minute I got a horse and a hat and a pair of boots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-mccrea/i-always-felt-so-much-more-comfortable-in-the-western-the-minute-i/)

[Joel McCrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-mccrea/)

> [Well, you know, I mean, she was so wonderful, and she really played the role to perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/well-you-know-i-mean-she-was-so-wonderful-and-she-really-played-the/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [“I played my role as the good Christian girl and spared everyone the drama of an argument. But that decision to remain silent split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-played-my-role-as-the-good-christian-girl-and-spared-everyone-the/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [I started as a fourth-line fighter, went to being a third-line centre, then a second-line winger and a first-line centre. I've played every role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-messier/i-started-as-a-fourth-line-fighter-went-to-being-a-third-line-centre/)

[Mark Messier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-messier/)

> [Every time I've played a role - every time - I've been hit by the same response of 'Oh goodness, that's interesting.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lester/every-time-i-ve-played-a-role-every-time-i-ve-been-hit-by-the-same/)

[Adrian Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lester/)

> [I am forever grateful to 'Ramayan' for making me who I am today. Had I not played this role, I would have never become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurmeet-choudhary/i-am-forever-grateful-to-ramayan-for-making-me-who-i-am-today-had-i/)

[Gurmeet Choudhary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurmeet-choudhary/)

> [At one stage of my film career, between 2007 and 2010, I had taken up many projects where I played the role of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biju-menon/at-one-stage-of-my-film-career-between-2007-and-2010-i-had-taken-up/)

[Biju Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/biju-menon/)

## More by Annie Leibovitz

> [My body was so instrumental to how I took pictures: it was practically a dance. I used to use my legs a lot; now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-body-was-so-instrumental-to-how-i-took-pictures-it-was-practically/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [I realized I couldn't be a journalist because I like to take a side, to have an opinion and a point a view; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-realized-i-couldn-t-be-a-journalist-because-i-like-to-take-a-side/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [“Things happen in front of you. That's perhaps the most wonderful and mysterious aspect of photography. It seemed like you just had to decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/things-happen-in-front-of-you-that-s-perhaps-the-most-wonderful-and/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [As I get older, the book projects are - liberating is one word, but they really are me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/as-i-get-older-the-book-projects-are-liberating-is-one-word-but-they/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [I admired the work of photographers like Beaton, Penn, and Avedon as much as I respected the grittier photographers such as Robert Frank. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-admired-the-work-of-photographers-like-beaton-penn-and-avedon-as/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [My hope is that we continue to nurture the places that we love, but that we also look outside our immediate worlds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-hope-is-that-we-continue-to-nurture-the-places-that-we-love-but/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy - your work becomes a dance with light and the weather. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/nature-is-so-powerful-so-strong-capturing-its-essence-is-not-easy/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [When I started to be published I thought about Margaret Bourke-White and the whole journalistic approach to things. I believed I was supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/when-i-started-to-be-published-i-thought-about-margaret-bourke-white/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [A lot can be told from what happens in between the main moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/a-lot-can-be-told-from-what-happens-in-between-the-main-moments/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [One doesn't stop seeing. One doesn't stop framing. It doesn't turn off and turn on. It's on all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/one-doesn-t-stop-seeing-one-doesn-t-stop-framing-it-doesn-t-turn-off/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [When you involve people, they come out, you see them, you get to see their sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/when-you-involve-people-they-come-out-you-see-them-you-get-to-see/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [If I didn't have my camera to remind me constantly, I am here to do this, I would eventually have slipped away, I think.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/if-i-didn-t-have-my-camera-to-remind-me-constantly-i-am-here-to-do/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [I’ve said about a million times that the best thing a young photographer can do is to stay close to home. Start with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-ve-said-about-a-million-times-that-the-best-thing-a-young/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [My early childhood equipped me really well for my portrait work: The quick encounter, where you are not going to know the subject for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/my-early-childhood-equipped-me-really-well-for-my-portrait-work-the/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

> [A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/a-thing-that-you-see-in-my-pictures-is-that-i-was-not-afraid-to-fall/)

[Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

[Explore all 117 Annie Leibovitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/)

## More Comfortable quotes

> [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [How much more comfortable it is to say 'Yes, and...' than 'Yes, but...'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-fagg/how-much-more-comfortable-it-is-to-say-yes-and-than-yes-but/)

[Lawrence Fagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-fagg/)

> [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/)

[Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/)

> [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/)

[Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/)

> [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/)

[Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/)

> [Money is only used for two things. One, it's to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/money-is-only-used-for-two-things-one-it-s-to-make-you-comfortable/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [I am comfortable talking about sex scenes and stuff, but to me, when it's physically explicit, I do feel prudish and uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/i-am-comfortable-talking-about-sex-scenes-and-stuff-but-to-me-when-it/)

[Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/)

> [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/)

[John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/)

> [There's always gonna be people with a lot of money making film, and the goal is to make profit and carry on. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-howard/there-s-always-gonna-be-people-with-a-lot-of-money-making-film-and/)

[Clint Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-howard/)

> [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [It's like my second home, 'It.' And I would like to return to it, because I feel very comfortable with it, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/it-s-like-my-second-home-it-and-i-would-like-to-return-to-it-because/)

[Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/)

> [I was a bit overweight as a teenager, which may be why I'm more comfortable playing with clothes than showing my body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orla-brady/i-was-a-bit-overweight-as-a-teenager-which-may-be-why-i-m-more/)

[Orla Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orla-brady/)

> [When you're comfortable with someone you love, the silence is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/britney-spears/when-you-re-comfortable-with-someone-you-love-the-silence-is-the-best/)

[Britney Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/britney-spears/)

> [Our families and our homes are the center of American life, Everything we do is to make those homes-and the lives in them-more beautiful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stewart/our-families-and-our-homes-are-the-center-of-american-life-everything/)

[Martha Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stewart/)

> [You build the bonds through the community and police force, build bonds of understanding, and then when people feel comfortable in their communities, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/you-build-the-bonds-through-the-community-and-police-force-build/)

[Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/)

Browse all 4,560 Comfortable quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role than if they had to be themselves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Annie Leibovitz"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-they-played-the-role-than-if/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Comfortable"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-they-played-the-role-than-if/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/194/annie-leibovitz-4011_comfortable_the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-th_1976392.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The subjects felt more comfortable if they played the role than if they had to be themselves.” — Annie Leibovitz",
                "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": "Annie Leibovitz",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The subjects felt more comfortable if...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-they-played-the-role-than-if/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/the-subjects-felt-more-comfortable-if-they-played-the-role-than-if/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
