--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, when you work on a character…" description: "\"Of course, when you work on a character, you try to understand her. You feel that everything she does has a reason.\" — Berenice Bejo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/berenice-bejo-22029_character_of-course-when-you-work-on-a-character-y_1418540.jpg" --- # Of course, when you work on a character, you try to… ![“Of course, when you work on a character, you try to understand her. You feel that everything she does has a reason.” quote by Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/berenice-bejo-22029_character_of-course-when-you-work-on-a-character-y_1418540.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/berenice-bejo-22029_character_of-course-when-you-work-on-a-character-y_1418540.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/523/berenice-bejo-22029_character_of-course-when-you-work-on-a-character-y_1418540.jpg) > “Of course, when you work on a character, you try to understand her. You feel that everything she does has a reason.” [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a character requires seeing purpose behind every action, revealing depth and motivation. **In simple terms:** Know why a character does what she does. Key Takeaway Seek purpose in behavior. Themes character analysis empathy storytelling Mood curious analytical Type interpretive educational When to use this quote - acting workshops - script reading - character development - director notes Key Concepts psychology motivation narrative structure Questions to Reflect On - How do you uncover hidden motives? - What clues reveal a character’s true purpose? A Different Perspective Characters may act irrationally, making intent hard to discern. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [For each character, I try to understand what is driving them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-rees/for-each-character-i-try-to-understand-what-is-driving-them/) [Dee Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-rees/) > [“Do not try to understand. What I feel for you cannot be limited to words. I know that you have moved on with your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-hershkovich/do-not-try-to-understand-what-i-feel-for-you-cannot-be-limited-to/) [Leigh Hershkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-hershkovich/) > [I locate that special problem in a character and then try to understand it. That's the genesis of all my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-puig/i-locate-that-special-problem-in-a-character-and-then-try-to/) [Manuel Puig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-puig/) > [“i can't understand her" well son, you might as well try to understand the sun”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/i-can-t-understand-her-well-son-you-might-as-well-try-to-understand/) [robert jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [Dear doctor, you must not only let the patient tells his story, but you should also try to understand it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-c-brown/dear-doctor-you-must-not-only-let-the-patient-tells-his-story-but-you/) [William C. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-c-brown/) > [Maybe to try to understand not just that we are living in a certain building or in a certain location, but to become aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/maybe-to-try-to-understand-not-just-that-we-are-living-in-a-certain/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand why they act that way towards you. As the result, you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/maturity-is-when-a-person-hurts-you-and-you-try-to-understand-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When so many people misunderstand you, you learn not to try and explain yourself and wait for the people who actually try to understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-hanthorn/when-so-many-people-misunderstand-you-you-learn-not-to-try-and/) Morgan Hanthorn > [Historically, it is important to try to understand your adversary in order to figure out how they are thinking, what they will be doing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/historically-it-is-important-to-try-to-understand-your-adversary-in/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Maturity is when a person hurts you and you try to understand their stand, rather than hurting them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/maturity-is-when-a-person-hurts-you-and-you-try-to-understand-their/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [Try to be positive about every human being and try to understand their problems by being in their shoes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/try-to-be-positive-about-every-human-being-and-try-to-understand/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don't try to understand me, it will just leave u more confused than what u assumed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabmello/don-t-try-to-understand-me-it-will-just-leave-u-more-confused-than/) Kabmello > [I try to understand people who aren't as smart as me and not be hateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-coleman/i-try-to-understand-people-who-aren-t-as-smart-as-me-and-not-be/) [Gary Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-coleman/) > [“The more greedily you try to understand people, the less you understand them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takahashi-takako/the-more-greedily-you-try-to-understand-people-the-less-you/) Takahashi Takako > [We are different. We are equal in every way but our voices are important to each other and our need to want to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-ullmann/we-are-different-we-are-equal-in-every-way-but-our-voices-are/) [Liv Ullmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-ullmann/) ## More by Berenice Bejo > [I guess I'm the perfect young lead actress. I'm not Chloe Sevigny - I'm not really a character actress. Some actors have "character" faces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/i-guess-i-m-the-perfect-young-lead-actress-i-m-not-chloe-sevigny-i-m/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [It's a once-in-a-lifetime event for all of us, something like this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/it-s-a-once-in-a-lifetime-event-for-all-of-us-something-like-this/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [I tried to find a character and how I would be an American actress in the 30s. But if this was a talking movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/i-tried-to-find-a-character-and-how-i-would-be-an-american-actress-in/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [Here, you go to the supermarket and you have wipes to clean your hands before shopping. No, we don't have that in France, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/here-you-go-to-the-supermarket-and-you-have-wipes-to-clean-your-hands/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [My parents were not pushy or anything like that. I think my mom was still expecting me to be an astronaut, but now she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/my-parents-were-not-pushy-or-anything-like-that-i-think-my-mom-was/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [For us, as actors, and even for the director, it gave us a sense of authenticity to what we were doing because we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/for-us-as-actors-and-even-for-the-director-it-gave-us-a-sense-of/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [I'm okay. Nobody's bothering me. Everyone's very kind, and very polite. I don't feel like my whole life changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/i-m-okay-nobody-s-bothering-me-everyone-s-very-kind-and-very-polite-i/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [I feel very honored and special really. You can't imagine, to arrive at the Oscars when you arrive so low, and you can't go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/i-feel-very-honored-and-special-really-you-can-t-imagine-to-arrive-at/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [Right now I'm the most famous silent movie actress in the world and I want to keep that for me. So I hope there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/right-now-i-m-the-most-famous-silent-movie-actress-in-the-world-and-i/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [Even in the very beginning when she would bump into George Valentine and people would start taking pictures of her, she never thought, 'I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/even-in-the-very-beginning-when-she-would-bump-into-george-valentine/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [I connected very much with all the work of Joan Crawford because she started as a flapper. 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You have to realize sometimes you face something, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/a-character-is-never-entirely-white-or-black-there-s-never-entirely/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) > [In France, it's always about life, normal life. We always stick with these realistic things. So when French people are dreaming about American movies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/berenice-bejo/in-france-it-s-always-about-life-normal-life-we-always-stick-with/) [Berenice Bejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) [Explore all 28 Berenice Bejo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/berenice-bejo/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. 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