--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The bad guys are the best parts." description: "\"The bad guys are the best parts.\" — Brion James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg" --- # The bad guys are the best parts. ![“The bad guys are the best parts.” quote by Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg) > “The bad guys are the best parts.” [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The most compelling characters are often those who break the rules or embody villainy, revealing deeper truths about humanity. **In simple terms:** Villains can be the most interesting. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity in people. Themes character morality subversion Mood intriguing thoughtful Type literary cinematic When to use this quote - storytelling - film analysis - character study - creative writing Key Concepts antihero archetype narrative tension Questions to Reflect On - What makes a villain compelling? - How do we learn from bad characters? A Different Perspective Villains may lack empathy, limiting moral guidance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Bad guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guys/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ## Related quotes > [In film roles, I play a lot of heavies and a lot of bad guys, so I tend to be the jokester and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-gunton/in-film-roles-i-play-a-lot-of-heavies-and-a-lot-of-bad-guys-so-i-tend/) [Bob Gunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-gunton/) > [These guys were the best. They were the best at their positions and made playing the game easier. And at the same time it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-bench/these-guys-were-the-best-they-were-the-best-at-their-positions-and/) [Johnny Bench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-bench/) > [Virtue is not photogenic, so I liked playing bad guys. 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A lot of the time, it's criminals who are the people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/actors-will-always-tell-you-it-s-more-fun-playing-bad-guys-a-lot-of/) [Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/) > [Everyone was going to play their part honestly, and not try and pretend to be good or bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hopkins/everyone-was-going-to-play-their-part-honestly-and-not-try-and/) [Stephen Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hopkins/) > [Maybe it will be a great thing when the Baby Boomers finally die out. In real life, it's not a matter of the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bowman/maybe-it-will-be-a-great-thing-when-the-baby-boomers-finally-die-out/) [Jack Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-bowman/) > [I came to the United States to see what would happen in 2000 after working for 20 years in Australia and asked my agent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dale/i-came-to-the-united-states-to-see-what-would-happen-in-2000-after-2/) [Alan Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dale/) > [I don't have an endgame. My game is to take on any bad guys I see out there. And do the best I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-paladino/i-don-t-have-an-endgame-my-game-is-to-take-on-any-bad-guys-i-see-out/) [Carl Paladino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-paladino/) > [Let's say you would see me in a lot more big movies had I done movies that I'd been asked to do playing bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-busey/let-s-say-you-would-see-me-in-a-lot-more-big-movies-had-i-done-movies/) [Jake Busey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-busey/) > [Usually bad guys are much more fun to play and much more interesting to watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gilpin/usually-bad-guys-are-much-more-fun-to-play-and-much-more-interesting/) John Gilpin > [But the thing about bad guys is that they have the biggest bosomed blond, they have great clothes and cars, and get great death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-roberts/but-the-thing-about-bad-guys-is-that-they-have-the-biggest-bosomed/) [Eric Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-roberts/) > [Well, Ive always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-meaney/well-ive-always-been-a-character-actor-you-know-and-you-always-get/) [Colm Meaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-meaney/) > [I'd played a lot of best friends, and/or bad guys, which seems to be my lot in life. In romantic comedies there's always a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-corddry/i-d-played-a-lot-of-best-friends-and-or-bad-guys-which-seems-to-be-my/) [Rob Corddry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-corddry/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) ## More by Brion James > [I never play a villain that I don't have something I can either do or say so the audience sees there is something redeemable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-never-play-a-villain-that-i-don-t-have-something-i-can-either-do-or/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [The best thing about Sci-Fi, which is my favorite genre, is that there are no rules for behavior. So you can do anything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-best-thing-about-sci-fi-which-is-my-favorite-genre-is-that-there/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I prayed to God for help and I put myself in a recovery house called Studio 12. It was for people in the business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-prayed-to-god-for-help-and-i-put-myself-in-a-recovery-house-called/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I play out negative fantasies for people. I'm the guy people love to hate. And they always remember the bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-play-out-negative-fantasies-for-people-i-m-the-guy-people-love-to/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [In the '70s, everybody was doing drugs, so long as you showed up and did your work, they'd use you until you died.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/in-the-70s-everybody-was-doing-drugs-so-long-as-you-showed-up-and-did/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [My whole deal when I do accents or dialects is I gotta fool the locals. If I fool the locals then I've done my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/my-whole-deal-when-i-do-accents-or-dialects-is-i-gotta-fool-the/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [Blade Runner helped make my career. Everybody was in it. Who knew?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/blade-runner-helped-make-my-career-everybody-was-in-it-who-knew/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I liked the drama of getting stoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-liked-the-drama-of-getting-stoned/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [Producing is nothing more than bringing all the elements together, konnecting people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/producing-is-nothing-more-than-bringing-all-the-elements-together/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [You never know what show is going to change your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/you-never-know-what-show-is-going-to-change-your-life/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I still do television. I don't care. I just want to work. I love to work. I want to do 500 movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-still-do-television-i-don-t-care-i-just-want-to-work-i-love-to-work/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I did 125 films, and over 100 television shows, and you've never seen the same character twice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-did-125-films-and-over-100-television-shows-and-you-ve-never-seen/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [Westerns was why I got into the business. I grew up on a small farm in California and all I ever wanted to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/westerns-was-why-i-got-into-the-business-i-grew-up-on-a-small-farm-in/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [I'm a character actor, so I don't take the hit if the movie's bad, the lead does. So, I don't want to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/i-m-a-character-actor-so-i-don-t-take-the-hit-if-the-movie-s-bad-the/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) > [Larry Kasdan is a great director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/larry-kasdan-is-a-great-director/) [Brion James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) [Explore all 27 Brion James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/) ## More Bad guy quotes > [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/) [Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/) [Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/) > [“Here you can shoot the bad guys,' a mercenary says in Baghdad. 'In America we give them corporate bonuses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robotham/here-you-can-shoot-the-bad-guys-a-mercenary-says-in-baghdad-in/) [Michael Robotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robotham/) > [To us, being the bad guys is cool, because we always root for the bad guys in the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/to-us-being-the-bad-guys-is-cool-because-we-always-root-for-the-bad/) [Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/) > [In 'Gran Torino,' Eastwood moves towards the climax of the movie not by staging a shoot-out, but by putting his weapons to one side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/in-gran-torino-eastwood-moves-towards-the-climax-of-the-movie-not-by/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [In order to have your best good guy, you have to be that bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/in-order-to-have-your-best-good-guy-you-have-to-be-that-bad-guy/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [After I did 'Brooklyn,' I did about five or six violent films in one way or another, and not always with me being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/after-i-did-brooklyn-i-did-about-five-or-six-violent-films-in-one-way/) [Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/) > [The first act is the easiest to plot. The second act is always the hardest to plot. Generally a good, you know, sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-cannell/the-first-act-is-the-easiest-to-plot-the-second-act-is-always-the/) [Stephen J. Cannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-cannell/) > [“We fall into the fallacy of believing we can litigate the complicated story before us into a black-and-white binary of good guys and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-lowery/we-fall-into-the-fallacy-of-believing-we-can-litigate-the-complicated/) [Wesley Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-lowery/) > [“If there was a bad guy we could appeal to the people because, like it or not, we, the huddled masses, want our public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/if-there-was-a-bad-guy-we-could-appeal-to-the-people-because-like-it/) [Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/) > [But the thing about bad guys is that they have the biggest bosomed blond, they have great clothes and cars, and get great death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-roberts/but-the-thing-about-bad-guys-is-that-they-have-the-biggest-bosomed/) [Eric Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-roberts/) > [I don't know what it is that I do, but when I play a really bad guy, I'm able to bring some level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ferrer/i-don-t-know-what-it-is-that-i-do-but-when-i-play-a-really-bad-guy-i/) [Miguel Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ferrer/) > [In my career, I've been lucky to do the bad guys that are more interesting, where the audience wants to spend more time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stormare/in-my-career-i-ve-been-lucky-to-do-the-bad-guys-that-are-more/) [Peter Stormare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stormare/) > [Playing a bad guy is always more fun than playing the good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/playing-a-bad-guy-is-always-more-fun-than-playing-the-good-guy/) [Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/) [Browse all 1,228 Bad guy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The bad guys are the best parts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brion James" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad guy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5bd/brion-james-22844_bad-guy_the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts-3225342_3225342.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The bad guys are the best parts.” — Brion James", "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": "Brion James", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brion-james/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The bad guys are the best...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brion-james/the-bad-guys-are-the-best-parts/#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 } } ] } ```