--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's just that the characters are…" description: "\"It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As opposed to it just being an expression, they're actually saying what's on their mind, and tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/bryce-dallas-howard-10316_actor_it-s-just-that-the-characters-are-speaki_360806.png" --- # It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As… ![“It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As opposed to it just being an expression, they're actually saying what's on their mind, and that's something that Tennessee Williams is really famous for. Shakespeare does that and Tennessee Williams does that. You crave that, when you're an…” quote by Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/bryce-dallas-howard-10316_actor_it-s-just-that-the-characters-are-speaki_360806.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/bryce-dallas-howard-10316_actor_it-s-just-that-the-characters-are-speaki_360806.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ffb/bryce-dallas-howard-10316_actor_it-s-just-that-the-characters-are-speaki_360806.png) > “It's just that the characters are speaking their mind. As opposed to it just being an expression, they're actually saying what's on their mind, and that's something that Tennessee Williams is really famous for. Shakespeare does that and Tennessee Williams does that. You crave that, when you're an actor, for sure.” [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors seek roles where characters express genuine thoughts, mirroring the honesty of playwrights like Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams. **In simple terms:** Actors value authentic, honest dialogue. Key Takeaway Seek truth in performance. Themes acting authenticity dialogue theatre Mood introspective inspirational Type practical theoretical When to use this quote - rehearsals - script analysis - audition prep - stage performance Key Concepts Method acting character truth dramatic honesty Questions to Reflect On - What makes a line feel truly spoken? - How to balance honesty with artistic nuance? A Different Perspective Risk of over‑literalism; not all honesty resonates with audiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters-speaking-2938891/) [Crave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crave/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Just being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-being/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Shakespeare Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare-does-3312567/) [Tennessee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennessee/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennessee-williams/) [Williams Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/williams-really-813383/) ## Related quotes > [I want to be like Robin Williams, really. It's all the different characters he does, all the different voices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-gillan/i-want-to-be-like-robin-williams-really-it-s-all-the-different/) [Karen Gillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-gillan/) > [Williams really does feel like a family, and I have built up very good relationships with people here; in fact, some of my best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pastor-maldonado/williams-really-does-feel-like-a-family-and-i-have-built-up-very-good/) [Pastor Maldonado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pastor-maldonado/) > [“You draw characters speaking loud and clear but you’re not hearing them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/basma-salem/you-draw-characters-speaking-loud-and-clear-but-you-re-not-hearing-2/) [Basma Salem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/basma-salem/) > [What comes easiest for me is dialogue. 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She did the first movie and then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-wallach/i-met-my-wife-and-for-the-next-ten-years-we-did-no-films-at-all-she/) [Eli Wallach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-wallach/) > [I was a lusty kid who loved Tennessee Williams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-was-a-lusty-kid-who-loved-tennessee-williams/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [Perhaps because my background is theatrical, I have a great affinity with the classics. Hamlet has always been a character of great interest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adhir-kalyan/perhaps-because-my-background-is-theatrical-i-have-a-great-affinity/) [Adhir Kalyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adhir-kalyan/) > [Tennessee Williams was so adept at portraying characters who are both fallible and vulnerable. Women were a huge influence in his life, his mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/tennessee-williams-was-so-adept-at-portraying-characters-who-are-both/) [Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/) > [Teenage girls, please don’t worry about being super popular in high school, or being the best actress in high school, or the best athlete.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/teenage-girls-please-don-t-worry-about-being-super-popular-in-high/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [American naturalism is what my indulgent actor side loves: a bit of Tennessee Williams, a bit of Clifford Odets, August Wilson - I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/american-naturalism-is-what-my-indulgent-actor-side-loves-a-bit-of/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [Tennessee Williams recognized that great theater begins with great talkers, and that great talkers obey two rules: they never sound like anyone else and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/tennessee-williams-recognized-that-great-theater-begins-with-great/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Savannah is a . . . lovely pastel dream of tight cobbled streets. . . . There are legendary scenes . . . to rival any dreamed up by Tennessee Williams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-daniell/savannah-is-a-lovely-pastel-dream-of-tight-cobbled-streets-there-are/) [Rosemary Daniell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosemary-daniell/) > [Being a theater actor, I've done a lot of plays where I've seen someone else play the same role in another production. Especially with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/being-a-theater-actor-i-ve-done-a-lot-of-plays-where-i-ve-seen/) [Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/) > [I love Tennessee Williams; as a playwright, he's so poetic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-bourne/i-love-tennessee-williams-as-a-playwright-he-s-so-poetic/) [Matthew Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-bourne/) ## More by Bryce Dallas Howard > [I'll run through things over and over and over again in my head and think, "How could I have done that better?" Silly things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-ll-run-through-things-over-and-over-and-over-again-in-my-head-and/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [On the spectrum of imagination, there are people who are more imaginative than others - I guess some kids are hardcore pretenders and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/on-the-spectrum-of-imagination-there-are-people-who-are-more/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I come from a little bit of a theatrical background. I started that way. I don't have a tremendous body of work or anything,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-come-from-a-little-bit-of-a-theatrical-background-i-started-that/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [Social media is a performance like any other form of entertainment, and acknowledging that is important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/social-media-is-a-performance-like-any-other-form-of-entertainment/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [ I was in South Africa, and Joe \[Wright\] asked the same exact question that you just asked: "Have you ever seen an episode of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-was-in-south-africa-and-joe-wright-asked-the-same-exact-question/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [The other thing I've been discussing with friends is: when you're born do you start at a zero, or five?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/the-other-thing-i-ve-been-discussing-with-friends-is-when-you-re-born/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [ Joe \[Wright\] reached out to me and sent me a treatment, and I said yes on the spot just from the treatment. Within six… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/joe-wright-reached-out-to-me-and-sent-me-a-treatment-and-i-said-yes/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [Sometimes acting, particularly in film, can feel so contained. You need to be small and not overplay things, so it's such a relief to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/sometimes-acting-particularly-in-film-can-feel-so-contained-you-need/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I'm definitely not very insecure, but I have perfectionist tendencies, and I'll want things to be a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-m-definitely-not-very-insecure-but-i-have-perfectionist-tendencies/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I started taping my dad's auditions when I was 11, when he was auditioning actors for one of his movies. I would see, over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-started-taping-my-dad-s-auditions-when-i-was-11-when-he-was/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [The greatest sci-fis, in my mind, are two things: They're what-ifs - what if this happened, and you get to see it - but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/the-greatest-sci-fis-in-my-mind-are-two-things-they-re-what-ifs-what/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [Joe Wright is incredible and I'm a huge admirer of his work in general, but specifically his aesthetics and poeticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/joe-wright-is-incredible-and-i-m-a-huge-admirer-of-his-work-in/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [Right now as an artist, what I want to do is be a part of works that are unignorable. I couldn't be less interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/right-now-as-an-artist-what-i-want-to-do-is-be-a-part-of-works-that/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I'm a huge fan of the animated film 'The Land Before Time' and that was one of my favourite animated films when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-the-animated-film-the-land-before-time-and-that-was/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) > [I didn't know how to check other people's feeds. When I started Instagram, it was just me posting! But then at some point, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryce-dallas-howard/i-didn-t-know-how-to-check-other-people-s-feeds-when-i-started/) [Bryce Dallas Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) [Explore all 66 Bryce Dallas Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryce-dallas-howard/) ## 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. 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