--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The only thing that I know how to do as…" description: "\"The only thing that I know how to do as an actor, as a trained actor, is you can't villainize the character you're playing. Whether it's a fictional ch..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/corey-hawkins-9875_actor_the-only-thing-that-i-know-how-to-do-as_3202826.jpg" --- # The only thing that I know how to do as an actor, as a… ![“The only thing that I know how to do as an actor, as a trained actor, is you can't villainize the character you're playing. Whether it's a fictional character or a real character. Because then you operate from that sort of negative point of view, and you can't humanize him.” quote by Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/corey-hawkins-9875_actor_the-only-thing-that-i-know-how-to-do-as_3202826.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/corey-hawkins-9875_actor_the-only-thing-that-i-know-how-to-do-as_3202826.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c2/corey-hawkins-9875_actor_the-only-thing-that-i-know-how-to-do-as_3202826.jpg) > “The only thing that I know how to do as an actor, as a trained actor, is you can't villainize the character you're playing. Whether it's a fictional character or a real character. Because then you operate from that sort of negative point of view, and you can't humanize him.” [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actors should avoid seeing their roles as purely evil; instead they must find the humanity in every character to portray them authentically. **In simple terms:** Treat every role as human. Key Takeaway Seek empathy for all characters. Themes acting empathy characterization Mood reflective thoughtful Type insightful inspirational When to use this quote - theatre - film - TV series - character workshops Key Concepts humanization psychology method acting Questions to Reflect On - How do you find humanity in a villain? - What risks arise from seeing a character as purely bad? A Different Perspective Villainizing can lead to one‑dimensional performances and audience disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actor Trained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-trained-784098/) [Actor Villainize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor-villainize-5952654/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Fictional character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fictional-character/) [Know Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-actor-236559/) [Negative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negative/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-character/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Trained Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trained-actor-269202/) [View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/view/) ## Related quotes > [I wasn't a trained actor, I was trained in musical comedy theater, and when you do that, the audience is completely part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-walken/i-wasn-t-a-trained-actor-i-was-trained-in-musical-comedy-theater-and/) [Christopher Walken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-walken/) > [I'm the man who sits behind a table and tells true stories from his life. 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Jon Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jon-benjamin/) > [I'm trained as an actor for the stage - classically trained, believe it or not - and I worked closely with Stella Adler for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-richards/i-m-trained-as-an-actor-for-the-stage-classically-trained-believe-it/) [Michael Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-richards/) > [I'm not a classically trained actor, but I've been given a lot of opportunities along the way to kind of figure it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-everett/i-m-not-a-classically-trained-actor-but-i-ve-been-given-a-lot-of/) [Bridget Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-everett/) ## More by Corey Hawkins > [Growing up, we never got to see a hero who didn't have superpowers who looked like us, that you could kind of look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/growing-up-we-never-got-to-see-a-hero-who-didn-t-have-superpowers-who/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [I know that people get cast based on how they look in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/i-know-that-people-get-cast-based-on-how-they-look-in-hollywood/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [If you feel your rights are being abused by the authorities, and you don't say something, sometimes the cops don't know how far to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-hawkins/if-you-feel-your-rights-are-being-abused-by-the-authorities-and-you/) [Corey Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-hawkins/) > [I like to surprise myself. 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