--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I like to be in character a good few…" description: "\"I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive for filming.\" — Daniel Mays" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg" --- # I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive… ![“I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive for filming.” quote by Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg) > “I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive for filming.” [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prepares his mindset by immersing in the role hours before filming, enhancing performance. **In simple terms:** He gets into character early. Key Takeaway Adopt the role before the event. Themes preparation acting mindset Mood focused creative Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film sets - public speaking - sports performance Key Concepts method acting psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does early immersion affect authenticity? - When is it better to stay in the moment? A Different Perspective May limit spontaneity if over‑rehearsed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ## Related quotes > [That's sort of what I like about this character is that he's not the good guy, he's not truly the bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-lea/that-s-sort-of-what-i-like-about-this-character-is-that-he-s-not-the/) [Nicholas Lea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-lea/) > [I see characters lying all the time in a lot of Hollywood movies. They can't do this because it would affect the movie this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-see-characters-lying-all-the-time-in-a-lot-of-hollywood-movies-they/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I never like to go out of character when filming starts. 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You do that instinctively as an actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-certainly-always-do-draw-upon-stuff-in-my-life-you-do-that/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [I'd describe 'Born to Kill' as a 'study in psychopathy', it's very much in the heads of our main protagonist, Sam, a young boy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-d-describe-born-to-kill-as-a-study-in-psychopathy-it-s-very-much-in/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [White Lines' is without a doubt one of the best, most imaginative, brilliantly bonkers scripts I've ever had a chance to work on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/white-lines-is-without-a-doubt-one-of-the-best-most-imaginative/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [Yeah, it's every parent's worst nightmare, to lose connection with your children, to not fully engage with them or have an understanding of what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/yeah-it-s-every-parent-s-worst-nightmare-to-lose-connection-with-your/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [When I was 13, I was a member of a women's over-40s tap class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/when-i-was-13-i-was-a-member-of-a-women-s-over-40s-tap-class/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [It's something I have always tried to do in my career - play outside the box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/it-s-something-i-have-always-tried-to-do-in-my-career-play-outside/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [I listen to music to try and focus or concentrate on emotional characters, which is quite common among actors. 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I make a mean fry-up - to be honest that's pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-eat-porridge-all-week-but-sundays-are-for-something-more-exciting-i/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [Kids have got such active imaginations and they're scared of so many different things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/kids-have-got-such-active-imaginations-and-they-re-scared-of-so-many/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [At drama school I learned the Stanislavski technique, which uses sentimental memories and bits of your past to put real emotion into the scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/at-drama-school-i-learned-the-stanislavski-technique-which-uses/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) > [You see kids leave drama school who are drop-dead gorgeous and they just go stratospheric instant'aneously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/you-see-kids-leave-drama-school-who-are-drop-dead-gorgeous-and-they/) [Daniel Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) [Explore all 37 Daniel Mays quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/) ## More Before quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/) [Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/) > [My writing routine is: get son off to school and sit down at 8 A.M. I read what I wrote the day before, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-chevalier/my-writing-routine-is-get-son-off-to-school-and-sit-down-at-8-a-m-i/) [Tracy Chevalier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-chevalier/) > [There aren't traditions of freedom in a place like Iraq. They're going to have to come to grips with a concept that they hadn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/there-aren-t-traditions-of-freedom-in-a-place-like-iraq-they-re-going/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [I don't like just traveling in for a short time. I've done that before, because sometimes you work for magazines and they have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-sacco/i-don-t-like-just-traveling-in-for-a-short-time-i-ve-done-that-before/) [Joe Sacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-sacco/) > [Music is almost like a therapy for me. It helps keep me centered and think straight. Before I discovered it, I was walking around,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/music-is-almost-like-a-therapy-for-me-it-helps-keep-me-centered-and/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [For the Russian masses, the proletarians, knew for certain, and already saw during the war, and in part before their very eyes, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-gorter/for-the-russian-masses-the-proletarians-knew-for-certain-and-already/) [Herman Gorter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-gorter/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-pitts/the-constitution-is-very-clear-on-the-on-the-declaration-of-war-or/) Joe Pitts > [I've been told before, and I tend to believe it, I'm not like most actresses out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moira-kelly/i-ve-been-told-before-and-i-tend-to-believe-it-i-m-not-like-most/) [Moira Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moira-kelly/) > [Before I got addicted to comedy, I was seriously thinking about playing tennis full time. I joined the tennis team and played with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/before-i-got-addicted-to-comedy-i-was-seriously-thinking-about/) [Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/) > [But even before I was in the military, I was extremely jumpy when asleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/but-even-before-i-was-in-the-military-i-was-extremely-jumpy-when/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [When I'm making stuff, the thing that excites me most is not the result, but the process and trying to do something I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-jonze/when-i-m-making-stuff-the-thing-that-excites-me-most-is-not-the/) [Spike Jonze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-jonze/) > [I've pulled ticks off of me before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-ve-pulled-ticks-off-of-me-before/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [You know, before I would think, my cab driver hates me. Now I think my limo driver hates me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/you-know-before-i-would-think-my-cab-driver-hates-me-now-i-think-my/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) Browse all 4,123 Before quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive for filming.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Daniel Mays" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hours-before-i-arrive-for-filming/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Before" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hours-before-i-arrive-for-filming/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a77/daniel-mays-17513_before_i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hou_1931699.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I like to be in character a good few hours before I arrive for filming.” — Daniel Mays", "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": "Daniel Mays", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mays/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I like to be in character...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hours-before-i-arrive-for-filming/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mays/i-like-to-be-in-character-a-good-few-hours-before-i-arrive-for-filming/#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 } } ] } ```