--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It has to be said that the bad guys are…" description: "\"It has to be said that the bad guys are often more interesting than the good guys because you get to indulge part of your nature that hopefully gets su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/david-tennant-12376_bad-guy_it-has-to-be-said-that-the-bad-guys-are_2162372.png" --- # It has to be said that the bad guys are often more… ![“It has to be said that the bad guys are often more interesting than the good guys because you get to indulge part of your nature that hopefully gets subsumed most of the time. But I just like playing interesting characters, and variety's the spice of that, as it is with life, I suppose.” quote by David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/david-tennant-12376_bad-guy_it-has-to-be-said-that-the-bad-guys-are_2162372.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/david-tennant-12376_bad-guy_it-has-to-be-said-that-the-bad-guys-are_2162372.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/david-tennant-12376_bad-guy_it-has-to-be-said-that-the-bad-guys-are_2162372.png) > “It has to be said that the bad guys are often more interesting than the good guys because you get to indulge part of your nature that hopefully gets subsumed most of the time. But I just like playing interesting characters, and variety's the spice of that, as it is with life, I suppose.” [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People are drawn to complex, morally ambiguous characters because they allow exploration of hidden aspects of human nature. **In simple terms:** Bad characters are fascinating. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity in storytelling. Themes character psychology storytelling morality entertainment Mood playful reflective inquisitive Type theory observation When to use this quote - writing workshops - film analysis - role‑playing games - creative brainstorming Key Concepts antihero archetype human nature narrative tension Questions to Reflect On - What makes a villain compelling? - How do we balance intrigue with ethical responsibility? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on darkness can glorify harmful behavior. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 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/) [Good guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-guy/) [Good guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-guys/) [Interesting characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-characters/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Variety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variety/) ## Related quotes > [There's no particular role that comes to mind that I'd like to take on, but for me, it's about playing interesting characters and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/there-s-no-particular-role-that-comes-to-mind-that-i-d-like-to-take/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) > [I never wanted to do a regular sitcom, because I'd be incredibly bored doing the same character week in, week out. But the beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-shearer/i-never-wanted-to-do-a-regular-sitcom-because-i-d-be-incredibly-bored/) [Harry Shearer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-shearer/) > [You know, the best-laid plans of mice and men... I like playing bad guys, and I don't have a problem doing that. They're interesting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobin-bell/you-know-the-best-laid-plans-of-mice-and-men-i-like-playing-bad-guys/) [Tobin Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobin-bell/) > [Playing interesting characters makes me feel alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fawad-khan/playing-interesting-characters-makes-me-feel-alive/) [Fawad Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fawad-khan/) > [I like playing interesting people, I like playing slightly twisted people. I like playing people who have large appetites who are kind of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-perlman/i-like-playing-interesting-people-i-like-playing-slightly-twisted/) [Ron Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-perlman/) > [Growing up I was a total movie-holic, but I always wanted to play the role that Clark Gable was playing or Spencer Tracy was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-dewitt/growing-up-i-was-a-total-movie-holic-but-i-always-wanted-to-play-the/) [Joyce DeWitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-dewitt/) > [I just like playing interesting, complex, complicated characters. I like films that also have an element of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-buscemi/i-just-like-playing-interesting-complex-complicated-characters-i-like/) [Steve Buscemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-buscemi/) > [I like playing interesting, complicated women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-walger/i-like-playing-interesting-complicated-women/) [Sonya Walger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-walger/) > [The rich plankton of pop heroes and pop villains on which we Americans are accustomed to feed, the daily media soup of sports figures,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shana-alexander/the-rich-plankton-of-pop-heroes-and-pop-villains-on-which-we/) [Shana Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shana-alexander/) > [Bad people doing bad things is not interesting. What I find interesting is good people doing bad things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-bloom/bad-people-doing-bad-things-is-not-interesting-what-i-find/) [Amy Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-bloom/) > [I've been playing the bad guy in the last seven or eight projects I've done. I like it. It's a lot more interesting! Being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-evigan/i-ve-been-playing-the-bad-guy-in-the-last-seven-or-eight-projects-i/) [Greg Evigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-evigan/) > [I have a fundamental faith in folk, that people are interesting and good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/i-have-a-fundamental-faith-in-folk-that-people-are-interesting-and/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [“Well, it's interesting, so it's all good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kouga-yun/well-it-s-interesting-so-it-s-all-good/) KOUGA YUN > [I did an episode on the TV show 'Awake,' and I thought, 'Wow, that's really hard.' To do that so fast and to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-zurer/i-did-an-episode-on-the-tv-show-awake-and-i-thought-wow-that-s-really/) [Ayelet Zurer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-zurer/) > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. He just has to be interesting, and he has to be good at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chase/it-doesn-t-matter-if-your-lead-character-is-good-or-bad-he-just-has/) [David Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chase/) ## More by David Tennant > [Getting the call to be in The Goblet of Fire was like being welcomed into the most exclusive upper circle of some elite actors'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/getting-the-call-to-be-in-the-goblet-of-fire-was-like-being-welcomed/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [I always like seeing people transforming themselves, in whatever way that might be, and a different accent is part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/i-always-like-seeing-people-transforming-themselves-in-whatever-way/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [“I dont know who I am but one thing I do know is that when I see a BIG THREATENING BUTTON I just want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/i-dont-know-who-i-am-but-one-thing-i-do-know-is-that-when-i-see-a-big/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [I have such fond memories of watching 'Doctor Who' when I was a kid and growing up, that if I've left anybody anywhere with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/i-have-such-fond-memories-of-watching-doctor-who-when-i-was-a-kid-and/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the time that matters, it's the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/some-people-live-more-in-20-years-than-others-do-in-80-it-s-not-the/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [An accent has to do with the way your mouth works and the sounds that come out of your head, but somehow it informs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/an-accent-has-to-do-with-the-way-your-mouth-works-and-the-sounds-that/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [How galling to watch someone who looks like you, who basically is you, do all the shagging you didn't get to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/how-galling-to-watch-someone-who-looks-like-you-who-basically-is-you/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [The gritty indie films are a lot rarer than the films that aspire to fill multiplexes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/the-gritty-indie-films-are-a-lot-rarer-than-the-films-that-aspire-to/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [Twitter! It's like being stalked by committee!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/twitter-it-s-like-being-stalked-by-committee/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [“On his early decision to become an actor: "I was very small, about 3 or 4 I think, and just wanted to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/on-his-early-decision-to-become-an-actor-i-was-very-small-about-3-or/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [Back in 2005, when I was Christopher Eccleston, we saw one of the largest increases on record, of CO2 in the atmosphere. Unless we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/back-in-2005-when-i-was-christopher-eccleston-we-saw-one-of-the/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [I think doing different accents is part of the job of acting, really. It's something else that I quite enjoy the challenge of, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/i-think-doing-different-accents-is-part-of-the-job-of-acting-really/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [You know, I've just about got used to the fact that people in Britain know who I am on some level, but the notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/you-know-i-ve-just-about-got-used-to-the-fact-that-people-in-britain/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [I remember a conversation with my parents about who the people on the TV were, and learning they were actors and they acted out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/i-remember-a-conversation-with-my-parents-about-who-the-people-on-the/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) > [All roads seem to have come back to Doctor Who in our life. But, no, it was a huge part of my growing up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tennant/all-roads-seem-to-have-come-back-to-doctor-who-in-our-life-but-no-it/) [David Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) [Explore all 55 David Tennant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tennant/) ## 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": "It has to be said that the bad guys are often more interesting than the good guys because you get to indulge part of your nature that hopefully gets subsumed most of the time. 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