--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I'm playing a character like…" description: "\"When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's Game I want to be in the moment when he's feeling pain; this very ordinary person who finds hims..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg" --- # When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's… ![“When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's Game I want to be in the moment when he's feeling pain; this very ordinary person who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances.” quote by Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg) > “When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's Game I want to be in the moment when he's feeling pain; this very ordinary person who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances.” [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An actor seeks to embody a character's ordinary humanity amidst extreme situations, feeling the character's pain authentically. **In simple terms:** Acting aims to capture real pain in extraordinary roles. Key Takeaway Embrace the character’s ordinary core. Themes acting empathy characterization Mood intense focused Type dramatic methodical When to use this quote - theatre - film set - intense scenes - character study Key Concepts method acting psychology of performance Questions to Reflect On - How do you stay present without losing yourself? - What techniques help you feel a character’s pain? A Different Perspective Balancing personal emotions with character can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Extraordinary circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extraordinary-circumstances/) [Feeling pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-pain/) [Game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game/) [Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to see people decorating a house or digging a garden. As for guys like Jonathan Ross, he got an award there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-st-john/i-don-t-want-to-see-people-decorating-a-house-or-digging-a-garden-as/) [Ian St John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-st-john/) > [“Even the regular sufferings of fear were better than the ashen grayness of unfeeling, the numbness that had clutched his heart for months. Who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-specktor/even-the-regular-sufferings-of-fear-were-better-than-the-ashen/) [Matthew Specktor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-specktor/) > [The only ones that stand out to me are people like Jonathan Richman or Robyn Hitchcock, who can make you totally cry while their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/the-only-ones-that-stand-out-to-me-are-people-like-jonathan-richman/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [ \[at CMC West Coast 2011, on 1 Samuel 14\] If just a few of you would step up and be like Jonathan ... as… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/at-cmc-west-coast-2011-on-1-samuel-14-if-just-a-few-of-you-would-step/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“I think it would be prudent to advise you that due to extraordinary circumstances beyond our control, the original plan we had for participating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-lothlorien/i-think-it-would-be-prudent-to-advise-you-that-due-to-extraordinary/) Elle Lothlorien > [I think that ordinary people who are placed in extraordinary circumstances find themselves pushed beyond their limits, and learn new truths about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-think-that-ordinary-people-who-are-placed-in-extraordinary/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it, under extraordinary circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-future-belongs-to-god-and-it-is-only-he-who-reveals-it-under/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > ['The Black Prism' is a story about two brothers who respect and fear and admire and contend with and shape each other. In other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/the-black-prism-is-a-story-about-two-brothers-who-respect-and-fear/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Extraordinary circumstances often bring along with them extraordinary strength. 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But sometimes in life, extraordinary circumstances may force us to temporarily put our dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/ive-always-been-a-champion-of-kids-pursuing-their-dreams-but/) [Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/) > [I like the tradition of ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances and how they react to events which force them to be heroic in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-like-the-tradition-of-ordinary-men-in-extraordinary-circumstances/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I never do research unless it's extraordinary circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/i-never-do-research-unless-it-s-extraordinary-circumstances/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) > [Don't Wait For Extraordinary Circumstances To Do Good Try To Use Ordinary Situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/don-t-wait-for-extraordinary-circumstances-to-do-good-try-to-use/) Pacifiersucker ## More by Dougray Scott > [I'm doing a Dylan Thomas film, Map of Love, with Mick Jagger producing again. It's a wonderful script.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/i-m-doing-a-dylan-thomas-film-map-of-love-with-mick-jagger-producing/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [It's difficult to get films made, especially films about poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/it-s-difficult-to-get-films-made-especially-films-about-poets/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [Method acting is a label I don't really understand, because there's a method to everybody's acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/method-acting-is-a-label-i-don-t-really-understand-because-there-s-a/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [You should be careful what you wish for, as the reasons for war get confused. One person can be very clear in their motives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/you-should-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-as-the-reasons-for-war-get/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [I want to see you that I do care and I do need you and through you'll never see me crying you know inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/i-want-to-see-you-that-i-do-care-and-i-do-need-you-and-through-you-ll/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [Can I be in map of love with you please?? love, elizabeth bagwell 3141 Queensgate Way Mt.Pleasant S.C.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/can-i-be-in-map-of-love-with-you-please-love-elizabeth-bagwell-3141/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [It's nice to be asked to do good projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/it-s-nice-to-be-asked-to-do-good-projects/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [You grow up a lot in terms of your understanding of the industry and how to deal with the corporate things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/you-grow-up-a-lot-in-terms-of-your-understanding-of-the-industry-and/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [With the situation now, people might be intrigued to see how a country coped with war all those years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/with-the-situation-now-people-might-be-intrigued-to-see-how-a-country/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [The point is to be involved in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/the-point-is-to-be-involved-in-the-moment/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [Being a salesman and an actor were not that dissimilar: It is a good lesson in covering up your feelings. No one wants to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/being-a-salesman-and-an-actor-were-not-that-dissimilar-it-is-a-good/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [In terms of jumping into a characters skin, I try to immerse myself in the role as much as possible to bring me closer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/in-terms-of-jumping-into-a-characters-skin-i-try-to-immerse-myself-in/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [I love to jump into your life and interested in acting like you and I'm interested in you I think anywhere is romantic when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/i-love-to-jump-into-your-life-and-interested-in-acting-like-you-and-i/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [My focus never wavered; I never accepted the film was not going to be finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/my-focus-never-wavered-i-never-accepted-the-film-was-not-going-to-be/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) > [If the script is not so good and it is a great director you're more likely to do it. But generally speaking, my passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/if-the-script-is-not-so-good-and-it-is-a-great-director-you-re-more/) [Dougray Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) [Explore all 40 Dougray Scott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's Game I want to be in the moment when he's feeling pain; this very ordinary person who finds himself in extraordinary circumstances.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dougray Scott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonathan-in-ripley-s-game-i-want-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonathan-in-ripley-s-game-i-want-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07c/dougray-scott-16294_character_when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonath_588184.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I'm playing a character like Jonathan in Ripley's Game I want to be in the moment when he's feeling…” — Dougray Scott", "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": "Dougray Scott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dougray-scott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I'm playing a character like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonathan-in-ripley-s-game-i-want-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dougray-scott/when-i-m-playing-a-character-like-jonathan-in-ripley-s-game-i-want-to/#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 } } ] } ```