--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I really am a character actor, in my…" description: "\"I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts, because I really do like developing characters and painting a past for them.\" — Dylan McDermott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png" --- # I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts… ![“I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts, because I really do like developing characters and painting a past for them.” quote by Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png) > “I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts, because I really do like developing characters and painting a past for them.” [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He values creating deep, believable characters and enjoys imagining their histories before portraying them **In simple terms:** He loves developing characters and their backstories Key Takeaway Focus on character depth in acting Themes acting character development storytelling Mood reflective enthusiastic Type insightful inspirational When to use this quote - auditions - role preparation - writing character bios - improvisation exercises Key Concepts method acting psychology of performance Questions to Reflect On - How does a detailed backstory affect your performance? - When might a minimal backstory be more effective? A Different Perspective May overlook the importance of spontaneity in performance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) [Actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actors/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character actor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-actor/) [Character actors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-actors/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Im a character actor at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shuler-hensley/im-a-character-actor-at-heart/) [Shuler Hensley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shuler-hensley/) > [I'm a character actor at heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shuler-hensley/i-m-a-character-actor-at-heart/) [Shuler Hensley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shuler-hensley/) > [There's really one character for every actor. The voyage is to find that one character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-gere/there-s-really-one-character-for-every-actor-the-voyage-is-to-find/) [Richard Gere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-gere/) > [I like Edward G. Robinson - he started as a character actor and became a lead, which is probably why I like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sanderson/i-like-edward-g-robinson-he-started-as-a-character-actor-and-became-a/) [William Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-sanderson/) > [I'm a character actor and that's what I do. All the roles that I've had have been mainly support roles, because character actors don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-l-jackson/i-m-a-character-actor-and-that-s-what-i-do-all-the-roles-that-i-ve/) [Samuel L. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-l-jackson/) > [Yeah, I am a character actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gaffigan/yeah-i-am-a-character-actor/) [Jim Gaffigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gaffigan/) > [I was always a character actress and never a sex symbol. Even when I was the leading lady, I was a character actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/i-was-always-a-character-actress-and-never-a-sex-symbol-even-when-i/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [I really love being a character actor. I have to say I wish it were a little easier. There are still a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/missi-pyle/i-really-love-being-a-character-actor-i-have-to-say-i-wish-it-were-a/) [Missi Pyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/missi-pyle/) > [As a character actor, I've learned that you have to watch yourself because nobody else is watching. Nobody is concerned with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/as-a-character-actor-i-ve-learned-that-you-have-to-watch-yourself/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [Well, I'm a character actor, and actually throughout my life I've... I have relatively speaking played few heroic leads, but I've done it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rene-auberjonois/well-i-m-a-character-actor-and-actually-throughout-my-life-i-ve-i/) [Rene Auberjonois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rene-auberjonois/) > [My sense of myself is that I'm a character actor, and character actors are ready, willing, and able to do anything, to be totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/my-sense-of-myself-is-that-i-m-a-character-actor-and-character-actors/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [I haven't aged into a character actor. I'm an old leading man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-granger/i-haven-t-aged-into-a-character-actor-i-m-an-old-leading-man/) Stewart Granger > [The people I've respected most in the industry over the years - Paul Newman, for instance. I just loved the way he handled growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-people-i-ve-respected-most-in-the-industry-over-the-years-paul/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [Well, Ive always been a character actor, you know, and you always get your share of character actors who are bad guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colm-meaney/well-ive-always-been-a-character-actor-you-know-and-you-always-get/) [Colm Meaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colm-meaney/) > [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/) ## More by Dylan McDermott > [Style is innate to who I am. My father gave me a picture the other day. I must have been about seven, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/style-is-innate-to-who-i-am-my-father-gave-me-a-picture-the-other-day/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [It's the cable shows that are really the most interesting - 'Mad Men,' 'Breaking Bad,' those shows are really the premiere shows on television…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/it-s-the-cable-shows-that-are-really-the-most-interesting-mad-men/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Most of the time people are aiming so low on television. They're trying to reach that common denominator, especially on network television.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/most-of-the-time-people-are-aiming-so-low-on-television-they-re/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [L.A. is still such a fascinating place to me, so big and diverse. It's so spread out that you can go from Zuma to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/l-a-is-still-such-a-fascinating-place-to-me-so-big-and-diverse-it-s/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [In the consciousness of the end is the limitation of the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/in-the-consciousness-of-the-end-is-the-limitation-of-the-moment/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [As an actor, you always have to reinvent yourself or you end up in the gutter somewhere. It's my job to always change people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/as-an-actor-you-always-have-to-reinvent-yourself-or-you-end-up-in-the/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [I always felt like I needed to act. Not that I wanted to act, but I needed to. And I still feel that same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-always-felt-like-i-needed-to-act-not-that-i-wanted-to-act-but-i/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [The Victorian era is the sexiest age for me, but I also like a woman in a pair of jeans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/the-victorian-era-is-the-sexiest-age-for-me-but-i-also-like-a-woman/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [I've always been fascinated by Baretta and Donny Brasco, and other undercover cops in movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-ve-always-been-fascinated-by-baretta-and-donny-brasco-and-other/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [With the rise of cable, network is clearly floundering because the characters on cable are far more fascinating than they are on network. Network…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/with-the-rise-of-cable-network-is-clearly-floundering-because-the/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [You never want to have a movie be derivative, because that's the worst if you ask me. I always want to be in original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/you-never-want-to-have-a-movie-be-derivative-because-that-s-the-worst/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Everything keeps changing. People want to label things all the time and once you label it, it changes again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/everything-keeps-changing-people-want-to-label-things-all-the-time/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [Dark Blue' is ultimately a gritty crime drama, at its core. I don't think that is ever going to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/dark-blue-is-ultimately-a-gritty-crime-drama-at-its-core-i-don-t/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [My theory about actors is we're all walking milk cartons. Expirations dates everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/my-theory-about-actors-is-we-re-all-walking-milk-cartons-expirations/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) > [New York had a big influence on me growing up, and I was really part of the club scene - the Mudd Club and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/new-york-had-a-big-influence-on-me-growing-up-and-i-was-really-part/) [Dylan McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) [Explore all 48 Dylan McDermott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/) ## 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. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I am tired of our characters being so incomplete. When do we ever save the day in a film? When does a Latino actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esai-morales/i-am-tired-of-our-characters-being-so-incomplete-when-do-we-ever-save/) [Esai Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esai-morales/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [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/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [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/) > [Actors don't hate acting. Most people don't hate acting! Whether you're a child mucking around with your friends or a grown up being paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liv-hewson/actors-don-t-hate-acting-most-people-don-t-hate-acting-whether-you-re/) [Liv Hewson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liv-hewson/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [I never planned to do female roles. It just happened. I was typecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divine/i-never-planned-to-do-female-roles-it-just-happened-i-was-typecast/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divine/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) [Browse all 21,590 Actor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts, because I really do like developing characters and painting a past for them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dylan McDermott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-heart-of-hearts-because-i-really/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-heart-of-hearts-because-i-really/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f7/dylan-mcdermott-13907_actor_i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-hear_388894.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I really am a character actor, in my heart of hearts, because I really do like developing characters and…” — Dylan McDermott", "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": "Dylan McDermott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-mcdermott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I really am a character actor,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-heart-of-hearts-because-i-really/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-mcdermott/i-really-am-a-character-actor-in-my-heart-of-hearts-because-i-really/#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 } } ] } ```