---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You have to love the characters you play…"
description: "\"You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.\" — Glenn Close"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg"
---

#  You have to love the characters you play, even if no one…

![“You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.” quote by Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg)

> “You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.”

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

## 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 fully embrace their roles, even if the audience doesn't appreciate them.

**In simple terms:** Love your characters regardless of audience reaction.

Key Takeaway

Commit to your role wholeheartedly.

Themes

craft authenticity resilience

Mood

inspirational encouraging

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- theatre performance
- film roles
- personal growth

Key Concepts

character immersion audience perception self‑validation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you stay true to a role under criticism?
- What strategies reinforce self‑belief?

A Different Perspective

External validation may affect confidence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/)

## Related quotes

> [I've heard people say you have to love the characters you play. I don't feel that way. I've played a lot of people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bacon/i-ve-heard-people-say-you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play-i-don/)

[Kevin Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bacon/)

> [You always hope that people will fall in love with the characters you play, the way you do yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/you-always-hope-that-people-will-fall-in-love-with-the-characters-you/)

[Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/)

> [I don't wear bright orange clothes or leopard skin boots, but it was really good fun to play someone that does and have an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-hawkins/i-don-t-wear-bright-orange-clothes-or-leopard-skin-boots-but-it-was/)

[Sally Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-hawkins/)

> [“Life starts with play. So, how does innocent playing become intentional? Hard to describe. You don't wake up one day and say, I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabelle-huppert/life-starts-with-play-so-how-does-innocent-playing-become-intentional/)

[Isabelle Huppert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabelle-huppert/)

> [If you don't know how it works, find out. If you're not sure if it will work, try it. If it doesn't make sense,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/if-you-don-t-know-how-it-works-find-out-if-you-re-not-sure-if-it-will/)

[Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/)

> [When you're really young, you tend to fall in love with characters. If you start seeing the same type of character everywhere and realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-marie-tran/when-you-re-really-young-you-tend-to-fall-in-love-with-characters-if/)

[Kelly Marie Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-marie-tran/)

> [I just love characters that are complex, that you can dig into and keep itching the scratch and never quite be satisfied because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cameron-britton/i-just-love-characters-that-are-complex-that-you-can-dig-into-and/)

[Cameron Britton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cameron-britton/)

> [I love characters who are really dedicated to a really bad plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marti-noxon/i-love-characters-who-are-really-dedicated-to-a-really-bad-plan/)

[Marti Noxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marti-noxon/)

> [I have too much respect for the characters I play to make them anything but as real as they can possibly be. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyra-sedgwick/i-have-too-much-respect-for-the-characters-i-play-to-make-them/)

[Kyra Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyra-sedgwick/)

> [Every actor, I don't care what they say, their roles are a lot more interesting than we are, and at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-bloodgood/every-actor-i-don-t-care-what-they-say-their-roles-are-a-lot-more/)

[Moon Bloodgood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-bloodgood/)

> [My favorite thing about acting is that I can play all kinds of different people. Frankly, I don't consider myself a very interesting person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-kress/my-favorite-thing-about-acting-is-that-i-can-play-all-kinds-of/)

[Nathan Kress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-kress/)

> [Four directors through their own interpretation created four different characters. And I had to play them in a fairly short period of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iu/four-directors-through-their-own-interpretation-created-four/)

IU

> [I like having pairs of characters to play off each other. I love drawing Batman, but he's more fun with Robin. Batman charges ahead,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-lee/i-like-having-pairs-of-characters-to-play-off-each-other-i-love/)

[Jim Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-lee/)

> [Usually the characters I play are men of few words, who communicate in non-verbal ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viggo-mortensen/usually-the-characters-i-play-are-men-of-few-words-who-communicate-in/)

[Viggo Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viggo-mortensen/)

> [A lot of times the characters I play tend to be kind of loners or they don't have best friends or best buddies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-shannon/a-lot-of-times-the-characters-i-play-tend-to-be-kind-of-loners-or/)

[Michael Shannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-shannon/)

## More by Glenn Close

> [Love makes no sense at all. But it's the most powerful and amazing force in the entire universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/love-makes-no-sense-at-all-but-it-s-the-most-powerful-and-amazing/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I love Ron Howard, he's a wonderful director, incredibly prepared. But I have to criticize my performance in that movie. It all took place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-love-ron-howard-he-s-a-wonderful-director-incredibly-prepared-but-i/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [As an actor, I go where the good writing is. That's the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/as-an-actor-i-go-where-the-good-writing-is-that-s-the-bottom-line/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I don't have the body or the face for romantic comedies, so I've never been offered those. The challenge is that a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-don-t-have-the-body-or-the-face-for-romantic-comedies-so-i-ve-never/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I'm not a natural ocean person. I married into a family of swimmers, and I've slowly been drawn into the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-m-not-a-natural-ocean-person-i-married-into-a-family-of-swimmers/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [When you're on the set, and sometimes, because it's been so complex and the writers have been really writing, sometimes up until the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/when-you-re-on-the-set-and-sometimes-because-it-s-been-so-complex-and/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I've often been mistaken for Meryl Streep, although never on Oscar night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-ve-often-been-mistaken-for-meryl-streep-although-never-on-oscar/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I had a great time on The Shield. From working on it I have a totally different view of law enforcement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-had-a-great-time-on-the-shield-from-working-on-it-i-have-a-totally/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [Taking power away from a man is a dangerous thing. Someone always pays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/taking-power-away-from-a-man-is-a-dangerous-thing-someone-always-pays/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [My fellow actors inspire me a lot and really good writing inspires me. And then trying to stick to the decision to only do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/my-fellow-actors-inspire-me-a-lot-and-really-good-writing-inspires-me/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I get bored talking about myself, but I can talk about the work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-get-bored-talking-about-myself-but-i-can-talk-about-the-work/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I've always felt that an independent film is a film that almost doesn't get made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-ve-always-felt-that-an-independent-film-is-a-film-that-almost-doesn/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I'm fascinated by the First World War because it was supposed to be the war to end all wars, and it was the biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-m-fascinated-by-the-first-world-war-because-it-was-supposed-to-be/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I knew the term Stepford Wife, and I knew what that meant. I never read the book, and I think before I started filming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-knew-the-term-stepford-wife-and-i-knew-what-that-meant-i-never-read/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

> [I think there's something thrilling about going into a movie house and seeing everything on such a huge screen. I think we're in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/i-think-there-s-something-thrilling-about-going-into-a-movie-house/)

[Glenn Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

[Explore all 84 Glenn Close quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/)

## 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": "You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Glenn Close"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play-even-if-no-one-else-does/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play-even-if-no-one-else-does/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/80b/glenn-close-8097_character_you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play_695148.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You have to love the characters you play, even if no one else does.” — Glenn Close",
                "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": "Glenn Close",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-close/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You have to love the characters...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play-even-if-no-one-else-does/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-close/you-have-to-love-the-characters-you-play-even-if-no-one-else-does/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
