--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work…" description: "\"Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him multi-leveled and interesting.\" — Isaiah Washington" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png" --- # Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him… ![“Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him multi-leveled and interesting.” quote by Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png) > “Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him multi-leveled and interesting.” [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even as an antagonist, the actor strives to give depth and complexity to the character. **In simple terms:** Bad guys can be layered and interesting. Key Takeaway Add nuance to any role. Themes character development acting complexity Mood thoughtful creative Type inspirational analytical When to use this quote - theatre - film - TV series - character workshops Key Concepts psychology storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can you make a villain relatable? - What adds depth to a role? A Different Perspective Depth may be limited by script constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-work/) [Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting/) [Leveled Interesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leveled-interesting-3219733/) [Multi Leveled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multi-leveled-3219734/) [Playing Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-bad/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [I'm a good guy. I love playing bad guys, but good guys that have a good thing going on, I like that, too. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-henriksen/i-m-a-good-guy-i-love-playing-bad-guys-but-good-guys-that-have-a-good/) [Lance Henriksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-henriksen/) > [It's definitely more fun playing a bad guy. It feels a lot better than playing one of the good guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-felton/it-s-definitely-more-fun-playing-a-bad-guy-it-feels-a-lot-better-than/) [Tom Felton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-felton/) > [There is something, yeah, I mean traditionally it's more fun to play bad guys than it is good guys and when you're playing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/there-is-something-yeah-i-mean-traditionally-it-s-more-fun-to-play/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [You know, the blond guy plays the good guy and I play the bad part, the bad guys. Which is a lot of fun.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-robinson/you-know-the-blond-guy-plays-the-good-guy-and-i-play-the-bad-part-the/) [Matt Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-robinson/) > [To be honest, Im a little tired of playing bad guys. I long to do a comedy. But it was fun knocking Indiana Jones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/to-be-honest-im-a-little-tired-of-playing-bad-guys-i-long-to-do-a/) [Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/) > [I love playing bad guys; they're always much more fun than the good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-bowler/i-love-playing-bad-guys-they-re-always-much-more-fun-than-the-good-guy/) [Grant Bowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-bowler/) > [Virtue is not photogenic, so I liked playing bad guys. But, whenever I played a bad guy, I tried to find something good in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/virtue-is-not-photogenic-so-i-liked-playing-bad-guys-but-whenever-i/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [I really like playing the bad guy. There are so many more objectives to play when you're mad or villainesque, or when there's some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keegan-allen/i-really-like-playing-the-bad-guy-there-are-so-many-more-objectives/) [Keegan Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keegan-allen/) > [When you're acting, playing the bad guy, you get a chance to open up this box inside and look at all the bad things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kemp/when-you-re-acting-playing-the-bad-guy-you-get-a-chance-to-open-up/) [Martin Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kemp/) > [Actors will always tell you it's more fun playing bad guys. A lot of the time, it's criminals who are the people who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-gleeson/actors-will-always-tell-you-it-s-more-fun-playing-bad-guys-a-lot-of/) [Brendan Gleeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-gleeson/) > [Let's say you would see me in a lot more big movies had I done movies that I'd been asked to do playing bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-busey/let-s-say-you-would-see-me-in-a-lot-more-big-movies-had-i-done-movies/) [Jake Busey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-busey/) > [I love playing the bad guy getting away with stuff. I was that kid who learned from my older brothers who got away with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellan-lutz/i-love-playing-the-bad-guy-getting-away-with-stuff-i-was-that-kid-who/) [Kellan Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellan-lutz/) > [Playing a bad guy is always a freeing experience, because you don't have the same envelope of restrictions as you have playing a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/playing-a-bad-guy-is-always-a-freeing-experience-because-you-don-t/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [When you're playing the good guy, you want to find the dirty parts - and when you're playing the bad guy, you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wilson/when-you-re-playing-the-good-guy-you-want-to-find-the-dirty-parts-and/) [Patrick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wilson/) ## More by Isaiah Washington > [Everything is not black-and-white . I'm really interested in the gray area - not justifying it, not glorifying it, not condoning it, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/everything-is-not-black-and-white-i-m-really-interested-in-the-gray/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I firmly believe that we are all given signs and dreams and put in situations that define who we were and who we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-firmly-believe-that-we-are-all-given-signs-and-dreams-and-put-in/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I've written a book; I've become a better husband and father because I'm home every day. My connection to the Hollywood world has only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-ve-written-a-book-i-ve-become-a-better-husband-and-father-because-i/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [You need a blueprint to build a house because you need to know how far the concrete is going to be poured and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/you-need-a-blueprint-to-build-a-house-because-you-need-to-know-how/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I've been so incredibly blessed. I've worked with some of the greatest professionals in town. I stood at the Golden Globes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-ve-been-so-incredibly-blessed-i-ve-worked-with-some-of-the-greatest/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [Falling in love is easy, but somebody tell me how to stay there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/falling-in-love-is-easy-but-somebody-tell-me-how-to-stay-there/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [The average person in Hollywood just assumes that if you're on a hit TV show, then that's the first thing you've ever done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/the-average-person-in-hollywood-just-assumes-that-if-you-re-on-a-hit/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [People forget that it's an acting assignment. You can work with someone for three months, three years or 30 years, and then you move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/people-forget-that-it-s-an-acting-assignment-you-can-work-with/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I would still work with Mel Gibson! He's talented, man! Come on, he came up with 'Apocalypto,' man! I want to work with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-would-still-work-with-mel-gibson-he-s-talented-man-come-on-he-came/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [The whole time I was on 'Grey's,' I'm still reconciling myself to my 11-year-old son, because he never saw me during that time. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/the-whole-time-i-was-on-grey-s-i-m-still-reconciling-myself-to-my-11/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I love Facebook. I could brush my teeth with Facebook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-love-facebook-i-could-brush-my-teeth-with-facebook/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [It's, like, bigots want to embrace me, and I politely take their arms from around my neck. I don't share their views - never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/it-s-like-bigots-want-to-embrace-me-and-i-politely-take-their-arms/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [Seek the truth. Tell the truth. Live in truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/seek-the-truth-tell-the-truth-live-in-truth/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I laugh a lot and laugh loudly!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-laugh-a-lot-and-laugh-loudly/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) > [I didn't know what gay was until I lived in New York for 10 years. You know, I was just underexposed in that regard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/i-didn-t-know-what-gay-was-until-i-lived-in-new-york-for-10-years-you/) [Isaiah Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) [Explore all 30 Isaiah Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/) ## 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": "Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him multi-leveled and interesting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Isaiah Washington" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-hard-to-make-him-multi-leveled/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bad guy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-hard-to-make-him-multi-leveled/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d04/isaiah-washington-21000_bad-guy_even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-har_2767813.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Even if I'm playing a bad guy, I work hard to make him multi-leveled and interesting.” — Isaiah Washington", "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": "Isaiah Washington", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-washington/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Even if I'm playing a bad...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-hard-to-make-him-multi-leveled/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-washington/even-if-i-m-playing-a-bad-guy-i-work-hard-to-make-him-multi-leveled/#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 } } ] } ```