--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You really try to work the character out…" description: "\"You really try to work the character out and spend time in the headspace of the character. That's what I did.\" — James Norton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg" --- # You really try to work the character out and spend time in… ![“You really try to work the character out and spend time in the headspace of the character. That's what I did.” quote by James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg) > “You really try to work the character out and spend time in the headspace of the character. That's what I did.” [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes immersing oneself in a character’s mind to authentically portray them. **In simple terms:** Deeply understand a character to act convincingly. Key Takeaway Study a character’s thoughts and motivations. Themes acting empathy character development method Mood reflective analytical Type professional educational When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - film auditions - character workshops - role preparation Key Concepts psychology storytelling craft Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate self from role? - What techniques help you enter a character’s mind? A Different Perspective Time‑intensive; may blur personal boundaries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [End times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-times/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [It was seriously just a name. They didn’t tell you what to do. They didn’t tell you how they wanted the character to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dorn/it-was-seriously-just-a-name-they-didn-t-tell-you-what-to-do-they/) [Michael Dorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dorn/) > [As an actor you try to find reasons for actions taken by your character, which is what I did with Kamal, so he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paterson-joseph/as-an-actor-you-try-to-find-reasons-for-actions-taken-by-your/) [Paterson Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paterson-joseph/) > [“It was like picking up a book and reading the things the main character did and said and his description and thinking vaguely, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-packer/it-was-like-picking-up-a-book-and-reading-the-things-the-main/) Vin Packer > [Character: The ability to carry out a worthy decision after the emotion of making that decision has passed. Character simply stated is doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyrum-w-smith/character-the-ability-to-carry-out-a-worthy-decision-after-the/) [Hyrum W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyrum-w-smith/) > [Fortunately I've got a weak character, so I never did decide to dedicate myself to only one of my professions. And I'm very glad.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-taimanov/fortunately-i-ve-got-a-weak-character-so-i-never-did-decide-to/) Mark Taimanov > [I think the weird thing about playing a psychopath is that you really have to believe that you, as the character, did nothing wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-scanlen/i-think-the-weird-thing-about-playing-a-psychopath-is-that-you-really/) [Eliza Scanlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-scanlen/) > [In 'Anniyan,' the character I did had three different looks in the film, and I was able to carry it off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram/in-anniyan-the-character-i-did-had-three-different-looks-in-the-film/) [Vikram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram/) > [I gained a lot of confidence after 'IP Man' as being a true actor. I went on to tackle what it is an actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/i-gained-a-lot-of-confidence-after-ip-man-as-being-a-true-actor-i/) [Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/) > [I have a strong and strange character, and I've rarely met directors who knew what to do with this character. One of the few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-doillon/i-have-a-strong-and-strange-character-and-i-ve-rarely-met-directors/) [Lou Doillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-doillon/) > [I don't know what the big issue is about a kiss with Neve Campbell in Wild Things. It's a role, and I think a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-richards/i-don-t-know-what-the-big-issue-is-about-a-kiss-with-neve-campbell-in/) [Denise Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-richards/) > [Andy was a character, and the two of us did have some things in common. We appreciated funny things, didn't like serious things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-morrissey/andy-was-a-character-and-the-two-of-us-did-have-some-things-in-common/) [Paul Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-morrissey/) > [I would take it to heart if people were mad about something my character did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-hale/i-would-take-it-to-heart-if-people-were-mad-about-something-my/) [Lucy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-hale/) > [“And stuff was not what made a person interesting or exciting or worthy of respect, character did.  Luke”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-martucci/and-stuff-was-not-what-made-a-person-interesting-or-exciting-or/) [Jennifer Martucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-martucci/) > [I really tried to work out hard to emulate the look and feel of the character, and did my best to represent the great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-cudmore/i-really-tried-to-work-out-hard-to-emulate-the-look-and-feel-of-the/) [Daniel Cudmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-cudmore/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) ## More by James Norton > [If you're constantly stepping outside of the character and judging them, you'll never really be able to fully engage because you'll always be slightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/if-you-re-constantly-stepping-outside-of-the-character-and-judging/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [ There's so much going on in Andrei \[Bolkonsky\]. He's wrangling with these big existential conundrums, and he tries out different routes to fulfillment. He… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/there-s-so-much-going-on-in-andrei-bolkonsky-he-s-wrangling-with/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [Being in Russia filming War & Peace...filming War & Peace alone is an extraordinary experience, but to be out there was just magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/being-in-russia-filming-war-peace-filming-war-peace-alone-is-an/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [I'm quite a smiley guy, I have my moments, but I think I'm generally of a relatively optimistic nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/i-m-quite-a-smiley-guy-i-have-my-moments-but-i-think-i-m-generally-of/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [Every day, every scene, you were like, "My god. I'm doing a scene with Brian Cox today and then I'm onto a scene with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/every-day-every-scene-you-were-like-my-god-i-m-doing-a-scene-with/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [ The Russians were all really accommodating, and that made it really special. To be allowed in Catherine's Summer Palace...Lily \[James\] and I have this… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/the-russians-were-all-really-accommodating-and-that-made-it-really/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) > [As an actor, I think most people have a tendency to want to demonstrate that they can act, they can emote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/as-an-actor-i-think-most-people-have-a-tendency-to-want-to/) [James Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) [Explore all 8 James Norton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/) ## 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 really try to work the character out and spend time in the headspace of the character. That's what I did.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Norton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out-and-spend-time-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out-and-spend-time-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c84/james-norton-46478_character_you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out_1083504.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You really try to work the character out and spend time in the headspace of the character. That's what I did.” — James Norton", "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": "James Norton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-norton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You really try to work the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out-and-spend-time-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-norton/you-really-try-to-work-the-character-out-and-spend-time-in-the/#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 } } ] } ```